Many people have been excited to get back to their gyms after the second shutdown here in Toronto.
Along with the social distancing, enhanced cleaning and a whole host of other protocols we have implemented since the pandemic started, Toronto Public Health have now mandated masks whilst training.
As a gym owner, I think it’s great. Gyms have been used as a scapegoat by most governments and the more rules we have to follow, the less we can have the finger pointed at us. Others haven’t been so pleased with the news and I can understand. The idea of wearing a breath blocking, sweat gathering, piece of fabric on your face whilst doing burpees isn’t exactly most people’s idea of ‘fun’.
When I was a teenager, I went through the phase of using the Elevation Training Mask to try to get fitter. While the science isn’t exactly great around these, it is a lot harder to breathe whilst using them, requiring deeper, more frequent breaths. This could potentially strengthen the muscle used to breath.
I was also fortunate enough to go to a gym that had an altitude chamber. These chambers recycle the air resulting in less oxygen being in the air. Normal air has around 20% oxygen and in these chambers it would sit between 8% & 12%. I used to run intervals on a treadmill in preparation for Royal Marines Commando training and it got me pretty dam fit – I must say, it was pretty miserable – GOOD!
Wearing a mask while training isn’t really like training at altitude. This is the dodgy science around the Elevation Training Mask. When at altitude, you can still take in as much air but that air will have less oxygen. This requires you to breath deeper and more frequently. With a mask you will get less air requiring you to breathe deeper and more frequent. Similar but different.
I have no idea if wearing a mask while training whilst already social distancing will have a positive effect on the transmission of the virus but there’s no need to worry about that, it’s out of my control. I do know that continuing to train whilst wearing a mask will increase your fitness. That could be physical or mental fitness, or both, and those who don’t continue will get left behind.
I’ve been using a mask while training for the last few days and here are my thoughts:
- The Under Armour mask seems to be the best for staying in place and not ending up a sweaty, snotty mess. It also washes well.
- Sneaking in breaths of air by pulling down the mask is actually to your detriment, it also defeats the purpose of wearing the mask – the virus. When trying to acclimatize to heat, for instance, you don’t keep doing back into an AC cooled building – that wouldn’t really help. You want to get used to it.
- Your output won’t be the same to begin with. Less oxygen means the breakdown of glucose is slower so you have less ATP (energy).
- You need to go at your pace and your comfort level. When breathing becomes tougher, most people panic. Just slow it down and regain composure.
- You will adapt. The body is freakin awesome and is capable of way more than working out with a mask.
As with most things, it’s all about mindset. A tiny piece of cloth should not have control over what you do or do not do. If you think it’s terrible and sucks – then it will. If you embrace it and keep going, you’ll be fine and fitter at the end,
Just imagine how good it will be without a mask in 2022 (joking…well maybe).