Smogged Delhi: Runners tweak plans to stay fit
Cycling, running and jogging groups in the city are once again in a fix on whether or not to go outdoors amid severe AQI. Some cancel plans, others change routes to trip in lesser polluted zones.
The air quality in Delhi-NCR is plunging to new lows, with each passing day. Breathlessness coupled with a scratchy throat, itchy eyes and headache are just some of the woes troubling citizens. Of course, the good old masks are back, but the struggle to stay fit amid these smoggy times is real. Cycling, running and jogging groups in the city share how they’re coping with the toxicity in the air in their quest to stay fit.
Sports masks to the rescue
“During this period, we have to be quite vigilant. We make sure we are careful about our health by wearing a sports mask,” says Gaurav Wadhwa, founder of Delhi Cyclists, adding, “We’re definitely still continuing to cycle, but only after masking up. Sports masks are different from the normal masks. It takes care of your breathing during the ride. So whether you’re breathing heavily or not, the mask will protect you from pollution without causing breathing troubles. Since our whole group is equipped with gloves and masks, we take to stretches jahan pe thoda kum smog ho, and start later than our usual time, so that visibility gets better on the roads. Yeh [smog] toh har saal ka hai, humein apna bachav khud hi karna hoga.”
‘Joy of running goes for a toss’
“The air quality is so bad that we can’t even go out, forget about running and walking in the open, especially in the morning hours,” opines Sunil Khanna, one of the founders of Delhi-based Sunday Run Club, adding, “When you run, your lungs need to expand for comfortable breathing. But when you don’t get good quality air, you start to huff and puff while exercising. As a result, the whole joy of running goes for a toss.”
“Masks don’t really help while running because they don’t let you breathe properly. It just gives you filtered air as opposed to free air. So I don’t think it’s a great idea to wear one while running,” adds Khanna, while sharing his plan for the coming weekend: “We normally pick a venue and get together for the running activity. The plan was the same for this weekend as well, but now, there’s a debate in the group about whether we should go out or not, as some are rethinking if we should compromise on our health.”
Seeking shelter in indoor workouts
Rajiv Kumar, a fitness trainer based in Delhi’s Katwaria Sarai, suggests taking up low-intensity exercises indoors: “Ghar pe fit rehne ke liye logon ko abhi healthy food khana chahiye. Workout chahe jo bhi karein, high-intensity exercise should be avoided and one should try to stay indoors.”
Elaborating on the challenges one faces during this time, Kumar adds, “Mere clients jo terrace pe workout karte the, unhone apni classes cancel kardi hain. Ab toh yeh har saal ka scene hai. Jab bhi aisi situation aati hai, woh cancel kar dete hain, kyunki jab bhi humne ek-do baar try kiya aisi polluted air conditions mein workout karne ka toh unki hi nahin meri eyes mein bhi burning sensation feel honi shuru ho gayi hai. Hence, working out in the open at this time is not advisable.”
Author tweets Anu_95m