Smoggy mornings make city celebs change their fitness regimen

It is no secret that the air quality in Ahmedabad has gone from bad to worse in the last couple of years. As winter sets in, it
becomes even more difficult to go out and breathe in some fresh air. While around Diwali, the air quality in the city had hit a new low by reaching almost 400 (hazardous category) on the Air Quality Index (AQI), two weeks since Diwali, Amdavadis still have not been lucky in breathing some fresh air.
On November 19,

SAFAR

— (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research)’s website showed that areas like Navrangpura had PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5) level of 304 which is three times more than the normal air quality level in that area. To avoid health hazards caused by smog (fog+ smoke), most people have changed the routine for their outdoor activities. Be it sportspersons going for their routine practice sessions or actors hitting the road for a morning jog, smoggy mornings have forced them all to bring about a change. Here’s what the celebs are doing to avoid breathing in polluted air...

The whole point of going for a morning walk or following a morning exercise regimen is to breathe in the fresh air. But when that’s not happening, I would definitely change my routine or opt for indoor activities. You don’t want to inhale bad air and let your health suffer. It is better to run or exercise indoors than to expose yourself to bad air or smog. - Mehr Mahajan

I have completely stopped outdoor workouts, going for cycling or running during mornings or late evenings because usually when the temperature drops, smog settles in. Whenever you exercise, you breathe in more oxygen and when the air itself is polluted, why do you have to put yourself in that situation? I have changed my fitness routine to mostly indoors. - Raunaq Kamdar

I landed in Ahmedabad just a day after Diwali and I could feel that smokiness in the air. I was surprised with the level of pollution. Two years ago in Delhi, we could not play a single ball in a match of four days due to heavy smog. Now in Ahmedabad, we have our practice sessions in the morning and whenever we feel that the air quality is bad, we try to avoid working out outdoors. It is better to rest than breathe in polluted air, especially while you exercise. - Priyank Panchal

Smog has become so common these days, especially post Diwali. And a lot of people have told me that they have been finding it difficult to breathe, even during morning workouts. And to avoid such unpleasant experience, I usually go out cycling late evenings or in the night. - Bhakti Kubavat

I haven’t really noticed any drastic change in the air quality but usually, the pollution levels are a little higher post Diwali every year. I practise at the skating rink at our terrace and don’t need to go out, so it hasn’t really made any difference to my routine. At our place, there is a nice breeze early in the morning and the surroundings look really nice. While it has been a bit chilly since the last one week, I love my morning practice session. -

Mishri Parikh

Morning workouts are supposed to be refreshing and when that doesn't happen, you tend to change your routine. In the last few days, one can see the smog in the skyline and few days ago, I felt very unwell after I went for a morning regimen. While I mostly exercise in the evenings, I will reschedule whatever morning routines I have been following lately. The entire purpose of going out in the morning is to get some fresh air. Smoggy mornings make that tough. - Tarika Tripathi