Determine if you should exercise when air quality is bad, with specific recommendations according to experts and science.

Im an Exercise PhysiologistHeres Why You Shouldnt Worry About Cortisol Spikes When You Do HIIT Workouts.

Elliptical vs Treadmill: Which Cardio Machine Is Right For You?

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Does Rowing Count as Strength Training?

Heres What Experts Had to Say

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Take the government-run siteAirNow.

woman sweating in the gym

pulmonologist and associate professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University

And certain groups have an elevated risk.

Read on to learn more about what you’re free to do about your outdoor activities.

AQI generally looks at three types of pollutants: ground ozone, and coarse and fine particles.

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

Those byproducts are calledfree radicals, and a buildup of free radicals is damaging to cells.

So that then impacts just about every organ system, every process in the body.

These are days when youll want to think about limiting strenuous outdoor activity.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

But what counts as strenuous activity?

If you feel short of breath or start coughing, its time to come inside.

On rare days marked as hazardous, its best to avoid any outdoor activity.

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pulmonologist and associate professor at the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University

What to know if… (See below for precautions it’s possible for you to take.)

Does Dancing Count as Cardio?

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Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

Im a Master TrainerHeres Why You Shouldnt Skip Your Post-Run Stretches.

And the accumulation of pollution-related health conditions can make you more susceptible, too.

Keep any medications you may need nearby.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

Stop if breathing becomes harder or you start coughing.

If youre otherwise healthy, its less cut and dry, but still a time to exercise caution.

Precautions you’re free to (and should!)

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

But not everyone has access to a gym space.

If you’re able to get out in the early morning, you lower your exposure risk.

The further you could get away from a busy road, the more your lungs will thank you.

Work out in a mask

Yes, it sounds miserable.

Plan your week around the AQI

AirNow offers an air quality forecast at least three days out.

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Rae Kim, Seong et al.

The Importance of Air Quality Policy for Older Adults and Diverse Communities.The Public policy and aging reportvol.

9 Dec. 2020, doi:10.1093/ppar/praa036

Rani, Prerna, and Archana Dhok.

Effects of Pollution on Pregnancy and Infants.Cureusvol.

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