Athletes urged to ease back into training as haze clears ahead of year-end events

With regional haze affecting air quality across Southeast Asia, many athletes have curtailed or modified their outdoor training schedules in recent weeks. As atmospheric conditions improve and year-end sporting events draw closer, the temptation to compensate for lost training days through intensive catch-up sessions is understandable but potentially risky, sports physiologists warn.

Experts recommend a phased approach to resuming full training intensity. Athletes should begin with shorter duration, lower-intensity sessions outdoors before progressively increasing both volume and pace over several days or weeks, depending on individual fitness levels and the duration of their training break. This graduated return helps the body readjust to environmental conditions and reduces injury risk.

Monitoring air quality indices remains important even as conditions stabilize. Athletes should check real-time pollution data and continue to exercise during periods of better air quality, adjusting indoor and outdoor training ratios accordingly. Proper hydration and rest between sessions are equally critical during the transition period.

With major competitions scheduled through December, maintaining consistent, sustainable training is more beneficial than attempting to compress missed sessions into compressed timeframes. Sports medicine professionals advise athletes to consult coaching staff and medical teams on personalized return-to-training protocols that account for their specific event schedules and fitness baselines.