Hay fever can be damaging to your performance & can really start to interfere with your training schedule. Symptoms include sneezing, a runny/stuffed up nose, itchy, watery, or streaming eyes and a general congested feeling in the nose and throat.
All of this can lead to tiredness, fatigue and exhaustion. Hay fever can also affect how you sleep. These symptoms can zap your energy levels leaving, making your running slow and sluggish.
Avoiding the allergen is always key with any allergy. Less allergen, less reaction.
HERE ARE 6 TIPS TO HELP YOU BEAT HAY FEVER
1) Shower & put on a clean set of training gear before starting your run. This will reduce the pollen that has collected in your hair and on your clothing.
2) Eat well. Vitamin C (as found in broccoli, kale, peppers) gives a boost to the immune system, which will stop you getting hay fever quite so badly.
3) Wear wraparound sunglasses to prevent pollen getting into your eyes.
4) Wear a cap when running to prevent pollen getting trapped in your hair.
5) Avoid wooded areas if you suffer from hay fever in early and mid-spring. Avoid grassy areas in late spring and summer.
6) Shower again post-run to remove pollen collected in your hair. A clean set of clothes will further reduce your exposure.
