How safe is the air quality at your gym?
BOSTON - The next time you hit the gym, you may want to think about the air you're breathing.
A new study in Beijing found that the air in indoor gyms contains more organic aerosols than outside air, including tiny particles of lubricants used in gym equipment and even cigarette smoke, which could be transported from outdoor sources through the ventilation system. Gyms with better ventilation systems, less equipment, and fewer people may have better air quality than, say, a crowded basement facility.
And listen, I would never discourage people from working out in a gym. It's certainly better than not working out at all. But on a given day, if you have the chance to exercise outside rather than inside a gym, go outside.
