While exercising with a face mask on, it is best to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, and build up workout intensity incrementally over a three-week period, a trainer said on Saturday.
Masks should also be changed every 30 minutes, as moisture becomes trapped inside the mask during a workout, Olympic badminton team coach Lo Yo-wei (羅友威) said.
Masks have been required since the Central Epidemic Command Center raised the COVID-19 alert to level 3 in May. Despite masks being required indoors at public venues, some people remain unsure of how to safely wear them during exercise, Lo said.
Photo: CNA
“More moisture enters your nasal cavity during exercise, so you need to adjust your pace and intensity. If not, you could become anaerobic or start to hyperventilate,” he said.
It is also advised to rest more between sets when doing resistance exercises, and to take a short break between exercising different muscle groups, he said.
Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth can increase the respiratory exchange ratio, Lo said, adding that breathing in such a manner requires practice at first.
“If you’re playing ball sports, it is harder to focus on your breathing, so in that case you may need more time to adjust,” he said.
A period of two to three weeks might be required for someone who exercises two to three times per week to adjust their breathing pattern, he said.
Meanwhile, weight trainer Lu Yu-wen (盧裕文) said that those returning to the gym after an extended absence should start with lighter weights to adjust.
“When you’ve been stuck indoors for a long time, your body adapts to that sedentary lifestyle, and your body strength naturally declines,” he said. “Many people overestimate themselves when returning to the gym and they find themselves injured.”
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) on Saturday said that many fellow running enthusiasts have told him they would have preferred not to run with a mask on.
“However, since this pandemic does not appear close to ending, more and more people are getting used to exercising with a mask on,” he said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), who began weight training one year ago, on Saturday said that upon returning to the gym recently, he felt himself weaker and had difficulty lifting weights with a mask on.
However, he has been adapting to the mask and adjusting his workouts, he said.
“Despite this pandemic, I really hope to keep exercising. I try to get to the gym once or twice per week on average,” Chiang said.
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