Air pollution cancels out health benefits of exercise, Study finds

It's a hard fact that regular exercise boosts lifespan, but a new study confirms that alarmingly high air pollution can significantly reduce or even negate these health gains.

While regular exercise lowers overall mortality risk, prolonged exposure to high air pollution can diminish these protective benefits, especially against cancer and cardiovascular diseases, as per the study details that appeared in the journal BMC Medicine.

As per the study findings that suggest physical activity is valuable everywhere, cleaning the air is key to maximizing its benefits.

Andrew Steptoe, one of the study authors, noted that “Our study shows that toxic air can, to some extent, block the benefits of exercise, although not eliminate them.”

Steptoe’s team examined the data from more than 1.5 million adults who were monitored for over a decade in the UK, U.S., Denmark, China, and Taiwan.

These researchers kept their focus on fine particulate matter, a type of air pollution commonly known as PM2.5.

These particles originate from sources like coal burning, fossil fuels, and vehicle emissions—these particles are so tiny that they can even cross the blood-brain barrier, causing damage to the heart and lungs.

The study results further show that people who exercised the recommended 2.5 hours per week saw their risk of premature death drop by 30%, compared to those who worked out less often.

But, for those living in highly polluted areas, this protective benefit was cut in half, dropping to just 12-15%.