Exercising in Pittsburgh's Air Pollution? You May Want to Think Twice

In my last post, I wrote about local environmental group GASP's program "Athletes United for Healthy Air," a group who believes that everyone has the right to exercise in clean air. In researching this topic, I was shocked to read that the risks of exercising outdoors in polluted air might actually outweigh the benefits. 

Particulate matter and ozone, two areas where Pittsburgh leads the country in unhealthy levels, are particularly bad for those who exercise outdoors. 

Source: imaginepittsburgh.com

People involved in aerobic exercise such as running, cycling, swimming, and walking inhale more air and breathe more deeply. They also tend to breathe through the mouth more, so pollutants that are usually filtered through the nose are able to sneak in. In fact, a 2004 study found that during exercise, "low concentrations of pollutants caused lung damage similar to that caused by high concentrations in people not working out."

Exercising in bad air is associated with the following risks:

• Damage to airways of lungs
• Worsening/development of asthma
• Increased risk of heart attacks and stroke
• Increased risk of death from lung cancer and cardiovascular disease

This short video explains how toxins from air pollution move around in our bodies:

Mitigating the Effects of Air Pollution

As scary as it is, especially if you are someone who likes to exercise outdoors, there are steps you can take to lessen your exposure to dangerous air pollutants:

• Know your air pollution. Check the local air quality index on a daily basis and follow instructions.
• Know your risk! If you have asthma or other special conditions, pay attention to recommendations.
• Limit outdoor exercise at time of the day when it might be particularly bad outside, like at rush hour and midday. 
• Try to exercise at least 50 feet away from roadways, where vehicle exhaust is at its worst.