For most of us, leading a healthy lifestyle requires some form of self-discipline. You’re steering clear of the colorful aisles of sugary breakfast cereal. You’re waking up with the sun to hit the gym before your morning commute to the office. You’re setting out a carefully curated vegetable platter in addition to potato chips ahead of the game.
Now, a new study from scientists in England suggests that something might be quietly undoing some of your hard-won benefits — and it’s not your fault.
The research, published in BMC Medicine, found that people living in places with high levels of air pollution experienced a smaller decrease in their risk of death. But what does that have to do with exercise?
Well, researchers pulled data from seven studies, analyzing metrics from more than 1.5 million adults monitored for 10-plus years. Across all studies, those who engaged in 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each week had a 30% lower risk of dying during the study compared with those who didn’t.
But for people who lived in areas where air pollution exceeded 25 micrograms per cubic meter, this protective effect dropped to just 12 to 15%. When pollution levels reached beyond 35 micrograms per cubic meter, the benefit dropped even more — but was not negligible.
Ultimately, the takeaway shouldn’t be to stop exercising outside. Rather, study authors urge people to be mindful of exercise intensity during times of poor air quality, and to choose cleaner routes when possible. Air pollution in cities in the United Kingdom can fluctuate greatly, authors said.
The answer, perhaps unfortunately for the couch potatoes among us, is almost never to stop exercising entirely.