Wellness

[LKDKK2]

Hi All,

For anyone who is working out what masks do you wear.  Can not find one that is breathable enough.  Thanks

[Pook]

@LKDKK2   Light plastic mask guards (got mine from Amazon) allow better breathing and comfort under any mask.

[Peaches McPhee]

The surgical disposal masks work best for me.  Blue on one side and white on the other.

You might also want to get a plastic mask "turtle", which goes underneath and holds the mask away from your face.

[Krimpette]

I tried my KN95 mask yesterday and found I could breathe OK with it.  Not as pretty as my cloth masks, but very comfortable.

[hckynut]

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@LKDKK2 wrote:

Hi All,

For anyone who is working out what masks do you wear.  Can not find one that is breathable enough.  Thanks

@LKDKK2 ,

Where are you "working out" is my first question?  I personally don't think "An Effective/Breathable Mask" exists. If you can breath easily with it on? I doubt it is very effective. The word "easily" of course is subjective. Hard for ME, easy for YOU!

After my 1st heart attack, accompanied by Aspiration Pneumonia, I finally talked my Pulmonologist into giving me the go ahead to workout by ice skating, the sport I love and do pretty well.

The caveat? I had to wear a mask and a helmet. I am talking about working, to and above my Aerobic Threshold, to Max Heart Rate. These were mostly for 2 hour skates. I was in good physical fitness via my many home aerobic and strength machines, so I was not a "beginner" in my quest.

I wore the Blue Masks with the light metal clip you could bend over the nose. Was it easy to breathe? He!! no, but over time, I was able to somewhat acclimate my body to work within this Pulmonary Restriction. 

When I go to the ice rink now I wear the "throw away" masks given out by Target. But, once you enter the building and head out to the rink itself? The mask is not mandatory so I do not wear it. I have worn it to help warmup a couple times when the ice surface was exceptionally cold. 

I always wear my Polar Chest Heart Rate Monitor. It was easy to see my heart rate go up quicker while wearing this mask. In a way, that is good for me because it indicates my blood temperature is increasing, thus making my muscles more fluid and flexible.

At 120 bpm, I stretch my skating muscles. So wearing the mask has this benefit, but while doing it this way? The Oxygen In/Carbon Dioxide Exchange?  Quite a bit harder. 

A quick suggestion if you are as concerned about your "work load" as myself? Get yourself a good Chest Heart Rate Monitor, and an Oximeter. That way you will know more exactly what you Cardiopulmonary System is doing at all times. 

hckynut

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[Ibby114]

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@Krimpette wrote:

I tried my KN95 mask yesterday and found I could breathe OK with it.  Not as pretty as my cloth masks, but very comfortable.

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@Krimpette same here! 

[hckynut]

@Ibby114 wrote:

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@Krimpette wrote:

I tried my KN95 mask yesterday and found I could breathe OK with it.  Not as pretty as my cloth masks, but very comfortable.

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@Krimpette same here! 

@Ibby114 @Krimpette 

Are both of you "working out" with these KN95 and cloth masks?  Are we talking about ones normal Respiratory Rate, or their rate of higher level "working out"?

If I were to check my resting Respiratory Rate, sans mask, then with any mask, it would be higher. This is at my Resting Rate.

Now were I to check the same thing during low level aerobic exercise sans mask or wearing any type mask?  That level will at minimum triple, and at maximum, who knows?

How a person with a healthy Cardiorespiratory System breathes while walking from their car to a grocery store, is not the same as when doing some type of "working out"!

Without measuring Respiratory Rate with and without masks to me is similar to one measuring their Oxygen Saturation with a thermometer.

Without knowing the construction of each mask worn and the aforementioned measurements, everything is subjective, and also independent of knowing one's Max Vo2 or Oxygen Uptake percentages.

hckynut

[NYCLatinaMe]

Under Armour Sports Facemask

[Ibby114]

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@hckynut wrote:

@Ibby114 wrote:

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@Krimpette wrote:

I tried my KN95 mask yesterday and found I could breathe OK with it.  Not as pretty as my cloth masks, but very comfortable.

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@Krimpette same here! 

@Ibby114 @Krimpette 

Are both of you "working out" with these KN95 and cloth masks?  Are we talking about ones normal Respiratory Rate, or their rate of higher level "working out"?

If I were to check my resting Respiratory Rate, sans mask, then with any mask, it would be higher. This is at my Resting Rate.

Now were I to check the same thing during low level aerobic exercise sans mask or wearing any type mask?  That level will at minimum triple, and at maximum, who knows?

How a person with a healthy Cardiorespiratory System breathes while walking from their car to a grocery store, is not the same as when doing some type of "working out"!

Without measuring Respiratory Rate with and without masks to me is similar to one measuring their Oxygen Saturation with a thermometer.

Without knowing the construction of each mask worn and the aforementioned measurements, everything is subjective, and also independent of knowing one's Max Vo2 or Oxygen Uptake percentages.

hckynut

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@hckynut I use the KN95's for my workouits, which includes interval training on a treadmill, and resistance workouts. So there is an increased respiratory rate. I don't wear cloth masks- the cone shape of the KN95's is really beneficial.

[hckynut]

@Ibby114 

Thanks for your response. Never worn any KN or N95 masks, probably never will. Have worn cloth and the other 2 that I mentioned in this thread. 

Appreciate your more detailed explanation including that you do "interval training". The other posts saying just "working out", with is too vague for me to grasp it's meaning.

Since ice skating doesn't require a mask, and all my other working out is in my home  gym, I don't see wearing a mask while doing so in my future.

Thanks again,

hckynut