Exercising with a mask is harder!

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  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    there is no way to wear a mask in the pool. I assume pools won't open until there is a vaccine.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    MostlyWater wrote: »
    there is no way to wear a mask in the pool. I assume pools won't open until there is a vaccine.

    I don't see why not. Gyms are opening and in NM gyms are likely to open with limited occupancy as part of our phase I re-open. I would think a pool could do the same, and I would also think a pool would be safer as the virus would be killed by chlorine and can't survive in the water.
  • MeganD1704
    MeganD1704 Posts: 733 Member
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    MostlyWater wrote: »
    there is no way to wear a mask in the pool. I assume pools won't open until there is a vaccine.

    I think it depends where you live. In Alberta (Canada), the rec centers which house our pools aren't allowed to re open until Phase 4 of the reopen plan- which might be as far away as September/October if the other phases go okay.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    The day after I started this thread, my state (MA) issued a mask regulation: "Starting today [5/6/2020], almost all people in Massachusetts who cannot safely practice physical distancing in public must wear a mask or face covering." A number of other states have followed suit and, if anything, the requirement has only drawn more emphasis. Has anyone who posted against masks above changed their mind? (Does anyone ever change their mind these days?)

    I'm still doing what I was doing when I jog, and it is clearly within our local guidelines. However, I see that some walkers wear masks all the time and some don't. I find it hard to jog with one on, so I uncover when I'm sufficiently far away from others. (I jog on suburban roads with very few people so most of the time I'm very far from others.)

    @cwolfman13 and @MeganD1704 : I am missing swimming greatly. Corona viruses are not transmitted through water, particularly, and chlorine is probably pretty very good at breaking it down. (Note that the water-born pathogens like Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli O157:H7, are all specicically adapted as such.) But people are breathing right at water level right next to each other and creating all sorts of droplets. It's pretty disgusting in general and I try not to think about it, normally! I am trying to decide if I will be swimming in open water in June.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited May 2020
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    The day after I started this thread, my state (MA) issued a mask regulation: "Starting today [5/6/2020], almost all people in Massachusetts who cannot safely practice physical distancing in public must wear a mask or face covering." A number of other states have followed suit and, if anything, the requirement has only drawn more emphasis. Has anyone who posted against masks above changed their mind?

    I'm in the UK where restrictions are starting to be lifted.
    While trying to get (some) people back to work travelling in close proximity on public transport for example is recommended to be minimised and in those circumstances suggested for people to use a face covering (properly!).
    Recommended not compulsory on basis it may have some benefit. Some of that benefit may simply be reassurance.

    But that advice does not extend to general outdoors use including exercise use where it's completely down to the individual.

    Meanwhile some countries are ahead of us and reopening bars, businesses, schools etc.


    (Does anyone ever change their mind these days?)

    Yes.
    Based on reliable evidence and in context of my own risk profile. That reliable evidence would be science led and not politician led. There's some spectacularly dumb politicians around (especially at national level it would appear) doing and advising utterly stupid things!
    The science is still evolving but so far that knowledge evolution hasn't apparently increased my personal risk of infection from or to me.
    If I had to be in close proximity to strangers in enclosed spaces I would consider using a mask - but I don't and consider my outdoor exercise to be extremely low risk and have seen no reputable evidence to the contrary.
    If I lived in a high infection rate area with high population density and close proximity that would affect my personal risk assessment.

  • MeganD1704
    MeganD1704 Posts: 733 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    The day after I started this thread, my state (MA) issued a mask regulation: "Starting today [5/6/2020], almost all people in Massachusetts who cannot safely practice physical distancing in public must wear a mask or face covering." A number of other states have followed suit and, if anything, the requirement has only drawn more emphasis. Has anyone who posted against masks above changed their mind? (Does anyone ever change their mind these days?)

    I'm still doing what I was doing when I jog, and it is clearly within our local guidelines. However, I see that some walkers wear masks all the time and some don't. I find it hard to jog with one on, so I uncover when I'm sufficiently far away from others. (I jog on suburban roads with very few people so most of the time I'm very far from others.)

