Exercising With a Mask On
Hopefully you’ve been able to stay active during the current global pandemic. I have personally witnessed the joy of seeing people actually utilizing our trail systems, to being fearful and overwhelmed at just how many people are outside, together, and not necessarily following the social distancing guidelines in place.
It is recommended by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services that all Granite Staters wear cloth face coverings outside your home to help slow the spread of Covid-19. This isn’t just to protect yourself, but to protect those around you. A cloth covering will do but remember, it is not a replacement for social distancing.
Let’s cut to the chase and talk about exercising with and without a mask on. With gyms and health clubs still currently closed, your strength training routine shouldn’t be too affected by wearing a mask or covering if you’re getting this done in your own home. But if you plan to go back once the phased reopening begins, this is a good time to start practicing some exercises with a mask on. For the safety of yourself and others, these will be necessary when physical distance cannot be maintained.
Try different masks or coverings NOW while you have the time to do so without others nearby. Find one that fits well and stays put. Wearing a mask that you have to constantly adjust by touching your face misses the point.
Practice your breathing with it on during several exercises. Build up your tolerance with it now so you’ll be more comfortable with it on for the entirety of your workout in public spaces.
You may need to consider shorter workout lengths to accommodate more people entering and exiting on a scheduled basis. No more checking your phone and texting people in between sets. Find strength training exercises that really give you the best bang for your buck. While compound exercises can be the most efficient, trying olympic lifts for the first time while wearing a mask for the first time isn’t the smartest approach. Stick to exercises you know and can perform well. Do NOT compromise form just to get more in. We believe in training hard, but more importantly, training smart.
You may also need to consider less intense workouts. If you prefer high intensity intervals, those may still need to be done in the comfort of your home as heavy breathing with a mask on will most definitely prove to be difficult.
If you are planning on exercising outdoors, even if you plan to head out by yourself, you need to have protection with you on the chance you aren’t as alone as you thought you would be. If you are completely alone, you don’t need to wear one. But if you are on a heavily trafficked area, you need to have a mask on….again, not just to protect yourself, but to also protect those around you. Have I said that before?
Let’s quickly consider “preferred” widths of typical walking areas before diving into some of the best tips for exercising with a mask. In Boston, a downtown sidewalk preferred width is 12 feet. In a neighborhood, the preferred width is only 5 feet. Even walking on opposite ends of the “preferred” (which means, it may not be that wide) distance is hardly considered acceptable in our current distancing guidelines. On trails, the minimum width of a multi-use trail should be 10 feet. If it’s a heavily traveled trail, the guidelines suggest 12-14 feet. Those of us who use trails regularly know that the fun of trails is how they change and provide different scenery and challenges. There can be rolling hills, bridges, and more narrow sections of trails. If you’re someone like myself who enjoys mountain biking, the singe track trails offer a little more fun and variety, on a MUCH narrower trail with no guarantee you’ll have it all to yourself in either direction.
For riding a bike, or running I have personally found a “buff” cloth-type face covering to be the best for me in terms of comfort and breathing ability. I can leave it on without having to constantly adjust it and I can breathe as I normally would, although it does get a little warm. The covering is most effective if you can just leave it on, but if you are in fact, completely alone, you can leave this on under your mouth and pull up to cover your face in plenty of time before and after passing others in either direction.
Running or biking for the first time with a mask on isn’t the best day to shoot for that PR! It’s important to note that I have already had practice wearing buffs during exercise due to my 100-mile bike ride last year in Idaho and again during some harsh days this past winter on my snowshoes. Remember that practice is key. It takes time to adjust and adapt to anything that’s new, whether it’s a brand new exercise, or a new way of doing a familiar exercise.
If you really enjoy running but are having a hard time breathing with a cloth covering on, slow it down and add more walking to your routine. Focus on your form with proper symmetry moving opposite arm and leg around a center post of your body (think: your spine). Run/walk intervals are a great way to ease into running with a mask on, while not running for so long at once that you have trouble breathing. The walking intervals can calm your nerves and allow your body to adjust in small increments.
If running seems impossible, try walking intervals! So many people discount walking and think they can’t get a “good” workout from it. It’s a great way to incorporate some weight-bearing, cardiovascular exercise while adjusting to the use of a cloth covering. Try walking faster for one minute, and then at a more recreational pace for one minute. Keep alternating for 20-30 minutes or as much time as you have. You’ll learn how to breathe with a face covering on and build up some stamina so you can get back to running.
If you don’t want to wear a mask or face covering….
Try to create some routes within your own home and land. You can use your staircase, driveway, or yard to get in some steps and distance. You decide how many times in one shot to go up and back down your stairs. Break it up throughout your day so you don’t have to do it all at once in case you aren’t used to “climbing” quite yet. Decide how many times or for how long you will walk around the perimeter of your home outside. Pay attention and look for things you may not recognize during our regular day to day lives. Place one water bottle at one end of your driveway and another at the other end. Side step from one to the other tapping the water bottle each time you reach one.
*Fun Workout Tip! Try our side step idea from the end closest to your doorway, down to the end of your driveway and back. Then do a walking/jogging loop around your house. Side step down and back again facing the opposite way, then do another loop around your house. Set a timer for 20 minutes and see how many “rounds” you can do. Finish with 10 minutes of stretching and gentle movement.
As a recap...
Practice wearing a mask or covering NOW, before gyms and clubs officially reopen.
Find one that fits best and you won't have to keep adjusting.
Plan your workouts so you can be more efficient in the gym.
Practice new exercsies now and build up stability and mobility before progressing at an ineffective rate and causing possible injury.
Slow down your running and biking as you build tolerance with a covering.
Continue to follow the recommended guidelines - keep social distancing AND wash hands frequently.
This is all new and everyone is learning to adjust to what is the current situation. Many races and fitness events have been cancelled or postponed this year. Everyone’s expectations of what 2020 had to offer has shifted and is constantly changing. Embracing the transition and accepting new guidelines will help us continue to move forward. I’m guessing your life hasn’t gone exactly as planned up to this point. We’ve been through tough times in the past, and we’ve learned to adjust. We still may not now how the future is going to evolve but we know we can get through this together. There are still options for us to keep moving and keep growing. We have the ability to come out of this stronger than before. We’ll help determine smart solutions…it’s up to you to make it happen for yourself….with a face covering and physical distance of course.
We have a lot of new programs and coaching available to people. If you need some guidance to help you through this time, please reach out. We want to help you adjust and evolve during this time. We work with individuals and businesses to promote healthy lifestyles customized to specific needs. No matter where you are, we can help! Let’s talk and map out your success story.