You Should Run, Not Your Nose
Now that it’s officially sneezin’ season (gesundheit!), put down the pills and pick up the pace: Running can help relieve allergy symptoms, a study from Thailand reveals. After allergy sufferers ran for 30 minutes, their sneezing, runny nose, and nasal itching and congestion all decreased by more than 70%. One theory is that cardio exercise calms inflammatory proteins in the nasal passages. The scientists recommend a moderate pace, so stay within 65 to 70% of your heart rate reserve. You can calculate this number by subtracting your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate. (To figure your max, multiply your age by 0.7 and then subtract the result from 207.) High pollen count? Hop on a treadmill.
Photography by Travis Rathbone
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