The ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality is killing you.
Hey there,
Is it a runner’s high or just carbon monoxide? Serious question.
You leap out of bed. Check your Whoop, your Oura Ring, your Apple Watch. They all agree. You’re crushing life.
Time to lace up those $180 running shoes and hit the well-lit, busy road—because you’re disciplined, not stupid. No one wants to be the plot twist in a true crime podcast.
My body is my temple. I pound Swiss chard, mainline kombucha, and run 10 miles a day.
Good for you. Really. But you just did all that for your health while inhaling enough exhaust to make the Marlboro Man blush.
Your temple’s got a pollution problem. But unlike the Parthenon, you don’t have a $100M restoration budget. Just a high deductible and a $20 copay.
Welcome to Week 8.
Your Morning Breath
Runners near traffic inhale up to 100× more pollutants than people exercising away from roads. The air is dirtier, and all that huffing and puffing pulls it deeper into your lungs where it can really settle in.
It’s bad enough that scientists are finding the same warning signs they see in smokers.
Smokers at least get a nicotine buzz. You just get shin splints.
You’re Not Alone in This Irony
We’re all out here trying to do the right thing. Just in the wrong air.
The bike commuter with their pant leg tucked into their sock, helmet strapped tight. Zero emissions. Maximum smugness. Also inhaling five times more pollution than the Prius they just passed.
The dog walker with earbuds in, getting his steps and some “fresh air.” Maybe he is, but Fluffy isn’t. Her nose is at tailpipe height. Next time she yanks the leash, look around for the idling car, not the squirrel.
The sidewalk diner at that trendy farm-to-table spot. Organic, sustainable. Even the faint wisp of car exhaust is locally sourced. A $24 Niçoise salad with notes of regular unleaded.
Sound familiar?
Don’t sweat it. At least you’ve got choices. Plenty of people don’t.
The Part Where This Stops Being Funny
About 45 million Americans live within 300 meters of a major traffic route.
Some people fall asleep to white-noise machines. Others lie awake to the sound of semis downshifting outside a $900-a-month apartment off I-95.
The same communities dealing with food deserts and underfunded schools also breathe the worst air. When highways come through, wealthy neighborhoods get lawyers. Poor neighborhoods get bulldozers.
And sometimes it isn’t even about money. It’s about power. In the 1960s, Los Angeles built the I-10 straight through Sugar Hill and West Adams, thriving Black middle-class neighborhoods. Not because it was the only route. Because the people who could stop it didn’t live there.
Clean air isn’t self-care. It’s equity. And everyone deserves it.
But while we work on fixing the system, there are ways to breathe a little easier for now.
Let’s Clear the Air
Look, I’m not telling you to stop exercising. A sedentary lifestyle will take you out just as surely as pollution, just with more Netflix involved.
But a few smart moves make a big difference.
Timing and Distance Matter
Pollution peaks during rush hour. Exercise before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Yes, I know you’re tired. What’s even more exhausting is lugging an oxygen tank up the stairs.
If you’re biking to work and can’t shift your schedule, take residential streets instead. Those extra ten minutes won’t kill you. The freeway route might.
And for everything else—dog walks, coffee runs, weekend strolls—air quality improves dramatically just one block from major roads. Skip the route past Dunkin’ Donuts and walk through the neighborhood instead. Less temptation, less diesel exhaust.
The Original Air Filter
Use the air filters I’ve been perfecting for millions of years. I call them trees.
Solar-powered, self-cleaning, and fully biodegradable.
Within 100 meters of a road, trees can strip 60–80% of the junk out of the air. Run under their canopy and you’ll literally breathe easier.
Check Before You Sweat
Apps like AirNow and IQAir show real-time air quality. On bad days, hit the treadmill, or finally use that Peloton for something other than laundry.
No Filter
You can’t wellness your way out of polluted air any more than you can positive-think your way out of climate change. Trust me, I’ve watched you try.
We track steps, calories, and REM cycles, but ignore the air we breathe while doing it.
Apps can help, but systems fix the problem: cleaner transit, better planning, fewer tailpipes, and more trees. Always more trees.
While we wait for cities and companies to get their act together, make the small shifts that matter.
Progress, not perfection.
—Mother Nature
Next week: The hidden fire dangers in your home. Spoiler: it’s not the candles.
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Know someone who calls smog “morning mist”? Send this to them before they post their next #WellnessRun.
Know someone who says “pain is weakness leaving the body”? Tell them that’s their lungs crying for help.
