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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.