When I’m going through Southern California Wildfires In January, my outdoor Indoor air quality Affected. This is the closest person I’ve ever been to wildfires and I quickly realized how much Poor air quality It can affect all aspects of our lives, including ours Physical and mental health.
Since then, I’ve met A challenge to breathe better Strava, aerospace and running, cycling and hiking app from Smart Indoor Air Quality Technology, the app emphasizes how to do indoors Air quality It will have a special impact exercise and recover.
“Indoor environments with poor air quality, such as co-elevated co-elevated particles (PM2.5) and VOC, can reduce oxygen available to muscles and brains,” said Dr. Joakim Lindhthe person in charge of strategic growth breathetell CNET via email. “This leads to faster fatigue, less endurance and even cognitive movement in the brain fog.”
I sought insights and advice from three doctors to learn more about how poor air quality affects our exercise, recovery and overall health.
Indoor air quality and exercise
Many people like Exercise indoorsespecially when rainy days are not ideal Cold winter Even when outdoor air quality is poor. However, indoor air quality can still affect your body.
“Exercise can increase the dose of air pollution we inhaled while exercising,” Dr. Denitza BlagevThe pulmonologist and intensive care physician and chief medical officer of Intermountain Health, Utah, told CNET in an email. “When we exercise, we breathe deeper, which means we get higher doses of air pollution, whether it’s indoors or outdoors.”
When these pollutants enter our lungs, Dr. Purvi Parikh Allergy and Asthma Networktell CNET via email that they can increase lung stress, exacerbate asthma and allergy If you deal with these conditions. Blagev added that exposure to air pollution also increases the risk of lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, and also increases heart disease.
Because we breathe more while exercising, Dr. Brian Greenberg, an allergic doctor, immunologist and scientific advisory board member, is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board. 1MD Nutritiontold CNET in an email: “If indoor air is contaminated, this can lead to lower oxygen levels and increase inflammation and can damage performance.”
How indoor air quality affects your recovery
“Poor indoor air quality can hinder recovery by limiting oxygen availability and promoting systemic inflammation,” Greenberg said. “This can lead to increased fatigue and prolong healing time.”
According to Blagev, whether indoors or outdoors, exposure to air pollution increases the risk of bronchitis, pneumonia, viral and bacterial infections. Exercise recovery. She added that while there is not much data on how air pollution affects muscle or muscle recovery, exercising in the best air quality can provide many health benefits overall.
If you are sick or sick from air pollution), poor indoor air quality can also delay your recovery because, as Parikh puts it, “You are adding stress to your already nervous lungs.”
Linde also pointed out the impact of poor air quality on sleep: “Poor indoor air quality will destroy the sleep mode and reduce the body’s Recovery of sleep stageThis is crucial for physical recovery and overall well-being. ”
Air quality and overall health, short-term and long-term impacts
In addition to affecting your exercise and recovery, poor indoor air quality can also affect your overall health. “It’s not more basic than clean air and clean water,” Blagev said. “Air pollution has shown short-term and long-term consequences.” According to her, short-term consequences may include, but are not limited to:
- pneumonia
- bronchitis
- Increased risk of acute myocardial infarction
- Stroke
- Heart failure
Blagev reveals that long-term risks may include development:
- Lung cancer
- heart disease
- COPD
- emphysema
- asthma
- Various other diseases
Parikh explains that poor air quality affects every organ in the body, including the brain, heart and lungs. “Poor air quality can also shorten lifespan and increase allergies and worsening asthma,” she added.
The benefits of breathing clean air
“There is no safe dose of air pollution, so the cleaner the air you breathe, the better,” Blagev said. “Air pollution is associated with multiple respiratory problems and outbreaks of autoimmune diseases, so it does have systemic effects to reduce exposure to pollution.”
In particular, Greenberg explained that the breath of clean air can:
- Supports lung health
- Relieve fatigue
- Improve sleep quality
- Improve cognitive function
- Lead to better mood and higher productivity
Parikh added that breathing clean air can reduce allergies and asthma, thereby improving overall health.
What can you do to improve air quality
If you want to improve the air quality in your home, this is what experts recommend.
Use the air purifier with the HEPA filter
Blagev recommended High-quality air purifieralthough Greenberg and Parick both recommend using the air purifier of HEPA filter to remove air particles such as pollutants and allergens. HEPA stands for efficient special air, these The filter can be removed In air particles of 0.3 microns, up to 99.7% include pollen, pet dander and dust.
Avoid poor outdoor air quality
“For most people, indoor air quality is better than outdoor air quality, although that may vary,” Blagev said.
Regular cleaning
“Reduce exposure of allergens to dust mites, animal dander and mold indoors by regular cleaning [and] Parick said. Dust mites and allergens.
Blagev warned: “Vacuum Negatively affecting air quality If you have a lot of carpet. “This is because the vacuum can stir up particulate matter in the air.
Limit projects that may have negative impacts on air quality
Parikh and Greenberg American Lung Association Defined as “gas emitted from a product or process”.
For example, Blagev recommends not doing the following indoors: smoke, use an indoor fireplace and burning candles. “Other things that may affect indoor air quality include the use of diffusers or perfumes and the use of chemicals in regular household cleaners,” she added.
Control humidity
“maintain Indoor humidity between 30% and 50% to prevent mold growth, which may release spores into the air. ” Greenberg said.
in the case of Humidity at home Too high, you can Using a dehumidifier Reduce it. Lindh also recommends having exhaust fans in high animal areas such as bathrooms and kitchens to minimize humidity and contaminants.
Actively monitor your air quality
Lindh recommends investing in smart air quality monitors to measure humidity, VOC, CO₂ and particulate levels in real time. “These data allow people to make informed decisions about when to ventilate or purify the air,” he explained.
Pay attention to ventilation
Greenberg recommends that if your outdoor air quality is not bad, but indoor air quality is “regularly opening windows and doors to introduce fresh air and reducing indoor pollutants.”
But if you are dealing with poor outside air quality, Blagev notes: “Common sources of indoor air pollution include pollution from the outside. Your home varies from factors such as whether your windows are open, what season, age of the home, age of the home and how much air you get.”
If the outdoor air quality is poor, ventilate by closing windows, doors and any other indoors that bring outdoor air into the house.
Keep your HVAC filter
HVAC stands for Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. It’s important to make sure these are Maintain the system and get proper care as they directly affect the air quality of your home.
“Keep the HVAC system and filtration well clean and well maintained filtration and schedule regular inspections of indoor air systems to ensure optimal performance,” Lindh said.
