Visit the AIRNow air quality index website and you’ll be happy to know that as of today, Portland’s air quality is rated ‘good,’ meaning that there are no immediate causes for concern for healthy individuals. You may therefore find it surprising that the American Lung Association rated Portland as number twenty-four on its list of the top 25 dirtiest cities in the United States last year, based on a culmination of the past three years of data collection. While this statistic may seem hard to believe in this beautiful city of trees and green spaces, the numbers are clear: particle pollution, which refers to the mix of small and large particles in the air we breathe that are created by mechanical and chemical processes, is alive and well in Portland. Anyone who breathes is at risk for the deleterious health effects that come from consistently taking in noxious air, but people who engage in frequent cardio activity here in Portland are specifically susceptible to pollution-induced health problems due to their increased oxygen-consumption rates.
Where you exercise in Portland determines your intake level of air pollution – running in Forest Park along the Wildwood Trail amounts to a cleaner air experience than running along Waterfront Park, but life does not always allow you to head to the trails for exercise. The best way to benefit from your cardio activity while keeping your lungs as free from pollutants as possible is to establish the habit of using your own built-in air purifier when you breathe. In other words, use your nose to filter out those nasty particle pollutants before they irritate the rest of your airway.
Wander into OmBase yoga in SW Portland or Yoga Union in SE, and either establishment will provide a solid education in breathing well; however, right now it is possible to improve your health by breathing in your nose and exhaling out your mouth. Breathing in this way cleans the air you take in, stimulates the diaphragm and other muscles of the trunk to support you as you move, and calms the body’s stress response so that you are better able to enjoy the people and places in your life. So today when you head out the door for your daily cardio activity, take in a deep breath through your nose as you take in the sights of your city, knowing that as you clean your own air you are improving your health as well as your neighbor’s.
Sources:
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/05/portlands_dirty_secret_its_air.html
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