Is it Safe to Exercise Outdoors as Pollution Peaks? Pune Wakes Up To Hazy Mornings, AQI Dips Sharply

With Pune’s air quality slipping into the ‘Moderate’ category from ‘Satisfactory’ and winter chill tightening its grip, experts warn that the combination of cold air and pollution is creating hazardous conditions for outdoor exercise.

Pune’s air quality continued to deteriorate this week even as the city recorded one of its coldest mornings of the season at 12.9°C. The falling temperatures have trapped pollutants closer to the surface, pushing the AQI to unhealthy levels across several neighbourhoods. For a city that prides itself on parks, cycling lanes and early-morning fitness culture, this shift is raising a critical question, how safe is it to exercise outdoors when pollution peaks?

While winter mornings usually draw thousands of runners and walkers to Koregaon Park, Vetal Tekdi, Bu