Struggling to Exercise? This May Be the Unexpected Reason Why

When I experienced the Southern California wildfires in January, I quickly learned just how much poor air quality can affect our bodies. Even though I had an air purifier to help clean the air in my apartment, it still impacted both my physical and mental health. It turns out that it can also have an effect on how we exercise. "Indoor environments with poor air quality such as elevated CO₂ levels, particulate matter (PM2.5) and VOCs can reduce the oxygen available to muscles and the brain," Joakim Lindh, head of strategic growth at Airthings, told CNET via email. "This leads to faster fatigue, decreased endurance and even cognitive 'brain fog' mid-exercise." I sought the expert insights of several doctors to better understand how air quality affects our exercise routine and how we recover. How indoor air quality surprisingly affects your workouts Many people enjoy working out indoors, especially when the weather isn't ideal on rainy days, during cold winter months or even when the ... Read full article.