How Seasonal Allergies Can Sabotage Your Workout and What to Do About It

You’re eating clean, following your training program to a tee, and aiming to hit a new PR. But every spring, it feels like your progress plateaus.

You’re sluggish, short of breath, and constantly battling brain fog. It might not be your programming—it could be your allergies.

If you’ve never considered how seasonal allergies impact your performance, it’s time to connect the dots.

From reduced oxygen intake to chronic fatigue, allergic reactions can quietly derail your workouts. But the good news? You don’t have to let allergy season ruin your fitness goals.

What’s Really Going On with Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, are triggered when your immune system overreacts to airborne allergens like pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds.

The result? Sneezing, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, fatigue, and sometimes even breathing issues. 

While the discomfort might not be a big deal in most of your day-to-day activities, these symptoms can do a number on your workout.

Then, boom. You try to do your HIIT workout, only to find yourself gasping for air (even more so than cardio is known to cause) or barely slogging along after a restless night.  

How Allergies Interfere with Performance

Allergy symptoms go far beyond the sniffles. They create a chain reaction that can affect just about every aspect of your training:

• Breathing efficiency takes a hit: Nasal congestion forces mouth breathing, which is less effective for oxygen exchange and can lead to dry, irritated airways—especially during intense cardio or lifting.
• Endurance drops: Inflamed sinuses reduce airflow and oxygen uptake, making it harder to push through longer sessions or maintain intensity.
• Fatigue increases: Your immune system is in overdrive, and your body’s resources are being rerouted to fight off allergens, not fuel your performance.
• Recovery suffers: Poor sleep caused by nighttime allergy symptoms can affect muscle repair, energy levels, and your ability to show up strong the next day.

Train Smarter: Allergy Management Tips for Active Lifestyles

So, how do you stay on track? After all, staying inside 100% of the time until the pollen fades enough to reemerge isn’t exactly feasible. The solution? Have a strategy. Here’s what you can do:

• Check the pollen forecast: Use pollen-tracking apps to plan workouts around high-pollen times. Typically, pollen peaks in the morning, so schedule outdoor sessions for the late afternoon or after rain.
• Choose non-drowsy allergy medications: Modern antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec), or fexofenadine (Allegra) won’t knock you out like older formulas. Nasal corticosteroids like Flonase can also help reduce inflammation and congestion.
• Recover like it’s your job: Allergy season taxes your body. Prioritize quality sleep, hydrate more than usual, and build in active recovery days if needed.
• Switch up your training environment: If pollen counts are brutal, take your session inside. Consider using air purifiers or HEPA filters at home to reduce exposure indoors.
• Shower and change post-workout: Pollen sticks to your skin, hair, and clothes. Rinse off after outdoor exercise to avoid continued exposure.

What If Over-the-Counter Isn’t Enough?

If you’ve tried everything you can think of to manage your allergies and you’re still bombarded by intense symptoms, it might be time to explore long-term solutions like allergy immunotherapy. 

This allergy medicine, available via injections or sublingual tablets or drops, gradually retrains your immune system to be less reactive to allergens.

It’s one of the few options that actually addresses the root cause of your allergy, not just the symptoms. It can reduce or even eliminate your need for allergy meds over time. 

It takes several months, if not years, to see significant improvements, but for many, the effort is well worth the result.

It can definitely pay off in the long run, especially for dedicated athletes who want fewer disruptions to their training. 

Bottom Line: Don’t Let Allergies Derail Your Gains

Seasonal allergies don’t have to sabotage your progress. Whether you’re training for your next 10K or pushing through strength cycles, a few smart shifts in your routine (and the right treatment strategy) can help you breathe easier and train harder.

Don’t let pollen call the shots. Stay sharp, stay consistent, and keep showing up for yourself—even when allergy season hits.