What’s the strategy? Know your triggers, so you can plan outdoor exercise when levels of allergens are at their lowest.
Identify Your Allergy Triggers and Adjust Your Workout Times Accordingly
The first step to exercising more comfortably outdoors with seasonal allergies is to figure out your triggers, says Flavia Cecilia Lega Hoyte, MD, an allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver. To develop your trigger checklist, talk with your doctor about testing, then adjust your workouts based on the results. For example, if you’re sensitive to mold spores, you should exercise outdoors during the evening and early-morning hours: Mold levels begin to climb as the sun rises and begins to evaporate the mold spores on plants. Ragweed pollen is another common allergen. “Ragweed pollen is highest in the late morning to early afternoon,” Dr. Hoyte says. “So you may want to consider going for a run first thing in the morning if you’re sensitive to ragweed.” You can find out about levels of common allergens in your area — including those produced by molds, weeds, trees, and grasses — through the National Allergy Bureau, an online map from the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. You can also use the organization’s Find an Allergist tool to locate a specialist nearby. RELATED: Allergy Relief: Soothing Swollen Eyes
Learn the Facts About Allergy Medication
If mold and pollen levels are high but you’re still determined to exercise outside, find other ways to be proactive with your allergy management. People who want to be outside and exercising probably could benefit from allergy medication. Hoyte suggests looking for a nonsedating antihistamine. An over-the-counter version is fine if your symptoms respond to it and you expect to use it only two or three days a week. Hoyte recommends nasal over oral antihistamines. “Nasal antihistamines [such as Astelin (azelastine)] are a more targeted approach to getting the antihistamine into the body than oral versions like Zyrtec [cetirizine] or Allegra [fexofenadine],” says Hoyte. “They tend to deliver a little more right where you need it, and you don’t get the full-body effects.” Plus, she says, nasal antihistamines can treat congestion in ways that oral versions can’t, and they work really fast: “They act within 15 minutes, while an oral antihistamine can take an hour or two to peak,” she says. If your seasonal allergy symptoms are severe, you may need a nasal steroid like Flonase (fluticasone), Nasacort (triamcinolone), or Rhinocort (budesonide), Hoyte says. Hoyte cautions that shopping for seasonal allergy medication can be confusing because stores often group nasal antihistamines, nasal steroids, and nasal constrictor sprays together. She warns that nasal constrictor sprays like Afrin (oxymetazoline), which work by shrinking swollen blood vessels in nasal passages, pose risks if taken for more than a few days. “If you read the packaging, you aren’t supposed to use these for more than three to five days,” Hoyte says. Overuse can lead to a so-called rebound effect, in which you could find yourself needing to take the medication several times a day. Hoyte suggests seeking the advice of your primary care physician even if you intend to take only over-the-counter medications. Planning is important when it comes to seasonal allergy medication. For instance, nasal steroids are most effective when initiated before allergy season starts, in order to decrease your body’s immune response to allergens. RELATED: 10 Myths About Allergies
Allergy Shots Might Be an Answer
If you find yourself really suffering from seasonal allergies, and medications don’t offer enough relief, allergy shots are another choice to consider. “I usually try medications first,” says Hoyt, “but if you are not doing okay with just medicine or don’t want to be on medicine, shots can be an option.” Allergy shots are provided by internal medicine doctors who specialize in allergy and immunology. Dr. Hoyt explains that the purpose of allergy shots is to eliminate the allergy. Patients receive regular injections over a period of time, generally three to five years, to help the immune system build up a tolerance to the allergen. The process can be expensive as well as time-consuming, so carefully consider the risks and benefits before committing.
Face Masks and Sunglasses Can Offer Some Allergy Relief
Sunglasses can serve as a barrier to allergens if itchy, watery eyes are a problem for you, Hoyte says. Many people have also found that the face masks used to protect against COVID-19 can reduce allergen exposure as well. “It’s not something I would have recommended prior to the pandemic,” says Hoyte. While she doesn’t necessarily endorse the use of face masks during vigorous exercise, she says the right kind of face covering may be helpful in lowering exposure to allergens during outdoors activities like walking or gardening. RELATED: Allergies or COVID-19? Here’s How to Tell the Difference
Sidestep Allergens When Exercising Outdoors
How and where you exercise outdoors can also have a big impact on seasonal allergy symptoms. For instance, if you are sensitive to grass pollen, then maybe it’s not the best idea to be playing soccer. If you have seasonal allergies, you should avoid exercising in places with high concentrations of allergens and irritants, such as fields, areas with many trees, and locations near busy roads or factories. Also, breathe through your nose, not your mouth, and work out with a partner if you are at risk for a severe allergic response.
More Tips for Balancing Seasonal Allergies and Outdoor Workouts
In addition to taking your allergy medications as directed, there are other steps you can take to manage allergy symptoms while exercising outside. Try these ideas:
Exercise out of the wind. Since dry, windy weather can make seasonal allergy symptoms worse, “Setting up your own personal outdoor gym is a great way to keep things clean and pollen-free and away from wind tunnels,” says personal trainer Jim White, RD, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach. White also suggests mixing up your fitness regimen with swimming or perhaps indoor soccer to keep active and away from allergens.Focus on flexibility. When you’re having bothersome symptoms, “try incorporating stretching, yoga, and full-body strengthening circuits instead of endurance activities like running,” White says.Do part of your workout indoors. White recommends splitting your workout routine into smaller time chunks — some inside, some outside — to reduce exposure to outdoor allergens.Clean off after a workout. “Keep facial wipes, eye drops, saline spray, and disinfectant wipes in your car, purse, office, or gym bag,” White says. Showering and changing clothes immediately after a workout will remove pollen, but if you can’t shower, wiping off and rinsing out your nose and eyes will help. Change before you get back into your car to keep pollen out. White also recommends cleaning off any exercise equipment and mats you might have used outside.Stay hydrated. “People think they drink more than they do,” says Joy Murphy, a personal trainer based in Jacksonville, Florida. If you’re coping with seasonal allergies along with hot, humid weather, it’s especially important to drink water.Keep washing. There’s some evidence that showering and washing your hair regularly (not just after exercise) and laundering your sheets regularly can make a difference in allergy symptoms.
The bottom line on exercising outdoors with seasonal allergies: Take the right precautions and you’ll get in a great workout with a lot less sniffling. Additional reporting by Barbara Kean.
