Sniffle-free exercise
With pollen swirling all around you, it’s hard to feel motivated to get outdoors to exercise. I have been trying to sneeze-proof my outdoor workouts and have come up with a few additional strategies as well as some extra motivation.
Perfect weather for exercising
I’ve discovered the best time to head outdoors is right after a rainfall which helps settles the pollen down. Last week, it was dry and windy for several days in a row which had me sneezing like a hurricane and eyes running like rivers while out on bike rides. Wind can carry pollen up to 400 miles which may bring some uninvited plant pollens right to your nose.
The next day, it rained early in the morning. I headed out on my bike, late morning, and didn’t experience any allergy symptoms. There’s nothing like a rain shower to make an allergy sufferer happy.
Keep your eyes happy
Pollen loves to settle on your eyelashes or in the creases around your eyes. Block out these intruders by wearing wrap-around sunglasses. I have sports sunglasses that help with this problem.
Keep your noggin covered
Your hair is a pollen trap, and hair spray and mousse just make it worse. Keep your hair covered with a wide-brimmed sun hat or baseball cap to prevent pollens from catching a ride on your tresses. I always wear a helmet while cycling.
No pollen allowed indoors
Leave your workout shoes outside to avoid bringing allergens into the house. If possible, slip out of your workout apparel in the garage and head directly to the shower to wash away pollens.
Need additional motivation to get moving
I have a Fitbit Zip. It’s a wireless fitness tracker that tracks my steps, distance and calories used. I can send those stats to my computer and smart phone. Zip encourages me to set goals and go farther. According to the Fitbit website, Fitbit users average 43 percent more steps per day.
If you like raising money for your favorite charity, here’s another motivation for moving, despite your allergies. Charitymiles.org offers you an app for your smart phone which will tract your distance every time you walk, run or bike. Your mileage turns into cash for charities. You choose one of 28 to donate your 25 cents earned per mile you walk or run, or 10 cents for every mile you bike.
Perfect weather for exercising
I’ve discovered the best time to head outdoors is right after a rainfall which helps settles the pollen down. Last week, it was dry and windy for several days in a row which had me sneezing like a hurricane and eyes running like rivers while out on bike rides. Wind can carry pollen up to 400 miles which may bring some uninvited plant pollens right to your nose.
The next day, it rained early in the morning. I headed out on my bike, late morning, and didn’t experience any allergy symptoms. There’s nothing like a rain shower to make an allergy sufferer happy.
Keep your eyes happy
Pollen loves to settle on your eyelashes or in the creases around your eyes. Block out these intruders by wearing wrap-around sunglasses. I have sports sunglasses that help with this problem.
Keep your noggin covered
Your hair is a pollen trap, and hair spray and mousse just make it worse. Keep your hair covered with a wide-brimmed sun hat or baseball cap to prevent pollens from catching a ride on your tresses. I always wear a helmet while cycling.
No pollen allowed indoors
Leave your workout shoes outside to avoid bringing allergens into the house. If possible, slip out of your workout apparel in the garage and head directly to the shower to wash away pollens.
Need additional motivation to get moving
I have a Fitbit Zip. It’s a wireless fitness tracker that tracks my steps, distance and calories used. I can send those stats to my computer and smart phone. Zip encourages me to set goals and go farther. According to the Fitbit website, Fitbit users average 43 percent more steps per day.
If you like raising money for your favorite charity, here’s another motivation for moving, despite your allergies. Charitymiles.org offers you an app for your smart phone which will tract your distance every time you walk, run or bike. Your mileage turns into cash for charities. You choose one of 28 to donate your 25 cents earned per mile you walk or run, or 10 cents for every mile you bike.
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