50+ Lifestyles

Exercising With a Mask – Yes or No?

By Logan Anderson, BA, CPT, CIFT
Owner of All Strong Fitness LLC

Over the last year, the pandemic has changed the ways we think and live in regards to numerous aspects of our lives. Whether this is going out to eat, grocery shopping, checking out a concert, and of course exercising, times have changed dramatically. Despite these activities being stymied to some degree over the last year, most of them are able to be done with either social distancing or the wearing of a mask. Activities of daily living are typically low stress, so wearing a mask isn’t the most unbearable thing to do. Most of us have recognized that for the greater good of public health, wearing a mask in areas that are either indoors or where large crowds of people congregate helps to reduce the airborne transmission of COVID-19. But what about wearing a mask while exercising? After all, a mask restricts your breathing to some degree,
making it a potentially dangerous situation.

When individuals exercise, there is inherently some mild discomfort. Even if you are taking a light walk, breathing might still increase, in addition to accumulation of sweat around the face and head. This makes the already somewhat uncomfortable task of exercising, even more uncomfortable. Similar to the reasons we currently may choose to wear a mask out in public, we might just deal with the unpleasant mask during exercise, again, for the greater good of public health. Unfortunately, some individuals already have a difficult time breathing due to numerous potential health ailments. This could range from COPD, heart disease, or any issue that restricts blood and air flow to the body. The decision to wear a mask during exercise might be even more of a consideration for these individuals.

When it’s all said and done, the pros and cons of wearing a mask during exercise must be weighed by the individual. If you are an at risk population, someone who lives or works with at risk populations, or would generally feel more comfortable with a mask, then mask usage would likely be recommended during exercise.

If you have trouble exercising with a mask on, exercising with a face shield, exercising by yourself with no mask, taking small breaks with your mask off, or exercising outside are ways you can mitigate spreading of the virus without compromising yourself and others. If you are someone who is not at risk, has already had the vaccine, you may feel comfortable not exercising with a mask on.

Remember that this decision is ultimately yours and based off of your own comfort level. Although a tempting excuse to not exercise, simply having to wear a mask is not a good reason to skip out on your daily routine. There are numerous ways to work around this, some of which are detailed in the article here. Regardless, make sure you are staying safe, and keeping moving in a way you find enjoyable!

For more information please contact Logan Anderson,
owner of All Strong Fitness LLC. He can be reached at
(563) 210-3701 or by email: allstrongfitnessllc@gmail.com