Just as the warm weather kicks in and you can’t wait to exercise outside, allergy season gets started and gets in the way. Don’t let those allergy symptoms get in the way of your exercise! Here are 6 tips to help you exercise during allergy season.
Reschedule Your Workout
While sticking to a morning routine is helpful for many, pollen generally peaks between 6 am and 10 am. Shifting your exercise routine to lunchtime or the afternoon can be extremely helpful. Also check the weather alerts for pollen count updates.
Stay Indoors When You Need To De-Stress
When a person is stressed, allergens tend to actually cause a more severe reaction. This can be counterproductive for many people since they use exercise to destress. On those days when you are feeling particularly frazzled, skip the outdoors for an alternative indoor workout.
Avoid Allergy-Aggravating Foods
Vegetables and fruit are healthy food options, but believe it or not, there are certain produce items that can cause oral allergies to occur due to cross pollination! According to studies by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, people allergic to alder and birch trees tend to have reactions to celery, parley, carrots, cherries and peaches to name a few. Grass allergy sufferers should steer clear of melons, oranges and tomatoes.
And Stock Up On Superfoods
Vitamins and minerals are vital for keeping your body in peak condition. A supplement like Spirulina can help to unstuff your nose and enhance your athletic performance.
Strip Down Before You Step Inside
When your shoes are muddy, you remove them. When your clothes are covered in pollen… you should remove them too! Keep a change of clothes in our entry way or garage so you can change into something when you get home. Keep the exercise clothes in a plastic bag till you can dump them in the washer and keep the allergens from spreading.
Ditch Glasses For Dailies
Contact lenses can actually be a helpful barrier between the eye and pollen. So before ditching your contact for glasses, instead switch to contacts that can be disposed daily.