On Monday morning, Toronto had the second-worst air quality of all major cities in the world, right behind Baghdad, Iraq. With an unhealthy and “high risk” Air Quality Index (AQI) of 177 (a reading over 150 is very bad), the city earned a top spot on a list no runner wants to be thinking about.
The culprit? More than 100 wildfires burning across Manitoba, calling for a state of emergency and forcing countless residents of the province to evacuate. It’s also leaving high volumes of smoke–dense with fine particulate matter (PM2.5)–drifting across southern Ontario, Ottawa-Gatineau and Quebec. On Tuesday, Montreal hit an AQI of 138, now ranked sixth globally for worst air. With Environment Canada advising residents in these areas to limit time outdoors and keep doors and windows closed, should you really continue running?
A bad mix: running and poor air quality
Running in poor air quality can be pretty uncomfortable. Just being outside can cause irritation to the eyes and throat, plus shortness of breath or headaches–and that’s not even considering the higher volume of air you take in while running hard and breathing deeply. Breathing in through your mouth instead of your nose (which most runners do) can also cause you to inhale more of these airborne particles.
And even if you don’t feel any discomfort on your run, it doesn’t mean there’s no harm being done. The pollutants can have long-term effects such as reduced lung function, increased risk of respiratory infections and can be linked to countless other health issues.
It’s best to just stay inside
In an air quality statement issued on Monday for Hamilton and surrounding areas, Environment Canada said, “If you must spend time outdoors, a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly-worn respirator-type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke.” But as all runners know, running in a thick mask is less than ideal–especially in this heat. And according to DurhamRegion.com, lower-grade masks can filter out larger particles, but they won’t filter out PM2.5.
So, if you can, opt for the treadmill, or use other forms of cross-training, such as indoor cycling, swimming or using the elliptical, to get your mileage in for the day. You can even take this as your chance to focus on your much-needed strength workouts or even try out high intensity interval training (HIIT).
How to factor air quality into your training
While being trapped indoors might feel like the end of the world, running outdoors isn’t worth harming your health and affecting your running performance in the long run. At these levels, the negative effects of pollutants likely outweigh the benefits of running on your cardiovascular health. Unlike your other running gear, you can’t remove the smoke damage by throwing your lungs into the laundry or buying a fresh pair of shoes–this set is the only one you’ll get.
Checking the air quality
AQI below 50: Green/good–safe conditions.
AQI between 50 and 100: Yellow/moderate–safe for healthy people. It may be unhealthy long-term for sensitive groups (0lder adults, pregnant people, infants and young children or people with an existing illness or chronic health condition).
AQI between 100 and 150: Orange/poor–unhealthy for sensitive groups. All other groups should consider lighter/shorter outdoor activities.
AQI over 150: Red/very poor–very unhealthy for all groups. All should take precautions by avoiding activity outdoors.
