Tips for Exercising with Seasonal Allergies

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It can be challenging to exercise with seasonal allergies. Congestion, itching and other symptoms of allergies can make it difficult to exert yourself to get the health results you desire. Different strategies can ease this process.
Exercise indoors
According to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD), you can avoid much of the pollen and therefore the symptoms of seasonal allergies if you choose to exercise indoors. Fortunately, there are a number of indoor activities that can provide you with the opportunity to exercise without the pollen exposure. You can purchase a treadmill, elliptical machine or exercise bicycle. There are many different aerobics and exercise tapes that can give you both aerobic and weight-bearing exercises. A weight machine or free weights can allow you to work out various muscles. Of course you can also utilize the services of a commercial gym.
Even when you exercise indoors you can still be exposed to pollen if you do not take the right precautions. Keep the windows and doors closed so that the pollen does not travel into your house to bother you while you are exercising. Clean windows, vents and other areas of the house where dust can accumulate.
Take precautions when exercising outdoors
Not everyone wants to forgo outdoor exercising just because of seasonal allergies. Of course in more severe cases, people may choose to utilize allergy medication such as Claritin. Make sure to check with your doctor as to what would be appropriate for your situation.
Carefully pick the times when you are going to exercise outside. According to CHKD, you should make efforts to stay indoors during the peak pollen times of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. You may also feel fewer symptoms if you exercise outdoors right after rain.
Not everyone who has seasonal allergies is allergic to the same things. Get allergy testing so that you can find out your triggers. Try to stay away from these when exercising outdoors. Carefully think about the paths on which you jog or others areas where you exercise.
Also, being exposed to long grass can exacerbate some people’s allergies. Find a place where the grass is cut short. You can also look for places such as a man-made track instead of a path through nature.
Just because you have seasonal allergies does not mean that you cannot enjoy all of the benefits of exercise. The above steps can make this easier.