Pollution is a danger a jogger can't run from

[musicman]

Runners who flock to Houston's jogging hotspots regularly encounter unwanted company: vehicles on roadways parallel to the trail, churning out exhaust and kicking up dust.

It's an unfortunate irony for those who go out of their way to exercise at the city's green spots, including running loops at Memorial Park and Rice University, both of which are next to busy roads. While working to improve their health, they inevitably suck in pollutants.

"Inside the Loop, it's pretty hard to find a good place to run or walk that isn't around a lot of cars," said Pat Mayo, a Heights resident who exercised last week at Memorial Park. "It's certainly not ideal. You're running to be healthy."

Experts say that while it's best for runners to avoid traffic, the benefits of exercising outweigh the health risks posed by pollutants.

full article

Edited August 5, 2007 by musicman

[VicMan]

What if joggers wear face masks?

[musicman]

What if joggers wear face masks?

most particulates are too small to be filtered by typical face masks.

[MidtownCoog]

It wouldn't be a story without a quote from some Heights genius.

Edited August 8, 2007 by MidtownCoog

[Highway6]

Treadmill

[lockmat]

I'm not sure how bad it really is there, but I know sometimes I deal w/ the same problem when riding my bike. When a car goes by w/ awful exhaust coming out, it's a little hard to breath for a second.