Exercising with hay fever: top tips

The joy of seeing the flowers poke their heads out, the scents of effervescent flora, the songs of chirping birds and buzzing insects… Such are the glorious sights and sounds of spring. 

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This time of rebirth and new growth also comes with higher air pollen concentrations, and for many, these are synonymous with allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.

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What is hay fever?

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Hay fever is an allergic reaction that can be caused by pollen, pet dander, mold or insects [1]. Wind pollinated plants such as trees and grasses, are the main things that cause allergic symptoms [2], which include:

• sneezing and coughing

• a runny or blocked nose

• itchy, red or watery eyes

• itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears

• loss of smell

• pain around the sides of your head and your forehead

• headache

• feeling tired [3]

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Can you exercise while suffering from hayfever?

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While there are some precautions to take in order to minimise your symptoms, it is safe to exercise with hay fever [4].

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Alongside popular wisdom suggesting to consume local honey to mitigate allergic reactions to local pollen, common precautions to take when exercising outdoor include getting a lot of sleep in order to reinforce the immune system, wearing sunglasses where possible to prevent itchy eyes and consuming antihistamine medication.

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To dive deeper into the topic of exercising and hay fever, we have asked elite athlete Ross Gollan to share some of his tips for managing his symptoms while training.

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Read on to find out what Ross recommends when it comes to exercising outdoors during high pollen count seasons.

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Pictured: Ross Gollan

SportsShoes: How does hay fever affect your physical performance?

Ross Gollan: I typically struggle with tree pollen in the spring and find that it has an adverse effect on training and racing performance. It tends to go for my breathing and can affect my sleep.

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SS: How can you adapt your workouts: 

RG: I usually try to train during the day when possible, making sure that any key sessions take place at the weekend, where I'm not limited to running in the morning or evening, which are the times when pollen counts are higher. Other than that I have accepted that performance might be impaired from March through to May. 

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SS: How can you manage your symptoms (before, during, after exercise)?

RG: I take daily antihistamines, there are a number of different options out there, find one that works for you. Own brand antihistamines are just as good as the more expensive branded options.

Stay hydrated and try to avoid running in the morning or evening although that's not really that useful for the majority of people that work 9-5pm!

Try and wash clothing if you have been out and about on a high pollen count day (the Met Office app has a great pollen count forecast) and plan important sessions on low pollen count days. Don't hang your washing out on high pollen count days!

Pictured: Ross Gollan

SS: Are there better times of day/year to train outdoors?

RG: From early spring through to summer, the air is rich in tree and plant pollen. You need to work around high pollen count days and make sure you avoid pollen-rich areas such as parks and fields, for example.

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SS: Are there better places to exercise? 

RG: The coast is probably your best option, sea breeze is usually lower in pollen. You can be ok up in the hills, depending on the weather. The only way to avoid hay fever issues altogether is to run on a treadmill indoors or only run in the winter!

Pictured: Ross Gollan

SS: Are there places you need to avoid altogether?

RG: A field of wildflowers or your standard town or city park can be high in pollen. If out and about in the countryside, various crops can also set off symptoms. I used to farm, and harvest was a particularly bad time of year for me.

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SS: Do you need to exercise for less time at a time?

RG: Not usually, I just have to accept that performances may not be up to the same standard of later in the year, which is annoying! I've read that of some professional cyclists (who are usually exposed to pollen for a greater amount of time compared to recreational athletes) have come to this conclusion as well and just plan their season around allergies maybe not peaking in the spring and focusing on races from mid summer onwards or use immunotherapy to reduce hayfever symptoms!

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Thank you Ross for your excellent advice.

Follow Ross on his Instagram account for more inspiring content.

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Want to make the most of spring? Read our article about what to wear for spring running.

Summer is also on its way... Discover our tips for working out in hot weather.

Visit our Health and Wellbeing hub for a wealth of advice on self-care and staying active.

References:

[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8622-allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever

[2] https://www.kch.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/pl-012.3-pollen-avoidance.pdf

[3] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hay-fever/

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23156847/

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