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August 17,2021

Anna Murray 

According to the findings of an article titled "Effects of air pollution and habitual exercise on the risk of death: a longitudinal cohort study" published on August 16 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the benefits of regular outdoor exercise outweigh the risks. A group of university scholars and health experts from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Zhengzhou, China conducted the study.

Air pollution and physical inactivity are both major public health issues worldwide, according to data compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2017, air pollution was the fifth leading cause of disability related to health, accounting for 4.9 million deaths globally. More than 91% of the world's population lives in areas where air quality falls short of WHO standards. Furthermore, physical inactivity was the fourth leading cause of death worldwide in 2012, accounting for 5.3 million deaths. As a result, the World Health Organization has challenged its member countries to reduce physical inactivity by 15% by 2030.

The authors recruited 384,130 adults (aged 18 years) and collected 842,394 medical examination records between 2001 and 2016, and all participants were followed until May 31, 2019. Furthermore, researchers obtained critical data from Taiwan's National Death Registry. Physical activity and lower PM2.5 exposure have been linked to a lower risk of natural death. Regular exercise, regardless of the level of PM2.5 exposure, can reduce risk. Exercise, according to the findings, is a safe way to improve one's health, even for people who live in polluted areas.

As people exercise, their ventilation rates raise, increasing the volume of air pollutants they inhale. This has the potential to amplify the negative health effects of air pollution. Thus, the study assesses the risk-benefit relationship between air pollution and exercise and concludes that regular exercise in polluted areas is safe.

The study discovered that daily exercise, even in polluted areas, reduces the risk of death. However, some studies have warned that acute exposure to air pollution while exercising may negate the benefits of exercise.