You could always stick to your home workout routine or continue exercising with household objects to ensure safety. But those who are eager to get back to the community aspect of fitness are sure to ask one big question: Must I exercise with a face mask on?
States including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona, Indiana and Ohio are welcoming gymgoers back. Many fitness studios and gym chains encourage patrons to wear masks while they work out.
The World Health Organization released guidance on June 16, 2020. That people shouldn’t wear face masks while exercising because it could reduce the ability to breathe comfortably. The most important factor in preventing disease spread is distancing yourself from others. Still, it’s everyone’s own choice to decide if they want to wear face mask while exercising.
Is it safe to exercise with a face mask on?
Generally, yes, it’s safe for most people to exercise while wearing a face mask, Grayson Wickham, a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist at Movement Vault, tells CNET. . “You will want to monitor how you’re feeling while exercising and watch out for specific symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, numbness or tingling and shortness of breath.”
What happens when you exercise with a face mask on?
Compared with normal breathing, wearing any kind of protective mask decreases the flow of air into your lungs, Scott McAfee, physical therapist and orthopedic specialist at MovementX, tells CNET. Less oxygen in your lungs means less oxygen in your bloodstream and your working muscles, which is what makes training more difficult.
McAfee says that anyone, even those who have a relatively high level of fitness, should expect to fatigue faster when exercising with a face mask. “Over a few weeks, your body will certainly adapt by becoming more efficient at metabolizing oxygen. But this takes time,” McAfee says. “If you start to feel dizzy, imbalanced, or overly fatigued, stop. Be smart [and] don’t over do it.”
What to expect while exercising with a face mask on
Pay attention to how your body responds to your workout while wearing a face mask. Especially during higher-intensity exercises. They can be heavy weightlifting, sprints, plyometrics, CrossFit-style workouts, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cardio workouts.
If you do feel lightheaded, dizzy or extremely short of breath, you should sit down and take a break. Besides, the symptoms don’t go away relatively soon, you should take your face mask off to breathe normally, Wickham says. Then, you do need to take your face mask off, always follow your state’s public health rules. Also, you try to maintain at least six feet of distance between you and other people.
Ultimately, when gyms do open, customers and business owners will have to make intelligent and educated choices. The experts suggested looking at each facility’s cleanliness, ventilation and density of customers.
