As I write this, I am less than two weeks away from my highly
anticipated family vacation. We will be going with two other families,
so the usual abundant memories should be double. However, being the
fitness enthusiast that I am, there is a bit of anxiety about visiting
the "Happiest Place On Earth". This is due to the fact that the Los
Angeles metropolitan area has placed #1 on the list for most ozone
pollution for the fifth consecutive year. As well, it has a detrimental
amount of particle matter (soot, among other things) and is also the
smoggiest city in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association.
With this information I am betting that the fit folks of Los Angeles
either seek shelter while working up a sweat or they endure burning
lungs and reel from inadequate amounts of oxygen while exercising
outdoors.
Air
pollution can greatly impact an individual's cardiovascular efficiency
in many ways. This is due to the pollutant's (e.g., carbon monoxide,
ozone, etc.) ability to infiltrate the respiratory system. During
normal breathing, most people will use their nose to channel oxygen to
their lungs. This route serves as a filtering vessel utilizing your
mucous membranes to snag particle matter as well as soluble gases before
they can penetrate through to your lungs. When someone is performing a
higher impact activity (e.g., running), there is an inclination to
begin mouth breathing. This act bypasses your body's natural filtration
process and more pollutants are received into the lungs. From the
lungs, the pollutants will circulate throughout the body via the
bloodstream. The results include bronchial vasoconstriction (airway
opening becomes smaller), lung tissue can be compromised from alveoli
damage and the capacity for oxygen transport is decreased. The
exercising individual will experience less oxygen entering the
bloodstream, which will result in an inadequate supply of oxygenated
blood to the muscles. End game is that the physical performance of that
individual will be substantially compromised.
If you find
yourself visiting a city with poor environmental conditions, your best
bet is to pay the drop-in fee at the nearest gym; this fee can range
from $7.00 - $15.00 per day. While the average healthy adult can
withstand up to a 15% increase in carbon monoxide, cardiac and pulmonary
patients can be adversely affected by as little as a 5% increase.
Children are also more susceptible to ill effects. And, exposure to
these pollutants can stay in the bloodstream for hours. That means if
you were around an unusual amount of toxins in the morning (commute
traffic, cigarettes), your afternoon workout could be more labored than
usual.
While every city or even small towns can have their own
form of contaminants, it is up to you to make wise decisions when
choosing a safe environment in which you perform your exercise.
Cleanest U.S. Cities (Ozone%)
- Ames-Boone, IA
- Bellingham, WA
- Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville, TX
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Duluth, MN
Cleanest U.S. Cities (Particle Matter)
- Santa Fe-Espanola, NM
- Honolulu, HI
- Cheyenne, WY
- Great Falls, MT
- Farmington, NM
SMOGGIEST CITIES
- Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Visalia-Porterville, CA
- Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX
- Merced, CA
- Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Truckee, CA
- Hanford-Corcoran, CA
- Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
