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Is It Safe to Exercise Outside in Poor Air Quality? (U.S. News)

Posted: Jul 28, 2025 in In the News

This article originally appeared on U.S. News on July 28, 2025.

Across the country, smoke from wildfires – including the Canadian wildfire – have drifted to dozens of states, causing the air quality in those regions to plummet. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, other forms of air pollution have been rising along with the heat and humidity.

Spending time in polluted air isn’t good for anyone, but it’s riskier for some people than others. And if you’re breathing heavily while running, power-walking, cycling, playing tennis or doing another form of intense exercise in highly polluted air, you could incur health risks...

It’s important to consider these factors before you exercise outside, especially in conditions involving intense heat, humidity or poor air quality. The last thing you want to do is sacrifice safety for the sake of an outdoor sweat-fest.

To stay on the right side of this risk-reward calculus, the American Council on Exercise recommends adjusting your workout intensity and duration. Flexibility on this front is essential...

Read the full article here.