Some exercise is always better than nothing. Still, the way that you exercise and the conditions that you exercise under can impact your health. One issue that people don’t frequently think about is their air quality. Is it safe to exercise indoors when your air quality is bad? We will discuss that and more tips to exercise safely.
Effects of Air Pollution on a Person’s Ability to Exercise
When you exercise you breathe faster, and you also breathe in more air. You need that additional oxygen to perform optimally and get the most benefit from your activity, whether you’re training for your next competition or just trying to do your personal best.
You may even find that exercising in poor air quality exacerbates symptoms you may experience from breathing issues or from the poor air quality itself. This might include:
- Itching/burning eyes
- Runny nose
- Irritated sinuses
- Shortness of breath
- Irritated throat
While people most often talk about how outdoor air pollution can affect your performance, those same pollutants can be inside too. Plus, your indoor air is less likely to properly circulate, which means you could be breathing in a higher amount of those same pollutants than you would if you were exercising outside.
So, boosting your indoor air quality can help make your routine that much healthier. How do you do that? Here are our tips.
1. Use an Air Purifier
One of the best ways to improve your indoor air quality is to use an air purifier to capture the dust and other debris in your air. Depending on the kind of purifier you choose, you can expect it to remove mold spores, bacteria, viruses, allergens, and even some chemicals from the air. You can target some of the most dangerous chemicals, like VOCs, with many of the purifiers on the market.
Improving indoor air quality directly affects the health and comfort of your home. Call the professionals at Woodbridge GTA ClimateCare today to learn more.
2. Change Your Filters
The furnace on your filters, air conditioner and other HVAC appliances can impact your air quality as well. It’s important to regularly change these filters so that they can do their job of removing debris from the air before it blows through the appliance.
If you leave a filter in too long, not only can it start to restrict airflow in the appliance, but it can harbor mold or bacteria, actively making your air quality worse.
3. Manage Humidity
Humidity can also be a big factor in how comfortable your breathing is and therefore how comfortable you are while exercising. In Canada, our biggest concern is typically the low humidity that we face in winter. A whole-home humidifier or an ERV can help balance humidity so that you can breathe and move better.
Are you concerned about the air quality in your house? Contact the professionals at Woodbridge GTA ClimateCare today to get the best advice and cost-effective solution.
