When I experienced the Southern California wildfires in January, my outdoor and indoor air quality was affected. This was the closest I’d ever been to a wildfire and I quickly realized just how much poor air quality can affect every aspect of our lives, including our mental and physical health.
Since then, I’ve come across the Breathe Better challenge from smart indoor air quality tech company Airthings and running, cycling and hiking app Strava, which highlighted how indoor air quality can specifically affect workouts and recovery.
“Indoor environments with poor air quality such as elevated CO₂ levels, particulate matter (PM2.5) and VOCs can reduce the oxygen available to muscles and the brain,” Joakim Lindh, head of strategic growth at Airthings, told CNET via email. “This leads to faster fatigue, decreased endurance and even cognitive ‘brain fog’ mid-exercise.”
I sought the insights and advice of three doctors to learn more about how poor indoor air quality can affect our workouts, recovery and overall health.
Indoor air quality and workouts
Many people enjoy working out indoors, especially when the weather isn’t ideal on rainy days, during cold winter months or even when the outdoor air quality is poor. However, indoor air quality can still affect your body.
“Exercising can increase the dose of air pollution we inhale when we exercise,” Dr. Denitza Blagev, pulmonologist and critical care physician at Intermountain Health and chief medical officer for Intermountain Riverton Hospital in Utah, told CNET in an email. “We breathe more deeply when we exercise, meaning we’re taking in a higher dose of air pollution, whether that air pollution is indoors or outdoors.”
When these pollutants enter our lungs, Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network, told CNET via email that they can increase strain on the lungs, exacerbating asthma and allergies if you deal with these conditions. Blagev adds that air pollution exposure also increases the risk of developing lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, and also increases the risk of heart disease.
Since we breathe more when we work out, Dr. Brian Greenberg, allergist, immunologist and scientific advisory board member with 1MD Nutrition, told CNET in an email, “If the indoor air is polluted, this can lead to reduced oxygen levels and heightened inflammation, potentially impairing performance.”
How indoor air quality affects your recovery
“Poor indoor air quality can hinder recovery by limiting oxygen availability and promoting systemic inflammation,” says Greenberg. “This can lead to increased fatigue and prolonged healing times.”
Whether indoors or outdoors, exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of bronchitis, pneumonia and viral and bacterial infections, according to Blagev, which can, in turn, affect workout recovery. She adds that while there isn’t a lot of data on how air pollution affects muscles or muscle recovery, exercising in the best air quality possible can provide many health benefits overall.
Poor indoor air quality can also delay your recovery if you’re sick (or get sick from air pollution) because, as Parikh puts it, “You’re adding strain to your lungs that are already strained.”
Lindh also points out the impact of poor air quality on sleep: “Poor indoor air quality can disrupt sleep patterns, reducing the time the body spends in restorative sleep phases, which are essential for physical recovery and overall well-being.”
Air quality and overall health, short- and long-term effects
Besides affecting your workouts and recovery, poor indoor air quality can affect your overall health. “It doesn’t get more basic than clean air and clean water,” Blagev said. “Air pollution has been shown to have both short- and long-term consequences.” According to her, short-term consequences can include, but are not limited to:
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Increased risk of acute myocardial infarction
- Stroke
- Heart failure
Blagev reveals that long-term risks can consist of developing:
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease
- COPD
- Emphysema
- Asthma
- A variety of other Illnesses
Parikh explains that poor air quality can affect every organ in the body, including the brain, heart and lungs. She adds, “Poor air quality can shorten life span as well and increase allergy and asthma exacerbations.”
Benefits of breathing clean air
“There is no safe dose of air pollution, so the cleaner the air you breathe, the better,” Blagev says. “Air pollution has been associated with exacerbations of several respiratory issues, as well as flare-ups of autoimmune diseases, so it really does have a whole-body impact to reduce exposure to pollution.”
Specifically, Greenberg explains that breathing in clean air can:
- Support lung health
- Reduce fatigue
- Enhance sleep quality
- Improve cognitive function
- Lead to better mood and higher productivity
Parikh adds that breathing cleaner air with fewer pollutants can reduce allergies and asthma, improving overall health.
What you can do to improve your air quality
If you’re looking to improve the air quality in your home, here is what experts recommend.
Use air purifiers with HEPA filters
Blagev recommends using high-quality air purifiers, while both Greenberg and Parikh recommend air purifiers with HEPA filters to remove airborne particles such as pollutants and allergens. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particular air, and these filters can remove up to 99.7% of airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns, including pollen, pet dander and dust.
Avoid poor outdoor air quality
“For most people, the indoor air quality is better than the outdoor air quality, although that can vary,” says Blagev, adding, “If it’s a bad air pollution day outdoors, try to exercise indoors. That’s the best advice.”
Clean regularly
“Reduce allergen exposure indoors to dust mites, animal dander and mold by cleaning frequently [and] getting dust mite covers,” says Parikh. In particular, Greenberg recommends cleaning carpets, curtains and furniture regularly to reduce dust mites and allergens.
Blagev warns that “vacuuming may negatively impact air quality if you have a lot of carpet.” This is because the vacuum can stir up particulates in the air.
Limit items that can negatively affect air quality
Parikh and Greenberg suggest removing any items in your home that emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which the American Lung Association defines as “gases that are emitted into the air from products or processes.”
For instance, Blagev advises not to do the following indoors: smoke, use indoor fireplaces and burn candles. “Other things that can impact indoor air quality include the use of diffusers or perfumes and the use of chemicals in common household cleaners,” she adds.
Control humidity
“Maintain indoor humidity between 30% and 50% to prevent mold growth, which can release spores into the air,” says Greenberg.
If the humidity in your home is too high, you can use a dehumidifier to reduce it. Lindh also suggests having exhaust fans in high-moisture areas, like bathrooms and kitchens, to minimize humidity and pollutants.
Actively monitor your air quality
Lindh recommends investing in a smart air quality monitor to measure humidity, VOCs, CO₂ and particulate matter levels in real time. “This data allows people to make informed decisions about when to ventilate or purify the air,” he explains.
Pay attention to ventilation
If your outdoor air quality isn’t poor, but indoor air quality is, Greenberg advises, “Regularly open windows and doors to introduce fresh air, reducing indoor pollutants.”
However, if you’re dealing with poor air quality outside, Blagev notes, “Common sources of indoor air pollution include pollution coming in from outside. That varies from house to house with factors such as whether your windows are open, what season it is, how old your house is and how much air circulation you’re getting.”
If outdoor air quality is poor, limit indoor ventilation by closing windows, doors and any other sources that bring outdoor air inside the home.
Maintain your HVAC filters
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. It’s important to ensure these systems are maintained and cared for properly since they directly affect your home’s air quality.
“Keep HVAC systems and filters clean and well-maintained, and schedule regular check-ups for the indoor air systems to ensure optimal performance,” says Lindh.
