Can I Walk or Exercise Outside in Smog? Punjab EPA's Advice at Every AQI Level

Morning walkers in Lahore's parks, boys playing cricket after school and runners on canal roads all ask the same question in November: is it safe to go out today? The answer depends on one number, the AQI, and on who you are. Punjab EPA's official health advisory gives different advice to healthy adults and to vulnerable people. We set it out below band by band, with the timing pattern we saw in our own readings this week.

Punjab EPA's outdoor exercise advice by AQI band

Punjab EPA's health advisory page sets advice for each of its seven bands. For healthy adults, outdoor exercise is fine up to 150 with an AQI check first. Hard or long exercise should be cut from 151, and moved indoors from 301. Vulnerable people need to stop much earlier.

"Vulnerable" covers children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with asthma, COPD, which is a long-term lung disease, or heart disease. If you are in that group, read the right-hand column, not the middle one.

Check the AQI before you go out in four steps

Check the reading for your own city on Punjab EPA's free dashboard, aqi.punjab.gov.pk, right before you leave. Use the "Last updated" time to make sure the number is fresh. A reading from the night before can be far off by the morning.

1. Open aqi.punjab.gov.pk and read the "Last updated" time.
2. Find your city in the ranking. In Lahore, check the station nearest you in the town-wise list.
3. Match the number to the band in the table above.
4. Decide: go as planned, go shorter and easier, go with a mask, or exercise indoors.

Lahore has 11 stations, and they can be 30 or more points apart in the same hour. Our Lahore area-wise guide shows which station covers which part of the city. For other cities, the dashboard gives one figure per city. Our city pages for Sahiwal and Sargodha show how much those figures move.

Afternoon readings were much lower than dawn readings this week

The early morning walk is the habit most likely to clash with smog. In our own readings of Punjab EPA's dashboard this week, pre-dawn figures were often more than double the late afternoon ones. If your city is in a smog spell, the afternoon may be the better time to walk.

Lahore went from Very Unhealthy at 3 am to Moderate at 5 pm on the same day. On Punjab EPA's advice, a healthy adult could take a gentle afternoon walk at 148 after checking the number, but should not have run at dawn. That pattern is not a rule. Some days the air stays bad all day, so always read the number before you go.

Our evening report for 7 November has every city's 5 pm figure.

Children's sports and school games need a lower limit

Children count as vulnerable in Punjab EPA's advice. From 151, it says to keep children indoors, and from 201 to keep them inside unless necessary. So a cricket match or football practice should move indoors or be put off once the reading passes 150.

• Up to 100: normal games outside.
• 101 to 150: shorter sessions, and watch for coughing or wheezing.
• 151 and above: keep children indoors, as Punjab EPA advises.
• Any child with asthma: follow their doctor's plan, and keep the inhaler or nebulizer close.

Our guide to protecting children and older parents from smog covers home and school in more detail. If schools close for smog, the order appears in the places listed in our school closure guide.

Masks, indoor workouts and warning signs

Punjab EPA's advice is to wear a mask outdoors from 201 for everyone, and an N95 for vulnerable people who must go out. It also tells people with COPD or heart disease to ask a doctor before choosing a mask. From 301, it says to choose indoor gyms or home workouts.

Hard exercise makes you breathe faster and deeper, which is why the advice targets "strenuous" activity first. A slow walk is lighter than a run. If you exercise indoors, Punjab EPA's advice for poor air days is to keep doors and windows closed. Read our guide on N95 and KN95 masks before you buy one.

Stop and rest if you feel chest tightness, wheezing, a cough that will not settle or unusual breathlessness. Punjab EPA's advice is to see a doctor if breathing problems develop. If someone has chest pain or cannot breathe, go to the nearest emergency department or call Rescue 1122.

Common questions

Can I go for a morning walk when the AQI is 200?

A healthy adult can take a short, easy walk, but Punjab EPA says to cut long or hard effort from 151. Vulnerable people should avoid hard outdoor activity at that level.

Can I run outside when the AQI is 300?

Punjab EPA's advice is no. At 201 to 300 everyone should avoid heavy or long outdoor activity and wear a mask. Above 300 it says to use an indoor gym or work out at home.

Is it safe to play cricket in smog?

For children, Punjab EPA says to keep them indoors from 151. For adults, cut long matches from 151 and avoid heavy play from 201. Check the reading before the match starts.

What time of day is best to exercise in smog?

In our readings this week, the late afternoon was lowest and pre-dawn highest. Lahore read 345 at 3 am and 148 at 5 pm on 7 November. Check the live number, because this varies.

Should I wear an N95 mask while exercising?

Punjab EPA recommends an N95 outdoors from 201 for vulnerable people, and a mask for everyone. It says people with COPD or heart disease should ask a doctor about mask use first.

Where do I check the AQI for my area?

On Punjab EPA's free dashboard, aqi.punjab.gov.pk. It ranks every Punjab city each hour and lists 11 stations for Lahore.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 7 November 2026. Band advice is from Punjab EPA's health advisory page. Readings are from the Punjab EPA air quality dashboard at 3 am and 5 pm on 7 November 2026. This page is general guidance and does not replace advice from your own doctor.