How to Stay Active When You Have Allergies

Allergies don't have to take the wind out of your sails. Cutting back on activities you enjoy, such as exercise, will only leave you feeling worse. The trick is to find ways to minimize your contact with allergens while you pursue sports and hobbies.

Outdoor Activity

Even if you are allergic to pollens or molds, you can still enjoy being outside. Here are some tips for preventing symptoms:

Remain indoors in the morning, when outdoor pollen levels are usually their highest. Be especially careful on windy days.
Take your vacation during the time when the pollen is at its worst. Choose a location where your exposure will be minimal. The seashore, for example, may be good place to go if you have pollen allergies. The National Allergy Bureau provides information about pollen counts all over the country. For more information go to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Online.
If you must work outdoors when pollen levels are high, wear a tightly fitting face mask designed to filter out pollen and keep it from reaching your nasal passages.
Avoid spots where molds tend to be concentrated. For instance, let someone else mow the lawn and rake leaves.
If you're going to stay at a cabin that has been closed up all winter, have someone air it out and clean it before you arrive.

Staying Fit And Symptom-Free

Exercise, which helps stimulate the cardiovascular system, is important for everyone. If you cut back on your exercise, you may end up gaining weight, feeling sluggish or getting the blues. You can stay in shape despite your allergies. Here are some tips for doing it safely:

Don't exercise if you're sick or not feeling well.
Be mindful of the type of exercise you do. Exercise that has stop-and-go activity tends to cause fewer problems for people with allergies because it causes less bronchial constriction, or tightening of the airways in the lungs, then continuous activity. No matter what exercise you choose, pay attention to your symptoms. If you start to feel wheezy or short of breath, take a break or slow down.
Take weather conditions into account. If you can, exercise when pollen counts and pollution are low. Cold and dry or very dry weather can irritate the bronchial tubes. If it's freezing outside, work out indoors.
Consider where you exercise. Choose a track over a freshly mowed field, for example. Don't jog or do other vigorous sports near heavy traffic areas where there is a great deal of exhaust from vehicles.
If you have severe allergies to stinging insects, you'll need to take special precautions. Take along injectable epinephrine if you are exercising outdoors. Avoid wearing bright-colored clothing or strong perfumes or lotions that may attract stinging insects and increase your risk of being stung. Stay away from flower beds, flowering fields, bodies of water and other areas where stinging insects may be.

Reviewed Jan. 1998 by D.C. Dugdale, MD, University of Washington, Seattle, School of Medicine