Fitness Game Changers: Tips for Masked Workouts

With a mask mandate recently announced, we have some big decisions to make: Will you stick to your goals? Will you stay in the gym? Can you perform effectively while in a mask?

Many of us fell off the fitness bandwagon during the first lockdown and subsequent mask mandates due to discomfort. Luckily, our trainers have some tried-and-true products and tips to help you stick to your goals while staying comfortable in the new gym environment.

Face Mask Cages/Brackets

You know that moment when you begin to breath heavily mid-workout and accidentally suck a large portion of your cloth face mask into your mouth, eventually having to spit it out? After more than a year of teachers, nurses and gym rats dealing with accidentally inhaling their face masks, mask cages have hit the scene.

Mask cages can be added to almost any cloth face mask and act as a barrier between the mask and your nose and mouth. This added barrier keeps your mask in place and off your face during a HIIT workout, allowing you to breathe easy. To top it off, most mask cages and brackets are reasonably priced at $10 for a five-pack.

Leave the Buff Behind

There is a time and place for face buffs, but the gym is neither of those. Buffs are great to keep you warm on a long bike ride or wear during a park walk while quickly passing others. However, for a buff to truly be effective in a closed environment, they need to be doubled over, which causes less air flow and heats up your face rather than keeping it cool.

If you’re looking for a mask with a similar tight feeling to your buff, try the Zensah Performance Face Mask made of the same material as their compression workout pieces.

Practice Nose Breathing

Nose breathing is highly regarded as “better” than mouth breathing for multiple reasons. Not only does nose breathing filter and humidify the air you breath, but it also boosts your oxygen uptake. Meanwhile, mouth breathing can dry your mouth and increase your risk of bad breath and gum irritation.

Beyond the science behind this well-known running technique, nose breathing also helps keep your mask in place and out of your mouth. Next time you’re hitting the Peloton in a mask, be mindful of your breathing technique and avoid a mouth full of mask ruining your workout.