Stay Active and Protect Your Lungs with Safe Fitness Tips for Delhi Residents
The following article is attributed to Dr. Deepti Chhabra, Physiotherapist, Healing Hands Clinic, Jankapuri, Delhi
Delhi Air quality is fluctuating specially during the onset of winters post Diwali when pollution levels rise. While regular exercise is essential, it is equally important to protect your lungs from harmful pollutants.Here are some of the practical and physiotherapist approved tips to help you stay active safely.
Check the AQI before you decide to step out
Avoid outdoor exercises if the AQI is too high.Opt for low intensity indoor workouts like gentle yoga stretches, shoulder rolls, neck stretches, leg stretches, etc. Indoor walk workouts for about 5-20 mins with rest intervals and proper hydration in between to help maintain and boost up stamina. Low impact strength training like wall pushups, glute bridges, biceps curls etc. Fun workouts like dance workouts or aerobics using youtube videos will be a great start to boost up energy levels. Remember to include deep breaths in between the exercises to increase chest mobility.
Indoor cycling, treadmill and resistance bands are few good options, if available at home. Include lung friendly exercises like Anulom Vilom, Bhramri and gentle chest opening postures. Other breathing exercises which are easy and even possible during rest can be pursed lips breathing and chest or diaphragmatic breathing.
Exercise during low pollution hours if it fits your work routine. Preferred time 11 am to 3 pm as during early morning and late evening, pollutants are trapped on the surfaces. Use air purifier plants like Snake plant, Money plant, spider plant, aloe Vera etc. These are all low maintenance and easily available plants. Electric Air purifiers can be used if available.
Prefer closing doors and windows during peak AQI hours. Most importantly, avoid high intensity workouts during these days as it will increase the intake of pollutants. Instead work on mobility and core strengthening exercises.
It is advisable to turn back memory to covid times and use N 95 masks during outdoor walking when it’s needed to step out. Hydrate yourself as soon as u get break from the mask and use warm water which will help flush out pollutants if any. Also clear your nostrils along with face and hands when you return home.
It is very important to support our Lung health with nutrition . Consume more of antioxidant rich food like amla, oranges, berries, our traditional turmeric milk and green tea. Include food rich in Omega 3 like walnuts, flaxseed and chia seeds. Consume more water throughout the day.
You must seek medical advice if symptoms like breathlessness, tightness in chest, persistent coughing or any unusual feeling or dizziness appear. Special care is needed by elderly and people suffering from any lung ailments like COPD, bronchitis, ILD etc. It is best to take indoor slow walk and simple yoga stretches till AQI is low again.
Engage your children with indoor games and emphasize them on simple and fun exercises which will keep them off screen and active at the same time. Use the excellent mall infrastructure on weekends if you want any outdoor visits to have cleaner air. Avoid open vehicles like E Rickshaw, three wheelers or two wheelers for travel.
Conclusion
Staying active is essential, but so is protecting our lungs. With conscious planning and lung friendly practices, Delhi residents can maintain their fitness without compromising respiratory health. Health at this point is a mindful movement. With all the educated people of Delhi, it is possible to bring about a change in us so that others can follow and remember no excuse is big enough to combat our fitness. We can together change the perception of Delhi damaging lungs, while the government is taking measures to reduce the AQI.
