Rising pollen counts make outdoor workouts uncomfortable and can affect performance. Here are five strategies for breathing easier.
Along with warmer weather and more daylight, spring brings an explosion of pollen, which can make exercising outdoors an itchy, sniffly challenge.
What’s worse, pollen season has gotten longer and more intense in recent years, thanks to climate change.
While anyone who spends time outdoors will be exposed to their area’s particular allergens, exercisers often feel their effects more severely, according to experts, because they inhale higher doses.
For the more than a quarter of American adults who are sensitive to seasonal allergens, exposure can irritate the airway from the nose down to the lungs, which can affect both exercise performance and recovery.
“When the tissues in your nose swell, it’s mechanically harder for air to get from your nose into your airway,” said Dr. Manan Shah, an allergist in Denver who works with athletes to optimize their performance.
The inflammation often lingers after a workout is done, and can affect sleep and prevent muscles from healing properly. The key, according to Dr. Shah, is to prevent allergic reactions from happening in the first place, since inflammation can be tough to control once it’s started. Here’s how.