    @cwolfman13 and @MeganD1704 : I am missing swimming greatly. Corona viruses are not transmitted through water, particularly, and chlorine is probably pretty very good at breaking it down. (Note that the water-born pathogens like Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli O157:H7, are all specicically adapted as such.) But people are breathing right at water level right next to each other and creating all sorts of droplets. It's pretty disgusting in general and I try not to think about it, normally! I am trying to decide if I will be swimming in open water in June.

    Oh I am not against masks- I am more so about proper donning and doffing of them :) just don't want anyone to accidentally expose themselves if they do chose to wear one and were/are in close proximity to others. A lot of people aren't familiar with the proper way to don and doff masks (or other PPE for that matter), and really aren't thinking about it during this strange times- which is 100% fair, everyone is thinking about a lot right now.

    I think our pools are staying closed mostly due to the social distancing rules- I am not sure how you would get 100+ kiddos at a time to social distance in such a small space and adhere to that. Adults maybe with lane swim? but kiddos I have no idea. I don't typically like swimming pools, just so many skin cells, etc, however maybe a more isolated open area would be okay? I personally wont be going to the one lake we have here as hundreds flock there on a nice day- but it is all we got.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    The day after I started this thread, my state (MA) issued a mask regulation: "Starting today [5/6/2020], almost all people in Massachusetts who cannot safely practice physical distancing in public must wear a mask or face covering." A number of other states have followed suit and, if anything, the requirement has only drawn more emphasis. Has anyone who posted against masks above changed their mind? (Does anyone ever change their mind these days?)

    I'm still doing what I was doing when I jog, and it is clearly within our local guidelines. However, I see that some walkers wear masks all the time and some don't. I find it hard to jog with one on, so I uncover when I'm sufficiently far away from others. (I jog on suburban roads with very few people so most of the time I'm very far from others.)

    @cwolfman13 and @MeganD1704 : I am missing swimming greatly. Corona viruses are not transmitted through water, particularly, and chlorine is probably pretty very good at breaking it down. (Note that the water-born pathogens like Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli O157:H7, are all specicically adapted as such.) But people are breathing right at water level right next to each other and creating all sorts of droplets. It's pretty disgusting in general and I try not to think about it, normally! I am trying to decide if I will be swimming in open water in June.

    We have that same policy in New Mexico...but the key is "cannot practice physical distancing" which I generally wouldn't think very applicable to outdoor exercise. It is namely for shopping and the like. Anywhere crowded enough for me to consider wearing a mask for exercise is too crowded anyway for a good ride or run.

    I have nothing against wearing a mask...I wear one whenever I shop and whenever I go into my office, etc. I do not wear one on my bike...the odds of me catching something in that nano second when I'm passing someone are slim to none.
  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
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    I wear a mask when I make my weekly trip to the grocery store, I’m not opposed to masks but I can’t wear one while running. I already have exercise induced asthma I can’t imagine it would be safe or advisable for me to wear a mask during a run. I run in my neighborhood instead of the park I used to run at because it’s much less crowded. I cross the street to avoid any other runners or walkers that I might occasionally see.

    Wearing a mask isn’t going to help me or anyone else if I’m not getting near anyone.
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
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    I wear a mask when I go to the grocery store. I wore one when I took my daughter to urgent care last week, I made her wear one too. I even wore one at the Farmer’s Market a few days ago even though it was outside and windy, mostly because half the vendors were selling them and wearing one stopped them from harassing me to buy one.

    I do not, and will not wear one while running, walking, or biking outside. If I planned to go to a gym any time in the near future I might be persuaded to wear one there, but I don’t use gyms so it’s moot to me.

    I’ve done a lot of reading on both sides of the argument, and will concede that masks in crowded indoor locations make sense. Outside they don’t reduce infection spread risk by a significant enough amount to justify their use. One the contrary the risk appears to be practically nonexistent unless it’s a very very crowded area.

    And while I fully realize this bit is anecdotal, I will note that I have been running, walking and biking around my neighborhood this whole time without a mask, and so have all the neighbors I’ve observed while out. Our local area numbers are down despite more people venturing out to enjoy the weather so it seems we’re doing just fine.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
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    I do not wear a mask when exercising outdoors. I just keep my distance from others. That's what I suggest.

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