Behind the mask: Rethinking the use of face masks while exercising

Abstract

there is an ongoing global effort against COVID-19 pan-demic. As vaccination is applied globally (predominantly onat-risk populations), various measures such as temporaryself-quarantine, social distancing, increased hand hygiene,and wearing a face mask (FM) proposed by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and various governments worldwide arestill in place as primary means of preventing further dissemi-nation. In many instances, wearing a FM became mandatorywhen a person is in a closed space while being accompa-nied by others. Many individuals are therefore apprehensivein terms of maintaining their usual physical activity rout-ines and staying safe in the midst of the outbreak. Asa result, it is not uncommon to see individuals showingaltruism and solidarity by wearing FM while exercising,even when local laws do not explicitly require it. Rea-sons for such behavior are multifactorial and go beyondthe scope of this work. Still, it seems that individuals aremore likely to wear FM due to the perceived predispositionand perceived severity of being affected by an infection,while perceived benefits of mask-wearing have a substan-tial effect on mask-wearing acquiescence [1]. Additionally,exercise setting (indoor/outdoor) can certainly be a decisivefactor with respect to wearing a FM.