Poor air quality: why running isn’t worth the risk

On Wednesday morning, Toronto was ranked the world's most polluted major city due to severe wildfire smoke The post Poor air quality: why running isn’t worth the risk appeared first on Canadian Running Magazine .

On Wednesday morning, the Toronto area was blanketed by a dense yellow haze as smoke from some of the worst wildfires northwestern Ontario has ever seen drifted across the province. For runners, the question was immediate: can I still run? The city has been handed an orange alert by Environment Canada, signalling unhealthy air quality that poses a “very high risk” for residents.

Toronto, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 182 (a reading over 150 is unhealthy), currently ranks as the world’s most polluted major city, exceeding Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Delhi, India. The major wildfire outbreak earlier this week has prompted evacuations in northern Ontario communities and has caused high volumes of smoke to drift across southern Ontario. With Environment Canada advising Toronto residents in these areas to limit time outdoors, reschedule or cancel outdoor activities, and keep doors and windows closed, should you really continue running?

Northwestern Ontario’s wildfires The presence of smoke in Ontario is typical during wildfire season, which is caused by extreme temperatures and dry conditions, but this year’s fires are more severe than usual. Roughly 150 active wildfires have burned an estimated 3,630 square kilometres, forcing countless residents to evacuate. Wildfire smoke is dense with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) measuring 2.5 micrometres in diameter or smaller, which can be absorbed into the bloodstream upon inhalation.

Running in poor air quality Even short periods outdoors can irritate the eyes and throat, plus cause shortness of breath or headaches, and that’s not even considering the higher volume of air you take in while running hard and breathing deeply. Breathing in through your mouth instead of your nose (which most runners do) can also cause you to inhale more of these airborne particles. And even if you don’t feel any discomfort on your run, it doesn’t mean there’s no harm being done.

Repeated or prolonged exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to long-term effects such as reduced lung function, increased risk of respiratory infections and can be linked to countless other health issues. Skip the run or hit the treadmill Heavily polluted air can put anyone at risk, regardless of their age and general health. In an air quality statement issued on Wednesday, Environment Canada said, “If you must spend time outdoors, limit the time as much as possible.

A well-constructed, well-fitting and properly-worn respirator-type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke. Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health.” But as all runners know, running in a thick mask is less than ideal, especially in high temperatures.

According to DurhamRegion.com, lower-grade masks can filter out larger particles, but they won’t filter out PM2.5. Running outdoors isn’t worth harming your health and affecting your running performance in the long run. At these levels, the negative effects of pollutants likely outweigh the benefits of running for your cardiovascular health.

Unlike your other running gear, you can’t remove the smoke damage by throwing your lungs into the laundry or buying a fresh pair–this set is the only one you’ll get. So, if you can, opt for the treadmill, or use other forms of cross-training, such as indoor cycling, swimming or the elliptical, to get your mileage in for the day. You can even take this as your chance to focus on your much-needed strength workouts or even try out high-intensity interval training (HIIT).