Be careful when exercising in winter. Be careful of the adverse effects on brain health when exercising in air polluted areas.

I believe everyone knows that winter jogging is a good way to exercise. Especially for the elderly, jogging can help reverse brain aging and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, recent studies have found that when people are active in polluted areas, it may backfire and aggravate damage to the inner layer of the brain.

Dr. Melissa Furlong of the University of Arizona led a study published in the journal Neurology. The subjects were aged between 40 and 69, and they were divided into three categories according to the duration of exercise: those who exercised for 15 minutes per week, those who exercised for 30 minutes per week, and those who exercised for more than 30 minutes per week.

The study looked at people and the level of pollution where they lived, and compared them to people who did not exercise vigorously at all. It found that the more physically active people had more gray matter in their brains, while areas with heavier air pollution had more damage to white matter.

Our brain's gray matter refers to the area of ​​the nerve center, which is composed of a large number of cranial nerves and is mainly responsible for controlling conduction. The brain's white matter is composed of the myelin sheaths of nerve cells and mainly plays a role in nerve conduction. This means that the more gray matter areas in the brain, the faster the brain processes information, and damage to the white matter means a slowdown in conduction. Therefore, people who are active in low-pollution areas have more gray matter areas and less white matter damage. Exercising in low-pollution areas can increase the risk of stroke or dementia. But in polluted areas, the opposite is true.

Therefore, we must choose the right time and place to exercise during winter

First of all, we need to correctly judge the degree of air pollution, which requires us to learn to look at the air quality index.

The air quality index is generally divided into 6 levels: 0-50, 50-100, 100-150, 150-200, 200-300, and 300-500.

The air quality index is 0-50, which means the air quality is excellent. At this time, the air quality is satisfactory, there is basically no air pollution, and all kinds of people can move around normally.

The air quality index is 51-100, indicating that the air quality is good. At this time, the air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants in the air may have a weak impact on the health of a very small number of people with abnormal sensitivity. Therefore, it is recommended that a very small number of people with abnormal sensitivity should reduce outdoor activities.

The air quality index is 101-150, indicating that the air quality is slightly polluted. At this time, the symptoms of susceptible people are slightly aggravated, and healthy people experience irritation symptoms. It is recommended that children, the elderly, and patients with heart disease and respiratory diseases should reduce long-term, high-intensity outdoor exercise.

The air quality index is 151-200, indicating that the air quality is moderately polluted. At this time, it will further aggravate the symptoms of susceptible people and may affect the heart and respiratory system of healthy people. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with diseases avoid long-term, high-intensity outdoor exercise, and the general population should reduce outdoor exercise appropriately.

If the air quality index is above 200, it indicates that the air quality is severely polluted or seriously polluted. The general public should avoid outdoor activities, and children, the elderly and patients with heart and lung diseases should stay indoors.

Secondly, choose to exercise in the right place

The location of sports should be scientific, and generally speaking, it should be far away from the main traffic arteries. These areas have more vehicles traveling in and out, more car exhaust emissions, and more pollutants suspended in the air. Pollutants represented by PM2.5 can carry a variety of heavy metals as carriers, which will cause unassessable damage to the body after entering the human body and have adverse effects on the respiratory system and nervous system. Therefore, campus playgrounds, indoor gyms, parks, and forest green areas are our preferred places for daily exercise.

Therefore, avoiding exercising during periods of air pollution and scientifically choosing good weather and a good location are the top priorities for starting healthy exercise.