Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

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Stahlmann
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Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by Stahlmann »

What are your thoughts?

slowtraveler
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by slowtraveler »

Compared to sitting at home working on the computer, it depends.

Are you in Shanghai or another area with toxic levels of air pollution?

Outside air tends to be cleaner than inside air, assuming no hepa or other fancy filters. So in a median pollution city, I'd expect the benefits to be far greater- lower depression, circulate lymph fluids, decrease eye strain (assuming not overly bright), improve lung and hearts, etc.

Cars and lifestyle diseases are the big killers in cities and I could see walking/cycling counteracting these, especially if adopted en mass.

Farm_or
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by Farm_or »

I spent too long in a city that boomed for over a decade. Like a lot of popular cities, it was in a valley. The population driven air pollution was compounding the natural inversions. The air quality worsened with amplitude and duration.

You had to know during those times that you felt like you had to chew the air to breathe that it was probably counter productive to exercise outdoors.

However, the benefits of regular exercise still outpace the popular tendency of sedentary inactivity. Simply do workouts indoors for awhile?

ThisDinosaur
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by ThisDinosaur »

Yeah, thats a tough one. It might be best to exercise indoors if you live in LA or Mexico City or something. Which city are you in?

Stahlmann
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by Stahlmann »

It is more about buying special mask.
But I do not know how to recognize proper one. Has anyone tested anything in that regard?

My area is not LA or Mexico :D
Anyway, people tend to own cars which do not comfort emission standards from neigbour country (it is cheaper to buy them...) :lol:

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Jean
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by Jean »

When I was cycling in heavy traffic, I felt much healthier than now that I drive.

vexed87
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by vexed87 »

Luckily the answer is no, at least in developed nations with better clean air regulations. Areas that experience regular heavy smogs might tip the balance in favour of the telecommuter during the worst atmospheric conditions. Perversely, motors tend to be the worst form of transportation because their air intakes are usually at the same level as the exhaust of the car in front, so idling in traffic in a car is the worst place you can be as particulates accumulate in the cabin. Whilst riding on a bike, particulates are free to disperse.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... isk-cities

If you find yourself living in the 1% of cities where the harm of active transport outweighs the risks, you might consider moving to a more healthy environment for your own sake!

As for face masks, they don't filter out the microscopic particulates which do the most damage to vasuclar systems.

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fiby41
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Re: Does pollution cancel health benefits of cycling/running in urban areas?

Post by fiby41 »

Pollution is lowest at dawn. Traffic is low and natural lighting present.

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