Masks for doing cardio that won’t suffocate

Adidas makes a good, one size fits all mask. Under Armour has sizable masks but I have yet to try those. Basically, source from athletic shops.

Still, I prefer ones made by a local lady who includes a metal nose bridge, horizontal pleats and comfortable ear elastics. Hers give me the easiest time when exercising with these dreaded things on.

Upside? I feel like I'm improving cardio (somehow and somewhat) from having to regulate my breath differently when cycling or running #silverlining

This thing is a miracle (no impact to getting air in):

https://www.zensah.com/products/performance-face-mask

It’s as close to not wearing a mask as I have been able to find (while still wearing a mask). You can easily breathe in and I feel no air through the mask when I breathe out (so presumably it is doing the same as any other mask to limit me from breathing my cooties on others).

This is the mask Galen Rupp wore in 2011 when he won the 10,000m at the USA Track & Field Championships.

He has asthma and severe allergies and, apparently, the pollen count was off the charts....

https://u2sportmask.com/product/u2-sport-mask/

mullanphylane wrote: »

Unless there have been new masks designed, tested and certified in the last couple weeks, any masks that permit easy breathing during a cardio workout are not effective in blocking the virus. Most, if not all, masks being sold for use during sports are great dust masks, but a wearer should keep in mind that dust particles are as much as a thousand times larger than a large virus. And heavier breathing drastically reduces any mask's effectiveness.

So, if concerns are about blocking dust or pollen or other solid particles, those sports masks are the way to go. If the wearer wants to decrease the risk of spreading or catching an infectious virus, these masks should be avoided because they don't do that.

Before spending good money on a bad (one that is not effective at blocking viruses) mask, check it's credentials:

• What percentage of particles does it block?
• What size particles does it block?
• Does it block in both directions (inhalation & exhalation - protecting the wearer and others)
• Is it certified to meet any of its claims?
• If certified, by what organization? (In US that would be NIOSH)

Seriously, if anyone finds a mask that is NIOSH certified to be, even 35%, effective against particles as small as viruses, PLEASE share that information.

In my area, such certified/particulate filtering masks are to be reserved for medical staff only. Regular, lay people who are wearing a face covering in places where consistent social distancing is difficult are typically wearing masks made of cloth (regular, everyday cloth), disposable non-medical masks or DIY coverings from bandanas or old tshirts.

I am going to guess none of these products are certified by anyone. The intention isn’t to protect the person wearing the face covering. The intention is to provide something that helps keep SOME of what we breathe out from dispersing - in areas where it’s difficult to consistently maintain a reasonable distance from others. Some. Enough that paired with social distancing as much as possible-it’s slowing the spread.

Anything that actually blocks virus should be reserved for medical staff. So no-none of these sports masks will pass any certification. Neither will any other product that I’m wearing (or supposed to be wearing in my location). So I’m going to opt for one that allows me to function and on the few occasions where I’m within 10 ft of another person, it might help keep me from breathing my cooties on them (and their non-certified mask does the same for me).

mullanphylane wrote: »

Unless there have been new masks designed, tested and certified in the last couple weeks, any masks that permit easy breathing during a cardio workout are not effective in blocking the virus. Most, if not all, masks being sold for use during sports are great dust masks, but a wearer should keep in mind that dust particles are as much as a thousand times larger than a large virus. And heavier breathing drastically reduces any mask's effectiveness.

So, if concerns are about blocking dust or pollen or other solid particles, those sports masks are the way to go. If the wearer wants to decrease the risk of spreading or catching an infectious virus, these masks should be avoided because they don't do that.

The point of lay people wearing masks is primarily to catch the water droplets (that may contain the virus) that they themselves are expelling.

..And also (even if one didn't care about doing that) that they are required before entry into businesses in many areas.