Yesterday, the NSW government announced stricter COVID-19 rules regarding wearing masks when outdoors and today I decided to run my daily 5KM with a face mask. Since cases of COVID-19 in NSW has been increasing in some of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) the state government has implemented stricter rules to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Now, according to the tougher rules, you need to wear a mask when leaving home, however, there are some exemptions detailed on the NSW government website: Face mask rules
There is a point in the list where you may remove the mask if doing strenuous exercise (except when you are in a gym class or a dance class)
Based on this exemption it means that if you’re actually running then you wouldn’t need to wear a mask and if you stop running you need to put a mask on. In order to avoid being criticised or people giving me the death look, I decided to wear a mask for my run.
At the beginning of my run it didn’t feel too bad, except for my sunnies fogging up and it was definitely a bit harder to breathe. After the first 1KM, I got used to it. I also decided to run at a slower pace since it was my first time running with a mask on.
Overall, I didn’t find it too bad for a 5KM run and tomorrow I’ll see how I go with a longer run. Now, if you have breathing or heart conditions you get medical advice as it is definitely harder to breathe when running with a face mask.
If you decide to go for a run without wearing a face mask, make sure you still carry a face mask with you in case you get asked. During my run, I counted 6 people not wearing a mask whilst walking and 2 just had masks hanging on their necks. Make sure you do your bit in preventing the spread of COVID-19 so that we can quickly get out of this lockdown.
My final thought for the day is “Do what you can and adapt to change” – this can be applied to life, business and fitness. Keep safe and make sure you get some exercise during the week!
