Air Quality And Your Health
- Jun 7, 2016
- 2 min read
Air pollution and physical inactivity are two risk factors for chronic diseases and ill health. To avoid these two risk factors and enjoy better health your aims would be:
To remain physically active
Avoid environments with air pollutants.
When you are physically active you breathe in more air, so it is important that the quality of air around you is good. This way you will be taking steps to reduce the two risk factors.
The question is: How do you know that the quality or air is good?
Air quality index(AQI) is an index for measuring the quality of air, it is a guide as to how polluted or clean the air is.
Most individuals can be physically active when the outdoor air quality is not good, but caution must be taken. Even by re-scheduling their physical activity, they can protect their health.
Individuals with respiratory problems must take extra steps to protect their health from the pollutants circulation in the air. By knowing what the air quality is in their area they can plan a head. When it is too high they will have to cancel outdoor physical activity for the day.
These are steps that can be taken when the AQI is moderate-high.
Change your outdoor activity to an indoor activity
Reduce the intensity of physical activity, for example, walking instead of jogging or running.
Reduce the duration of physical activity
Cancelling all physical activity until the air quality is good.
The persons most affected by poor air quality are those with:
-Asthma
-Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)
-Heart disease
These groups of people are the sensitive groups; they are advised to cancel all physical activity when the air quality is too high.
The air quality range is 0-500, with 0 being safest with no risk and 500 being too high and hazardous to one's health.
Air Quality information for your health status and the AQI for your area are both available online.
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