With some parts of the U.S. experiencing a mild winter, spring is arriving early in some areas. I've already seen lots of trees budding and flowers blooming during my runs. Those runners with seasonal allergies may have also noticed early arrival of symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, follow these tips to keep your runs symptom-free:
Plan workouts when pollen counts are low. Pollen concentrations are usually highest from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Check your local pollen counts at sites such as Pollen.com.
Avoid running on windy days. The wind spreads pollen throughout the air, so run indoors when it's windy. You may even want to avoid running outdoors the day after high winds.
Shower right after your run. The worst allergy symptoms usually don't occur until about an hour after you come in contact with the pollen, so you may actually be able to run outdoors without experiencing symptoms. But to reduce your risk of symptoms after your run, make sure you take a shower and put on clean clothes as soon as you get back from running.
Run after a rainstorm. Pollen counts drop as the rain washes the pollen away, so you're less likely to experience symptoms after it rains or even while it's raining (if you're into running in the rain.)
Get more tips for allergy-free runs.
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