don's report archive
Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)
Sunday October 15, 2000
You have probably become aware of severe weather in recent months in many parts of the country. I'm often asked if it's a good idea to exercise outdoors when conditions are not so good. Examples might include days of high pollution factors or severe heat or cold. While there are variables to take into account when assessing, on any given day, whether to engage in outdoor exercise (for example, conditions of darkness in potentially dangerous environments or the mood of mobs running amok looting and pillaging), let me focus for now upon the basics of air quality and weather.
There are days, at least in some locales, when smog/pollution and/or temperature and/or humidity mitigate against outdoor exercise. In going ahead despite such obstacles, you could do more harm than good to your fitness level. Here in Tampa, Florida, I try to exercise outdoors during the very early morning and evening hours - it's mighty rough out in the midday summer heat with the proverbial mad dogs and Englishmen. Years ago, I went for a run in Chicago along Lake Front Drive on a Winter morning. The wind chill index read 60 degrees below zero. I nearly lost a major body part -- and I was really bundled.
As to pollution, did you know that the hemoglobin molecules in the blood prefer carbon monoxide molecules 210 times more than oxygen molecules? This is disgusting but that's how it is. This means less oxygen gets carried to your muscles and vital organs. If exposed to typical levels of carbon monoxide at say, rush hour alongside a freeway, it will take you more than eight hours to get rid of it all. It's even more hazardous for asthmatics and others with lung function challenges. My point is that it pays to be fit in more ways than one. If you are fit enough, you can take a day or two off without adverse effects when outdoor conditions are really grim or questionable - and your instincts combined with knowledge tell you it seems wise to do so.
On days like these, you can also look for ways to train indoors in well ventilated, clean air environments. Indoors or out, in good weather or bad, make every effort to enjoy your routines and always look on the bright side of life. Cheers.
(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)
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