Do runners need to wear masks?

4 min readAug 20, 2020

Wearing masks when outside of the house is not a new trend, but one of the recommended ways to protect yourself from catching and spreading the COVI-19 virus. While working out with a mask is hard and can sometimes lead to trouble in breathing, it is considered necessary in many cases. For runners, it is sometimes impossible to postpone or cancel a workout due to the pandemic, therefore, they might ask themselves whether wearing a mask can be helpful or not. In order to understand whether runners need to wear a mask or not, continue reading.

When to wear the mask:

- If you are running with someone else; even if you are running with at least one person, wearing the mask is important to keep yourself and keep that person safe.

- If you are running somewhere where other people are working out.

- If you might come close to other people (1 meter and a half or less)

- If you know someone will talk to you during your workout

When it is not necessary to wear a mask:

- If you are working out outdoors, somewhere where you know not many people go, or on the private street of your neighborhood.

- If you are running inside a gymnasium and you know that no one will be coming inside.

The pros of wearing a mask during a workout:

Keeping yourself safe and making sure that if someone infected passes by, your chances of catching the virus are lower than when you are not wearing a mask.

It also brings you peace of mind as you do not have to be scared of anyone passing by.

The cons of wearing a mask while working out:

- Can make the airflow slower for you

- You might feel yourself getting tired faster

- Can lead to health complications during a workout, and depending on the intensity of the workout.

Other safety measures you can take while running:

It is important that you stay away from other people as much as possible. While you might think that if these people are energetic enough to work out then they sure do not have the virus, remember that some bodies could be asymptomatic. This means that these bodies could hold the virus but show no symptoms. Therefore, whether you decide to wear a mask or not, remember to stay keep a distance with other people.

Do not touch surfaces that someone else could have touched. Make sure that your hands are always clean. Keep a disinfectant with you all the time and clean your hand every time you touch something. You can also wear gloves to make sure that your skin is clean always.

Keep your hands away from your eyes and mouth; this is how you get infected by the virus. The only time you can touch your face is by washing your hands.