Is it safe to work out in a mask? Some Vancouver spin studios stay closed until mask mandate ends
As of Tuesday, high-intensity group fitness classes can resume indoors in B.C., but some businesses are not rushing back just yet.
Natasha Lowe is the owner of Cadence Cycle and Movement Society. For the past few weeks, spin classes at her studio have been taking place outside on the driveway, under a tent.
Even though spin classes are now allowed indoors, Lowe says she won’t be bringing them inside while the mask mandate is in place.
“We just don’t feel that it’s safe to bring our clients or our team inside to do high intensity with masks on,” Lowe said.
Instructor Jenny Chessa also isn’t keen on the idea of wearing a mask while trying to speak over the music.
“I’m still projecting and leading a group right so it’s not ideal with a mask on,” Chessa said.
Another studio, Spin Society, is also holding off on bringing indoor classes back until July 2. Owner Dominik Desbois told CTV News Vancouver his clients were also concerned about wearing masks during high-intensity classes.
As part of B.C.’s reopening, masks are mandatory inside public spaces in Step 2. In Step 3, as early as July 1, masks become “recommended,” though it’s unclear if that will apply to group fitness.
Is it safe to do high intensity training in a mask?
Dr. Scott Lear is a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University and has been researching the effects of mask wearing during exercise. He said according to lab studies, there are “no health and safety concerns,” even at peak exertion.
“The muscles that help you breathe are going to be working a bit harder,” Dr. Lear said. “But these are very minimal and for most people they’re not really going to notice the difference.”
Dr. Lear added some people may not be able to intake as much oxygen as they can without a mask, but adds “this is micro amounts, so one or two or three percentage points. Elite athletes may notice it but most of us won’t notice it.”
He said the extra layer across the face may also make you feel warmer while exercising.
Dr. Lear suggested people wanting to return to indoor fitness for the first time with a mask should go easy, or continue exercising outdoors until the mask mandate is lifted.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.