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Pollution Halves Exercise Benefits
28 Nov
Summary
- Polluted air can cut exercise's mortality benefits by half.
- Two and a half hours exercise reduced risk by 30% in clean air.
- High pollution levels negate cancer risk reduction from exercise.
Regular physical activity is well-known for boosting health, but new research suggests that air pollution can significantly reduce these advantages. Scientists found that the mortality benefits gained from exercising regularly were halved for those exposed to highly polluted air. Specifically, individuals meeting the recommended exercise guidelines experienced a 30% lower risk of dying in cleaner environments, but this benefit dropped to 12-15% in areas with high fine particle pollution (above 25 micrograms per cubic metre).
The study, which analyzed data from over 1.5 million adults, revealed that the negative impacts of air pollution can even negate the benefits of exercise on cancer risk in severely polluted areas (above 35 micrograms per cubic metre). Researchers noted that a significant portion of the global population lives in areas exceeding these pollution thresholds.
While exercise remains beneficial even in polluted conditions, improving air quality could greatly enhance these health gains. The findings underscore the importance of both physical activity and clean air for healthy ageing, urging greater efforts to reduce pollution levels. Mitigation strategies like checking air quality and choosing cleaner routes can also help lessen the negative impacts.
