Traffic fumes in city streets 'largely wipe out exercise benefits for over-60s’

The over-60s should stick to green spaces and parks when they go for a walk and avoid the city streets, according to a groundbreaking study that says air pollution from traffic fumes largely wipes out the health benefit from the exercise.

As well as the over-60s, those with lung and heart problems should
 steer clear of areas with heavy traffic, the study says.

Walking is often recommended for older people, but the study from Imperial College London and Duke University in the USA suggests that the over-60s and those with lung and heart problems should steer clear of urban areas with heavy traffic. The negative effect may well be the same in younger people, say the authors, and it reinforces the urgency of reducing emissions in city streets.

The research compared walking for two hours in Oxford Street with strolling in Hyde Park, which registers some air pollution but far less than in the heart of the capital city’s shopping district.

Read Sarah Boseley’ story on The Guardian - “Traffic fumes in city streets 'largely wipe out exercise benefits for over-60s’.”