Study: Pollution wipes out the benefits of exercising

You might think going for a power walk on your lunch break is a good way to get in some exercise, but a new study found that if your walk is through busy city streets, it may not be benefiting your health at all.

According to Researchers from the Imperial College London, toxic air in built-up city centers prevents the positive effects on the lungs and heart which are usually gained from exercise.

Even though the study was conducted on people over 60 years old, the results could apply to people of other ages.

One-hundred and nineteen people were asked to take a two-hour stroll through Hyde Park, a very famous park in London and also on Oxford Street, a very busy shopping area in the same city.

People who took a stroll in the park saw improvement in lung capacity within an hour. However, those who strolled through the busy street barely registered any improvement at all, as well as seeing little to no increase in blood flow usually associated with exercise.

So if you’re going for a walk, opt for a greener area!

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