Air quality and exercise

See what the official UK air pollution advice means for your run, ride or kickabout.

Your details

Daily Air Quality Index
Heart or lung condition, or older?
Session

Find the index on the Met Office forecast or the UK Air website. Higher risk includes adults and children with heart or lung conditions, and older people.

Air quality index 7 of 10, at higher risk

High

adapt the hard session: gentler, shorter, away from traffic or indoors

  • BandHigh (7 to 9)
  • Advice for youAdapt physically demanding activities outdoors, especially if your symptoms get worse, and follow your action plan if you have one.
  • Tipbusy roads are usually worst; parks and back streets help

This uses the official UK health advice for each band of the Daily Air Quality Index. Higher risk means adults and children with heart or lung conditions, and older people. Some very sensitive people notice effects even on low days, and pollen or indoor air can play a part too.

Follow your asthma or COPD action plan. Speak to your GP or nurse if you have new or worse symptoms, or they have not improved after a week. Call 999 if you are struggling to breathe or your reliever is not helping.

The working

Index 7, at higher risk, a hard session

7 is in the High band (7 to 9). The official advice, updated in April 2026, is for adults and children with lung or heart conditions, and older people, to adapt physically demanding activities outdoors, especially if symptoms get worse, and to follow any action plan. So adapt the hard session: go gentler or shorter, pick a route away from traffic or move it indoors.

The bands

Daily Air Quality Index

IndexBand
1 to 3Low
4 to 6Moderate
7 to 9High
10Very high

At Low and Moderate, most people can carry on as usual, though anyone with symptoms should try to reduce their exposure. From Moderate, people with lung or heart conditions are advised to try to adapt physically demanding activities outdoors. At High and Very high, everyone is advised to try to reduce their exposure, especially with symptoms. Some sensitive people notice symptoms even on low days, and pollen can play a part too.

Lower your exposure

Simple changes

  • Avoid busy roads; parks and back streets are usually better
  • Follow your asthma or COPD action plan, and ask your doctor or nurse for one if you do not have it
  • Exercise indoors on the worst days

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Forecast pollutionUse the Met Office or UK Air forecast.
  • Know your streetPollution varies a lot from road to road.
  • Replace your asthma planFollow your own plan from your GP or nurse.

Questions

Common questions

Should I run when air pollution is high?

At High or Very high, the official advice is for everyone to try to reduce their exposure, especially with symptoms, and for people at higher risk to adapt physically demanding activities outdoors.

What is the Daily Air Quality Index?

A 1 to 10 scale used in the UK, split into Low, Moderate, High and Very high, with health advice for each band.

Who is at higher risk from air pollution?

Adults and children with heart or lung conditions, and older people.

When should I speak to a doctor or nurse?

The official advice is to speak to them if you have new symptoms, your symptoms get worse, or they do not get better after a week.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If you are struggling to breathe

Follow your asthma or COPD action plan. Speak to your doctor or nurse if you have new symptoms, they get worse, or they do not get better after a week. During an asthma attack, call 999 if you feel worse at any time or do not feel better after the maximum dose of your reliever inhaler.

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