Weekly Tips for Your Peak Fitness and Wellness

This Week's Tip: Keep Our Fresh Air Clean

You’ve heard of bad hair days… well, what about bad air days? Smog, which is the generic term for any collection of ozone, carbon monoxide, or other fine particles, is a serious problem for people who live or work near cities. Exercisers are even more susceptible to lung damage for two reasons: We take in more air as we breathe heavily, and we tend to breathe through our mouths, bypassing the nasal passages that would ordinarily be our body’s first line of defense.
           
Before you head out for your workout, check the air quality index of your weather report, and limit your time outdoors or stay inside if it’s a bad air day. Children, older adults, and those with respiratory or chronic conditions are especially vulnerable to exposure. Train early in the morning when levels are lowest and exercise on a trail or path as far from traffic as possible.

And of course, don’t contribute to the problem: Bike or carpool to work, don’t burn wood or trash, and fill up your gas tank after dark to prevent the sun from turning gas emissions into pollution.