Jogging in Metro bad for the health due to pollution

Don’t jog. Don’t inhale.

Ecologist and forestry specialist Jules Penales of the ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan program warned that toxic fumes spewed by smoke-belching vehicles have made early morning and late afternoon jogging in Metro Manila hazardous to the fitness buffs’ health.

Smog and hot air, Penales said, usually remain in the lower part of the atmosphere at dawn and sunset, when temperatures are lower.

Penales advises joggers and early morning fitness enthusiasts in Metro Manila to change their exercise hours by jogging or going out for brisk walks outdoors in the early afternoon when the day is hottest.

"The problem with this," Penales said, "is that jogging at this time would prove harmful for one’s complexion, so one must find a shady area (in which) to jog."

Another, more drastic, step fitness buffs can take to safely get their endorphin fix is to consider moving to the provinces where there is less pollution.

According to Penales, the worsening air pollution is the reason why a number of regular joggers suffer respiratory illnesses in Metro Manila.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau’s (DENR-EMB) Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Program had recently released the results of a study that showed the air in Metro Manila is heavily laced with fine toxic particles, including lead and mercury.

The study also showed that the worsening air pollution is taking its toll on urbanites living in Metro Manila.