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
soluable 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%)
1. Ames-Boone, IA
2. Bellingham, WA
3. Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville, TX
4. Colorado Springs, CO
5. Duluth, MN
Cleanest U.S. Cities (Particle Matter)
1. Santa Fe-Espanola, NM
2. Honolulu, HI
3. Cheyenne, WY
4. Great Falls, MT
5. Farmington, NM
SMOGGIEST CITIES
1. Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County,
CA
2. Fresno, CA
3. Bakersfield, CA
4. Visalia-Porterville, CA
5. Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX
6. Merced, CA
7. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Truckee, CA
8. Hanford-Corcoran, CA
9. Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN
10. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
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