No Matter How You Frame It, Wearing a Mask During Exercise Sucks
Do’s and don’ts of today’s reality — what you should know.
Working out from home for nine weeks last Spring tested every bit of patience I had for walking lunges, bodyweight squats, and pushups. Biceps curls with a milk jug are the absolute worst. The minute gyms opened, I celebrated. I’m sure many of you did, too.
In Colorado, we have a state-wide mask mandate, so we’re required to wear masks in all indoor spaces. I happily walked into the gym with my face covered. I set up the bar for front squats, warmed up to a working set, and got to business. Except, holy crap, the mask sucked. I felt like I was gasping for air.
I looked around. I needed confirmation I wasn’t the only one feeling like a kid on the day after Christmas — smacked by reality with nothing to look forward to. At this point in the Spring, we were still avoiding eye contact, so we all just got on with it.
Except for week by week, I noticed fewer people opting for a mask inside the gym. It’s the law, but if no one enforces it, what does it matter? Note — I go to a privately-owned gym, not a national chain.
Restaurants, gyms, and coffee shops are among the highest-ranking locations where coronavirus is spread. Cases are higher now…
