Pollution is a serious subject in contemporary times as noted across many communities worldwide. The subject of pollution has become an important issue that affects many concerns related to economics, social as well as political affairs. There are increased studies related to pollution of land, air, or water and the resultant impacts that they have in both the short and long term periods. The concept of climate change and global warming, for instance, has proved to have negative impacts such as a threat to humanity because of the continued incidences of disasters that prove to be a challenge to humanity's existence. The resultant outcomes of such eventualities have not only destroyed properties owned by humans but also have caused death and injury reversing and halting development objectiveness and goals set by people in the area that such adverse effects of pollution have on humanity. Also, there is also a threat of extinction of some animal and plant species, and that implies that the benefits that humanity gets from such creatures are also under threat. However, this paper analyses the effects of air pollution and noise pollution have about fitness programs and the resultant health concerns. Air pollution impacts exercise and fitness programs to a large extent especially related to outdoor exercise fitness levels. Many outdoor exercise and activities such as walkers, runners, and cyclists among others get more concerned when air pollution subject is discussed. Some have been forced to change their fitness programs and schedules especially if air pollution levels could be a threat to their lives and health (Wells, Dearborn & Jackson, 2012). It has, in the end, discourage people from enrolling in health and fitness activities especially when it is persistent air pollution. In some locations that either result from a natural event such as volcanic eruption or even human-induced activity such as factories releasing smoke or even vehicles that release smoke that increases the level of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide among others. It is imperative to note that healthcare professionals have advised populations to engage in exercise and fitness levels that can help them reduce the possibility of developing diseases related to cardiovascular as well as eliminate chances of becoming obese and related healthcare concerns. Exercise, therefore, is recommended as an alternative to preventive healthcare as well as healthy eating among others. However, due to air pollution, such initiatives are primarily embraced by people as they present more dangers that touch on their health such as developing diseases as a result of inhaling polluted air. In the long run, healthcare facilities continue to experience increased healthcare challenges because people were reluctant to take the initiatives related to exercise and fitness programs and, hence, develop or increase risks of developing the disease and healthcare concerns that can result from lack of exercise. The air pollution subject has also increased the fitness training programs for indoor fitness facilities and health clubs. It is because many people that opt for exercise programs feel exposed to air pollution when they engage in outdoor physical programs and opt for indoor fitness activities to reduce the risks involved in exercise in environments with polluted air. It is common in cities termed or described as “smog cities.” The condition is usually worse for those with already respiratory-related health challenges and those that are asthmatic for instance, can be worse impacted and, therefore, have to change and shift their fitness programs (Gao, Chan, Zhu & Wong, 2013). Studies conducted about the impact of exercising under an environment of polluted air indicated that it damages the lungs even when the concentration of the pollutants is minimal and worse when the levels of soot and pollutants are high. The findings, further, show that when it happens it increases the risks of stroke and for heart attack. The more information available about exercising and engaging in fitness programs in a polluted environment and the results of health effects has led to the developing of measures that people can use to help them reduce the adverse effects resulting from polluted air. They have developed actions such as donning a mask during exercise, avoiding working out along roads that are considered highly polluted resulting from the emission of gasses from vehicles, taking antioxidants as well as choosing exercise times wisely among others. Noise pollution, on the other hand, is a concern that impacts fitness programs as well as other issues in daily life. Noise pollution has continued to get and be addressed objectively in recent times for the interest of the public in the recent times that many agencies involved in issues of the environment have taken it seriously (Murphy & King, 2014). Regulations, thus, have been passed as well as policies developed that ensure that the public is protected from noise pollution. Fitness and health clubs in the recent past have used music in their programs and sessions such as spinning among others. However, recent studies have indicated that the loud music often played in such fitness centers has a high likelihood of causing damage to the ears and, hence, causing hearing problems. It has become a concern for healthcare professionals because as much as they experience great outcomes that impact healthcare services positively resulting from exercise, the levels of damage and healthcare concerns related to hearing have also increased drastically linked with the loud music often played at the fitness centers. The health challenge has also resulted from outdoor exercise programs that more often use gadgets such as personal earphones that play loud music during the time that they exercise resulting to ear damage and hearing challenges as well. It is a common practice in contemporary times to see those involved in outdoor fitness levels with headsets and earphones in their ears and heads while exercising, probably to motivate them and encourage them to focus, as exercise is also not an easy affair. The issue has attracted studies as well to note the benefits that result from loud music at fitness centers and the health impacts that such loud music has with possible recommendations for the negative impacts (Read, Jones & Radford, 2014). As a result, organizations and associations such as American Council on Exercise (ACE) among others which is a professional organization for aerobics instructors issued guidelines that control the volume of music at fitness centers to avoid noise pollution. Also measures such as provisions of ear plug-ins for users of such fitness centers that might feel the music volume to be too loud and, hence, noise pollution. In conclusion Air and noise pollution, therefore, have directly impacted fitness programs leading to the development of initiatives that might reduce the healthcare aspects that might result from the two types of pollution. Exercise and fitness programs have a great impact on health which is the reason it is recommended and encouraged. However, the right environmental conditions have to be provided to eliminate the likelihood of adverse negative health effects. The issue of pollution, thus, should be addressed objectively and ensure that the people are empowered with information about pollution in general which can be air, water, land or noise pollution at large, and the measures that they can take both at an individual level as well as the societal level to address the matter objectively. Such measures would encourage fitness and exercise programs in the world and the resultant benefits such as healthy populations as well as the creation of economic opportunities for those interested in fitness and exercise programs such as instructors who get jobs in fitness and health clinics as well as to business owners who develop such initiatives.
References
Gao, Y., Chan, E. Y., Zhu, Y., & Wong, T. W. (2013). Adverse Effect of Outdoor Air Pollution on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Chinese Children. Atmospheric Environment, 6(4): 10-17.
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Murphy, E., & King, E. A. (2014). Environmental Noise Pollution: Noise Mapping, Public Health, and Policy. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Read, J., Jones, G., & Radford, A. N. (2014). Fitness costs as well as benefits are important when considering responses to anthropogenic noise. Behavioral Ecology, 25(1): 4-7.
Wells, E. M., Dearborn, D. G., & Jackson, L. W. (2012). Activity Change in Response to Bad Air Quality, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2010. Plos ONE , 7(11): 1-5
