Exercising outdoors with a face mask. Helpful tips from NPR.

The covid19 pandemic has many of us exercising outdoors with a face mask. Doing so is difficult since the mask itself restricts air coming in and also has you breathing your own carbon dioxide which is not good for us.

Going without a mask is preferable unless you are exercising near people. The idea behind mask-wearing is that it markedly reduces air and spray from one person to another while talking and breathing. During exercise, we breathe harder which increases the spray.

In NJ, mask-wearing while close to people is now required to prevent the spread although as the numbers go lower, you are also more likely not to infect another person. The problem with this novel virus is that you are infecting people before you know you have it.

NPR offers some good advice on how to exercise safely during the pandemic. Check it out below.

Masks And The Outdoor Exerciser: Advice For Runners, Bikers, Walkers, Hikers

June 27, 2020, MARC SILVER

I like to run. And the bike. And go for walks.

Especially during the pandemic. It’s a time I can almost forget about the novel coronavirus.

But some people are trying to make me feel guilty about outdoor exercise.

My own nephew said, “Uncle Marc, if you’re infected and don’t know it, you could be huffing and puffing out virus.”

Does he have a point? I talked to a half-dozen experts to see about the risks of outdoor exercise for the exerciser and for others — and whether masks are helpful.

And let me clarify: I mean solo exercise. Going out shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of pals is not a good idea during a pandemic.

First of all, my sources told me, studies all show that the biggest risk of catching the coronavirus is indoors, with face-to-face contact with others for a few minutes or more. Being outdoors for a solo activity is much lower risk. It appears that viral particles may not survive as long in the outdoor air as they do inside, although it’s not certain whether wind, sun or other environmental factors are responsible.