Air Pollution: Changing the “Bad Air” Mindset

When the air quality outside is dirty and filled with pollutants, many Americans believe it’s unsafe to perform any kind of physical activity outdoors, this is especially true about the air quality conditions in Utah. Although air pollution may not be the best, staying inside and not getting any exercise is definitely not the answer. Rather than staying inside experts agree that it is still beneficial for your body to stay active in poor air conditions recommending that people’s physical exertion level and the amount of time spent outdoors should be limited in times of bad air quality. A great way to measure the amount of time that it is safe to spend outdoors is by using the convenient myAir mobile air quality app which measures the amount of air pollution at your location.

The app allows its users to get an amount of much needed physical activity while also being able to stay safe when the Utah inversions hit or when the overall air quality is poor due to other forms of air pollution such as dust. The myAir app strives to change the mindset of Americans who think they can’t go outside because of air pollution.

Air Pollution Across the Globe

Air quality is an issue across the globe and especially in countries such as India and China. The myAir app allows the billions of people living in these countries exercise on a daily basis without experiencing the detrimental effects of air pollution over the course of their lifetime. In December of 2015, Beijing experienced their first ‘red alert’ in history, which suspended school activities and operations of construction; Anthony Kuhn and Julie McCarthy weighed in on the conversation in the wake of the climate talks in Paris. “The folks at myAir take into account several factors including age, height, weight and lung conditions and symptoms to effectively tailor the amount of time an individual can spend outside and at what exertion level”.

Salt Lake City’s Air Pollution

Locally, there has been a campaign over the past couple of decades in the Salt Lake Valley to control and regulate air pollution and the inversion. On February 4, 2016, young students participated in a protest on Capitol Hill demanding clean air from the Utah state officials, you can listen to the report here. One fifth grader, Peter Stokes, expressed his opinion stating, “I love the outdoors, I love climbing, I am a big fan of almost everything

outside. So I do not like it.” The myAir app effectively encourages kids like Peter to enjoy the outdoors, despite the air conditions without doing serious damage to his overall health.

Check out myAir on Facebook and stay connected through Twitter to find out more about how the app can benefit you. Become more informed about your city’s air pollution and take advantage of every day by exercising and staying safe and healthy.

Download the app today! Available on Android in Google Play store and on Apple through the App Store.