Air pollution cuts down exercise benefits, says new study
Turns out, working out in polluted air isn't as good for you as you'd hope.
A fresh study led by an international team, including scientists from University College London and headed by Professor Po-Wen Ku of National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, found that while regular exercise usually lowers your risk of death (especially from cancer and heart disease), high levels of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) can seriously weaken those positive effects.
What the numbers say—And what you can do
Researchers looked at data from over 1.5 million people in places like the UK, Taiwan, China, Denmark, and the US.
If yearly PM2.5 levels go above 25 mg/m3—which is true for nearly half the world—the protective effect of exercise drops a lot: instead of cutting your risk by 30%, it's only about 12-15%.
Experts suggest checking air quality before heading out, picking cleaner routes when possible, and taking it easy on days when pollution spikes.