Outdoor exercise has more health benefits as compared to indoor workouts. Working out in the open field or ground helps you to relax your body and mind. The fresh air and the sunlight do not only improve physical health but also calms your mind and reduce your stress level. And the cold air will help to lift up your mood, while the early morning sunlight helps the skin too.

However, as the winter is here and the air quality becomes poorer, it’s difficult to train your body outside the house. The heavy smoke and the dust present in the air can irritate your eyes and can even lead you to breathlessness. As the pollution level goes higher, it’s necessary to keep your respiratory organs safe and healthy.

So here are some exercises that you must not do outside when the air quality is poor:

Outdoor breathing exercises: It is very calming and relaxing to start your day with meditation or deep breathing exercises. But breathing exercise in a bad air quality can damage your lungs with the amount of pollution intake in your body. So avoid performing meditation and deep breathing exercises outside when the air quality is poor. Instead, practice it inside your home.

Running and jogging: Heavy workout like running and jogging requires you to inhale a large amount of oxygen. So when you run or jog, the demand for oxygen increases, which alternately increases the amount of air you breathe in. To meet the required amount, you begin to use your mouth to breathe, which is more dangerous when the air quality is low. The mouth doesn’t have any filters like the nose. So try to do on-spot jogging or do in-house aerobic exercises to avoid breathing polluted air.

Cycling: Cycling is an adventure sport as well as a fitness activity that people love to follow. And when the gyms are closed, people often go biking in or outside the city. However, the winter is already here and the air quality is degrading day by day, so stop your daily cycling rides to avoid unwanted incidents. The dense smog due to the pollution can cause accidents. And you might even feel breathless and irritated in your eyes due to the poor air quality.

Outdoor sports: Stop playing outdoor sports during the winter season as the air quality began to lower down. Cricket, football, cycling, or any kind of outdoor activity can cause unwanted health issues. Try changing with indoor activity like table tennis, till the air quality is improved.