It’s been a little smoky in our area and some of the surrounding communities the last week, and I know my lungs have been feeling the air pollution a bit.
Although I wish I could magically make the forest fires stop, and I’d love to wave a big eraser into the atmosphere and clear up the air quality, I can’t.
I can however remind you of some things that will help your body detoxify from the pollution a little bit. These are some things I’m personally doing to support my lung health:
Movement
Exercise will always get your circulation going, and your circulatory system helps move toxins out of your body. Perspiration is a great detoxifier! Move in the ways that you enjoy (and if the air quality is poor do so indoors if possible). It doesn’t have to be complicated. There are plenty of body movements and exercise routines that you can easily do right at home. The important thing is to get moving to a point that your heart and lungs are working a little more than usual.
I’m not giving you specific exercise recommendations here because the air quality will affect your lung capacity. Plus, your overall aerobic abilities as you read this may be as varied as the next person reading this. Heck, you might not even workout at all! Point is, just move enough that you’re feeling your heart rate elevate. And if you have a training routine, stick with it as much as you can with some modifications for indoors if needed.
Personally, I’ve added in more sprints and HIIT workouts into my weight lifting routines to get my body sweating a little more than usual. Ask me more on one of your upcoming visits, or speak with your healthcare provider for personalized suggestions.
Sweat it out
As per the previous point – our bodies are amazing at detoxifying on their own and sweat is one of the ways our body releases molecules it doesn’t want to keep inside! If you have access to a sauna, use it! Although my sauna routine has been off with the hot weather, I’ve made a point over the past few days to make use of the sauna at my gym daily.
Stay consistent with healthy habits
Our bodies are amazing, self-healing and self-regulating organisms, that respond to our external environment and detoxify what doesn’t belong within. The best thing you can do on an ongoing basis is simply give your body what it needs to work beautifully on its own – nourishing foods, adequate rest, movement, positive relationships, time for relaxation, & a properly adapting spine and nervous system!
Just like other stressors in our lives that are beyond our control, dwelling on what we cannot change doesn’t help. It just causes added mental and emotional stress.
What we can do instead, is focus on what we CAN do…and taking care of our bodies is always within our own power. Whether its the smoke from fires burning, or the air pollution that comes from city living, giving your airways a little added support to clear themselves is a surefire (no pun intended 😜 ) way to lessen the effects.
