Outdoor Physical Activity in Pollution (High Ozone, Allergens, Smoke, Dust Storms, etc)

A Hazy Day Could Bring Pollutants - Check (AirNow.gov) For Live Air Quality in Your Zip Code

Same Location: Smoke at 8 am vs Sunrise 6 Days Before

People have been asking how to replace their usual outdoor workouts and runs during this year’s Canadian wildfires, which are blowing smoke and particulates in the jet stream across the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions. A common question is whether it is safe to run (or engage in any other strenuous physical activity) in areas where there are no active fires, but the wind is carrying smoke and haze into the region.

It is a great question, and the answer can be simplified into a common-sense, three-part test: if any of the following are true, move your workout indoors.

Do not exercise outside if:

·         You can see smoke or haze in the air.

·         You can smell smoke.

·         AirNow.gov shows a reliable poor air quality index for your area.

Air Quality is Not Horrible Now, But the Incoming Winds Say Otherwise (tomorrow)

If smoke is visible, if you can smell it, or if pollutants are settling on the ground or coating your car, stay indoors. If you must go outside, wearing a mask will help protect your lungs from airborne carcinogens. When you can tell a difference in the visibility and smell the smoke, there is no gray area. Exercising hard in those conditions can expose your lungs to a heavy dose of fine particles and other irritants that go deep into your lungs.  Short-term damage will be a cough, upper respiratory infection, and performance loss, but the long-term effects could be heart dysfunction, lung disease, and even cancer.

You can see the science on the topic for yourself:

Short-Term Effects (Acute Exposure)

• Reduced Endurance: Increased inhalation of pollutants like ground-level ozone induces bronchial constriction and oxidative stress, limiting lung capacity. (study)
• Impaired Decision Making: Elevated carbon monoxide and particulate pollution can lead to headaches and cognitive impairments. (study)
• Slower Race Times: Research, such as NCAA collegiate track and field studies, shows a direct link between cumulative ozone exposure and increased 5-km race times. (study)

Long-Term Effects (Chronic Exposure)

• Decreased Training Adaptation: Chronic exposure diminishes the body's ability to adapt to training loads and reduces overall distance covered in high-intensity efforts. (study)
• Respiratory Illness: Repeated irritation significantly increases the risk of developing exercise-induced asthma and upper respiratory tract infections.
• Cardiovascular Strain: Prolonged exposure causes arterial stiffness, elevating heart rate and systolic blood pressure during exertion.

The best next step is to check the air quality index for your area before deciding. For example, I have an outdoor run planned at the beach tomorrow morning. Looking at the AirNow.gov site, my local AQI is currently moderate at 61, which is not in the dangerously unhealthy range. I can see the difference in visibility, but I cannot smell any smoke.  In this situation, we will likely still run, but a 6 am check will occur, and we can make an on-scene decision. The forecast for air quality in our region is getting worse for the next 24 hours.  Sometimes, the safest choice is to skip the outdoor run and train inside instead.

Options for Indoor Training

Indoor swimming pool, indoor treadmill, stationary bike, rower, stair stepper, or elliptical are all options. My advice is to use the following ratio to replace your running miles if you have to choose something besides the treadmill. For every mile you miss, you owe 10 minutes of cardio time on any of the indoor machines that are designed for cardio.

We typically will do swimming with fins, a weight vest, stair stepper, or rucking on an incline on a leg day. On upper body days, you can do some form of conditioning in easy-paced zone 2 or fast sprint/jog-walk intervals, like Tabata intervals of 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy.

There is More To StewSmithFitness.com than You May Know

Dive deeper into the world of Tactical Athlete training and mental toughness by exploring Stew Smith Fitness Programming for the Tactical Athlete online store. Uncover the strategies and techniques used by elite forces to push past physical and mental barriers. Visit StewSmithFitness.com now and equip yourself with the tools for success in many special ops-level selection programs in the military and police world.