How polluted is your running route? Dodging the nasties lurking in the air depends on where you live, when you run and the routes you take By Rick Pearson Matthew LeeteGetty Images Regular exercise, even in areas with high levels of air pollution, can help prevent high blood pressure, says a new study. However, the research also noted the correlation between air pollution and high blood pressure. According to new research published in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation, researchers classified levels of exposure to fine particulate matter (the standard indicator of air pollution) as low, moderate or high. For each increase in the level of air pollution, there was a 38 per cent greater risk of high blood pressure. ‘Physical activity, even in polluted air, is an important high blood pressure prevention strategy,’ said study author Xiang Qian Lao.