After a long period of confinement, de-escalation begins before regaining “normality”. Moment in which social distancing and masks play a fundamental role in controlling the pandemic. If you were impatiently waiting to be able to go outside to exercise, then we will explain to you what type of mask we should use for sports . In this way we can regain a more or less normal life while protecting each other.
What type of mask should we use to play sports
It is extremely important that you wear a mask that protects you from contagions and also protects others . Later, we recommend that you choose the one that is most comfortable for you and best suits your face . This is because depending on the size of your face and the curvature of your nose, some of them may slip or are not tight enough, so their effectiveness would be reduced or even nullified. And finally, you probably want one that doesn’t make your breathing difficult and doesn’t get damp or create a kind of hot, humid microclimate . But the latter is already more complicated because any barrier that you put between your face and the outside air will be annoying.
After analyzing all the requirements that a mask must meet to play sports after the coronavirus, we consider that the best is the FFP2 .
If you have been able to use this type of mask, you will have seen that its shape facilitates breathing a little more than other models and adapts quite well to the face . In addition, it meets the most important requirement, prevents the user from infecting someone and, at the same time, protects him from possible contagions. If you use an FFP2 with a filter or valve, it may be more comfortable for you.
The drawback of this type of mask is that it is not 100% washable . And if you use the one with a filter, it is important that you know that the textile part can be washed, but not its filter, which has very specific hours of effectiveness. We recommend that you check with the manufacturer how many hours you can wear it, although it will not exceed 8 hours of use . Some brands are starting to make them with interchangeable filters, which can become much more convenient and cheaper. Of course, in this case you will have to wash the textile part at 60º without the filter.
The best deals we have found to buy FFP2 masks
What you should not use as a mask for sports
Although there are athletes who are using them believing that they are effective, you should not use anti-pollution sports masks . These types of masks are very effective against dust, fog, liquid splashes, odor, pollution particles … But they are not effective against a virus . So if you use this type of mask, it is actually as if you are not wearing anything and you could catch it and spread it.
We also advise you not to use scarves as a mask to protect yourself from the coronavirus because its effectiveness is very low and it does not fit the face. Do not use homemade masks either , because its effectiveness has not been proven, since it depends on the material with which it is made, and because when you breathe in, it will stick to the skin and become damp, which will be very uncomfortable. Nor are surgical masks advisable for athletes. This type of mask is the most common for going for a walk or shopping, but the user is not protected against contagion, but rather protects the rest in case of being a carrier of the virus. The surgical mask, then, is useful if the entire population wears it.
Having said all this, we advise you that no matter how uncomfortable it may be to wear a mask while practicing running or any other outdoor sport, put your health and that of others above all else.
