The air's bad... should I stop exercising?

It is hot season, which means dust and haze, and heat also cut down on visibility.  But what does it mean?

Some interesting -- and surprising -- research is shedding light on what it all means.

Exhaust Yourself

[I]s exercising in dirty air worse than not exercising at all? That’s the dilemma researchers are now tackling, and there are hints that the powerful anti-inflammatory effects of frequent exercise counteract the ravages of air pollution...

At the University of British Columbia’s Environmental Physiology Lab, researchers Luisa Giles and Michael Koehle are leading a study on whether the balance between the positive and negative effects of exercise and pollution depends on how hard you’re working out. Volunteers come to the lab for seven consecutive weeks to cycle at varying intensities. One group breathes air tainted with exhaust from a diesel engine; the other breathes clean, filtered air. Afterward, the effect on both groups’ lungs, heart, and blood vessels is measured. Results aren’t yet available, but the pilot tests were promising. “It came out that exercise was overpowering the effect of the pollution,” Koehle says. “We don’t have enough data yet to turn that into anything, but it was just kind of, ‘Wow.’” ...

But if the choice comes down to exercising in polluted air versus canceling your workout entirely, the better option is to go for the run or ride and find ways to minimize your exposure to pollutants...

We've done a few things to help keep the air in the gym as clean as possible:

• The bamboo isn't just for decoration, but also helps clean the air, as the leaves catch particulates.  Being far away from a busy road helps as well -- particulates and other pollutants drop dramatically as you move away from the road.
• We have both mist fans and foggers -- turning them on can help dramatically drop the particulates and pollution in the gym, as well as keep things cool. We'll often have them going early on and turn them off later so you can be cool but not wet!
• Morning classes -- especially 7:00 AM, are cooler, and the air quality tends to be better as the day and thermal convection is minimized.