- With Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
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Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Dr. Edward Laskowski is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
He has been on the staff of Mayo Clinic since 1990 and specializes in sports medicine, fitness, strength training and stability training. He works with a multidisciplinary team of physical medicine, rehabilitation and orthopedic specialists, physical therapists and sports psychologists.
Dr. Laskowski is an elite-level skier and approaches sports medicine from the perspective of a physician and an athlete. In addition to skiing, he is an avid hiker, cyclist and climber.
In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Laskowski to a two-year term on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Dr. Laskowski was a member of the medical staff of the Olympic Polyclinic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was involved in medical coverage for the Chicago Marathon. He serves as a consulting physician to the National Hockey League Players' Association and is a featured lecturer at the American College of Sports Medicine's Team Physician Course.
Dr. Laskowski, a Cary, Ill., native, has contributed to Mayo Clinic's CD-ROM on sports, health and fitness, a Web site guide to self-care, and hundreds of Mayo Clinic articles and booklets in print and online. He is a contributing editor to Mayo Clinic's "Fitness for EveryBody" book.
"There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and fitness in general, and also many traditions that don't stand up to scientific scrutiny," he says. "My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on sports medicine and fitness topics in a way that you can practically incorporate into your life."
Fitness basics (4)
- Exercise and illness: Should you exercise when you're sick?
- Heart rate: What's normal?
- Body fat analyzers: How accurate are they?
- see all in Fitness basics
Aerobic exercise (10)
- Weighted hula hoops: Exercise gimmick or good idea?
- Elliptical machines: Better than treadmills?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- see all in Aerobic exercise
Strength training (10)
- Weightlifting belt: Do I need one?
- Sit-ups: Is it OK to stabilize my feet?
- Flat stomach: Can wearing a girdle tighten abdominal muscles?
- see all in Strength training
Sports nutrition (4)
- 'Natural' steroids: Are they safe?
- Insulin: Can it boost athletic performance?
- Energy drinks: OK for athletes?
- see all in Sports nutrition
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Question
Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
I've heard that running or biking near a congested road is bad for you. Does air pollution make outdoor exercise risky?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Aerobic activity is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle. Still, you may experience negative health effects if you regularly exercise in areas with air pollution — especially if you have asthma or another chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.
During aerobic activity — even low-intensity activity — you may breathe as much as 10 times more air than you do when at rest. You're also likely to draw air more deeply into your lungs and breathe mostly through your mouth, bypassing your filtering nasal passages. These factors work together to increase your contact with pollutants, making air pollution and exercise a potentially risky combination.
Year-round exposure to air pollution or particulate matter — a mix of tiny specks of soot, dust and aerosols suspended in the air — has been linked to:
- Significant damage to the small airways of the lungs
- An increased risk of heart attacks and strokes in older women
- An increased risk of death from lung cancer and cardiovascular disease
Despite the potential health risks, don't use air pollution as a reason to skip exercise if you're otherwise healthy. To limit the effects of air pollution and exercise:
- Time your workouts carefully. Check local air pollution alerts and plan your outdoor workouts accordingly. Avoid outdoor physical activity when pollution levels are highest — in the midday or afternoon in many areas.
- Avoid congested streets. Pollution levels are likely to be highest within 50 feet (15 meters) of the road.
- Exercise indoors. Vary your routine with occasional indoor activities. Take a fitness class, check out a local gym or run laps on an indoor track.
If you have a chronic condition, share any concerns you may have about outdoor exercise with your doctor.
Next questionWhole body vibration training: An effective workout?
- Mittleman MA. Air pollution, exercise and cardiovascular risk. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;357:1147.
- Sharman JE. Clinicians prescribing exercise: Is air pollution a hazard? Medical Journal of Australia. 2005;182:606.
- Campbell ME, et al. Should people be physically active outdoors on smog alert days? Canadian Journal of Public Health. 2005;96:24.
- Air pollution and exercise. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36292. Accessed Feb. 20, 2009.
- Facts about particle pollution. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa2.org/sota/SOTA08__PMFacts.pdf. Accessed Feb. 20, 2009.
