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Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Q&A: Should I exercise outside on days when air pollution is heavy?

Posted September 7th, 2007 at 7:50 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

It’s healthful to exercise and harmful to breathe polluted air, so how can you decide whether you are doing more harm than good?

The worst time for pollution is when clouds cover the sky and automobiles fill the roads. Automobile exhaust fumes are the principal source of air pollution in most cities, and overlying clouds increase pollution. Usually the sun’s rays heat the ground to warm air closest to the ground. Hot air rises, taking large amounts of pollutants skyward. On air inversion days, the clouds prevent the sun’s rays from getting through to the ground, so the air near the ground is not heated, remains colder and doesn’t rise, causing the air with its pollutants to remain close to the ground.

Air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, ozone, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide can damage your lungs. When you exercise . . .
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Exercise and Air Pollution: Exposure may increase risk of lung, cardiovascular damage

Posted July 9th, 2007 at 7:10 PM by Bridget Sullivan

Section: Health & Fitness

The American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM) released the following news article on exercise and air pollution May 31, 2007.

An unfortunate aspect of today’s environment is the significant amount of noxious air pollutants including ozone, carbon monoxide, fine and ultrafine particulates. This problem is especially troublesome in urban settings, near major highways, and in indoor ice arenas. Exercising while exposed to air pollution puts people at increased risk of lung and cardiovascular damage. A featured science session at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) addressed the issue of exercise and air pollution, outlining the dangers of air pollution and possible actions to help reduce risks from exposure.

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