Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 11 hrs ago
Pulmonologist advises checking AQI before morning walks
Pulmonologist Dr Tarang Kulkarni of Jupiter Hospital in Thane has urged people to check air quality before morning walks.
Morning exercise can support health, but early hours do not always mean cleaner air, as pollution levels can change through the day.
Kulkarni says people should consider exercising indoors when the AQI is 201–300 or worse, especially if they are in a high-risk group.
He recommends choosing a time with better air and avoiding busy roads, traffic junctions, construction sites and visible smoke or dust.
When pollution is elevated, people should reduce exercise intensity or move indoors, because faster breathing increases the amount of polluted air entering the lungs.
People with asthma or COPD, children and older adults need extra caution, and those with asthma or COPD should follow their prescribed medication plan and carry a rescue inhaler if prescribed.
Anyone who develops unusual coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or breathlessness should stop exercising and move to cleaner indoor air.
Pulmonologist Dr Tarang Kulkarni advises checking the local air quality index before going for a morning walk.
He says early morning air is not automatically cleaner and that air quality can vary during the day.
When pollution is high, he recommends considering indoor exercise, especially for people at higher risk.
He also advises choosing routes away from traffic and visible pollution and reducing exercise intensity when needed.
- Who
- Dr Tarang Kulkarni, a pulmonologist and consultant at Jupiter Hospital, Thane.
- What
- He shared advice on reducing exposure to air pollution during morning walks.
- When
- The article was published on November 9, 2026.
- Where
- The advice concerns outdoor walks; the article identifies Kulkarni as a consultant in Thane, India.
- Why
- Pollution levels can affect how safe outdoor exercise is, and strenuous exercise can increase the volume of polluted air a person breathes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- AQI range
- Poor air quality is defined as 201–300 in the article.
- Suggested walk times
- Many people choose between five and six in the morning, but Kulkarni advises checking air quality at the planned exercise time.
- Higher-risk groups
- People with asthma or COPD, children and older adults are urged to take extra care.
- Suggested routes
- Parks and walking tracks away from major roads are preferred over traffic-heavy or visibly polluted areas.
1 source
What people are saying
Stepping outdoors early in the morning does not automatically mean breathing cleaner air. Air quality can vary throughout the day.
If the AQI is poor (201–300) or worse, consider shifting your walk indoors, particularly if you belong to a high-risk group.
Instead of following a fixed schedule, check local air quality at the time you plan to exercise and choose a cleaner time of day.
During exercise, breathing increases, which means a greater volume of polluted air enters the lungs.