Man running on a bridge (© Isaac Koval/Getty Images)

Exercising outdoors could be making you mentally ill

12/11/2012

Exercising outdoors seems like a no-brainer: it's exercise, it's free and it's pretty much the opposite of being cooped up indoors at a computer. But a new study shows that al fresco activity could be damaging your mental health and brain clarity. Researchers in Belgium have found people who exercise outside in the city had higher levels of inflammation and lower scores on cognitive tests than those who huff and puff in rural settings. Air pollution is to blame for causing the inflammation, which in the brain is associated with mental illness. But, tough luck, experts say this is no reason to forgo exercise. [Source]

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