RENTON, Wash. — The air quality throughout the Puget Sound is rough, and doctors are urging people to exercise indoors for the time being.
Dr. Beth Ebel, a pediatrician at the University of Washington, says the primary danger stems from small particles found in wildfire smoke that can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
These particles can linger in the body for a significant amount of time and cause symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath.
Ebel explained that mouth breathing during heavy physical exertion bypasses the natural filtration typically provided by the nose.
“When you are exercising, most of us are breathing hard through our mouths, and so we don’t even get the help from our nose to filter out some of those particles,” Ebel said. “There are just going straight down the tubes to the very fragile membranes that are between our lungs and blood supply.”
Dr. Ebel warned that current air conditions can be harmful even to highly conditioned professional athletes. She noted that people exercising bring in a significant amount of air, which increases their direct exposure to pollutants.
“And for folks who are exercising like athletes, the amount of air that they’re bringing in and out during this time of exercise is incredible,” Ebel said. “So, they’re getting a lot more exposure to those particles because they’re having to inhale.”
It was Day 11 of training camp for the defending Super Bowl Champ Seattle Seahawks. The team’s practice was already scheduled to be a shorter session and inside the indoor facility at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Head Coach Mike Macdonald told reporters Wednesday they check the air quality daily to see if it is ok to practice outside.
Dante Fowler Jr., a linebacker for the team, compared the current haze to conditions he experienced while playing in California.
Fowler previously lived in Los Angeles for two years.
“I mean, I feel like that comes with being like out in the west and stuff like that,” Fowler said. “I lived in LA for a couple of years. So, I know how that goes.”
Ebel suggested that because the professional team is monitoring the air quality, parents should consider taking similar precautions for their children.
“So when that air quality deteriorates, for the average person when it gets to be about 100 on the air quality scales, it’s best to consider not exercising outdoors,” Dr. Ebel said.
©2026 Cox Media Group
