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Entering the third summer in the shadows of COVID-19, gyms across Japan are coming face to face with a mask dilemma as they juggle ideas to prevent the spread of infection while worrying about severe summer heat.
While exercising when wearing face masks can cause a suffocating sensation and lower oxygen intake, some patrons remain reluctant to remove them in gyms' closed, indoor spaces.
That sentiment may be shared by more and more people in the coming weeks as the sharp rise in positive cases has signaled the arrival of a seventh wave of infections.
"A part of me wants to take it off; it feels like it's suffocating me, but I can't help getting worried about COVID when I see people talking in the gym," 73-year-old Yasuhiro Uno said recently as he did weight training in the city of Gifu.
A 50-year-old man exercising at the same Copin sports club in Gifu, did not hide his discomfort about having to wear a mask while using a treadmill.
"I've slowed my pace and shortened my duration, but it's still hard to breathe. I believe we don't need to wear (masks) as long as we are exercising silently on our own," he said.
The operator of 53 gyms, mainly in central Japan, Copin requires visitors to wear masks -- swimming pools and shower rooms being the only exceptions. Masks pulled down under the nose are also a no-no.
"We can't do without masks if we want people to exercise with a sense of safety," its spokesperson Mai Chaya said.
A training facility run by the city of Niigata northwest of Tokyo, meanwhile, has eased its mask-usage instructions from "mandatory" to "whenever possible," stating that gym users can take them off during cardio workouts.
Kusanagi Sports Complex in Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo, which has installed numerous ventilation devices, also only "recommends" visitors remained masked.
One-on-one sessions with trainers in private rooms are gaining in popularity for those not wanting to be distracted by others. A personal trainer in his 40s from central Japan revealed that some of his customers sought out his personal gym after canceling gym memberships with major companies.
The choice of whether to wear a mask or not during private sessions is up to the customer, he said.
In the pandemic's early stages, some infection clusters were reported at gyms, and some local governments asked them to suspend operations alongside restaurants and live music venues.
Nobuo Murakami, a specially appointed professor at Gifu University, who is well-versed in infectious diseases, said masks should be worn during the summer, too.
"Masks are effective in preventing the infection of others, and keeping us from getting infected ourselves," he said. "There is no objective evidence that wearing masks causes heatstroke either, so we shouldn't demonize it just during the summer."
But he also suggested that gym users can strike a balance by taking their masks off when spaces are well ventilated and social distancing can be observed between gym patrons.
"I hope people can take notice of their surroundings and make wise decisions," Murakami said.
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I trai between the hours of 1am to 6am these days when the venue has no more than 3 patrons at a time. The thing is hanging on my chin. I lift heavy and I need my oxygen to recover between timed sets. If Anytime has a problem with it they can study late-night security cam footage, email me, and I'll kindly ignore them
Japan is arguably the most mask compliant country on earth.
Yesterday, Japan posted some of the highest Covid case counts on the planet.
The are countless countries that have zero masking that are not experiencing any Covid waves.
Or does the diminished oxygen levels, altered mouth microbiome and intake of microplastics do more harm than good.
And btw, your eyes are a mucous membrane, so if there are virus particles near your face, they can enter your body through your eyes.
So wearing a mask with your eyes exposed is basically useless.
Masks work so well Japan is having an explosion of infections but in the gym people are in there for hours breathing heavily and panting anyway...
Get large hamster balls for the the skeptics. Heck, I might even use one, as I drive solo with my 3 masks on, to get my xth vax!!!
Masks may be removed when exercising on partitioned equipment at the gym Tipness, effective 18 July, even though, not a single study has shown that the clear plastic barriers actually control the virus, according to a Bloomberg article (link below).
But Tipness also recently designed and posted large posters instructing members on how to properly wear a mask, so Tipness is definitely digging its heels in on the practice of masking.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-08/fortunes-spent-on-plastic-shields-with-no-proof-they-stop-covid
@Elvis you wear 3 masks wow!
Tipness updated requirement, effective 18 July:
Portioned equipment: No mask required
We coped (although highly unpleasant) the last two summers. What’s different now?
I've never understood people paying to run on a treadmill. Just go outside!
Bought a home gym from Costco and we have a Washitsu (tatami room) which operates as a home dojo. Don't need to leave the house to exercise perfectly.
We coped (although highly unpleasant) the last two summers. What’s different now?
2 summers ago, Abe abruptly closed the schools, bars and restaurants and strongly urged companies to let their employees WFH and teachers to do their classes online with their students SFH.
No such measures like that now exist. That's the difference.
Exercising without a mask - no-no.
Idzakaya without a mask - yes-yes.
safer than uneven pavement/sidewalks
I get using treadmills. Even paying to do so.
Don't they have money for room air ventilation or filtration?
6 air exchanges/hour eliminated 82.5% of infections in an Italian study, I doubt that masks can achieve 1/10 of that
2 summers ago, Abe abruptly closed the schools, bars and restaurants and strongly urged companies to let their employees WFH and teachers to do their classes online with their students SFH.
Abe didn't do anything. All shutdowns depended on the prefectural government. Companies decided the WFH and cities/towns decided SFH.
Nobuo Murakami, a specially appointed professor at Gifu University, who is well-versed in infectious diseases, said masks should be worn during the summer, too."Masks are effective in preventing the infection of others, and keeping us from getting infected ourselves," he said.
Yeah, so super effective that masked up Japan,s infection numbers are through the roof, thanks mr. specially appointed professor.
Professor N. Murakami is probably being paid as a "specially appointed" spokesperson...
Or does the diminished oxygen levels, altered mouth microbiome and intake of microplastics do more harm than good.
None of that has been described as clinically important by the use of masks so no, that would mean the harm is mostly disinformation.
And btw, your eyes are a mucous membrane, so if there are virus particles near your face, they can enter your body through your eyes.
So wearing a mask with your eyes exposed is basically useless.
Any source apart from your own personal uninformed opinion that can sustain this declaration? because people with common sense can understand things can be useful at reducing something even if not absolutely perfect eliminating it.
Yeah, so super effective that masked up Japan,s infection numbers are through the roof, thanks mr. specially appointed professor.
Traffic accidents are orders of magnitude higher now than before seat belts and other safety measures were made obligatory, according to you that means those safety measures are worthless, right?
More transmissible variants and relaxed measures because of lower risk coming from the infections are the reason for the increase of cases, this does absolutely nothing to disprove the objective information that masks are very useful at reducing transmission when used properly.
More transmissible variants and relaxed measures because of lower risk coming from the infections are the reason for the increase of cases, this does absolutely nothing to disprove the objective information that masks are very useful at reducing transmission when used properly.'
I,ve always respected your opinion but am quite sceptical on this now. How is it possible that countries with far lower or almost no mask wearing public have same or lower infection rates than Japan than? Masks seemed effective 2 years ago but not with the latest variants.
What happened to the broken record of "scientifically proven" ?
Exactly this, I go early, very few in the gym. The indoor tennis club don't mind, I have never worn a mask there.
Most of the country are masked, dirty foreign visitors unwelcome and the covid numbers going through the roof so actually masks are useless. Just live with it as most cases are just cold symptoms.
I train between the hours of 1am to 6am these days when the venue has no more than 3 patrons at a time. The thing is hanging on my chin.
Nobuo Murakami, a specially appointed professor at Gifu University, who is well-versed in infectious diseases, said masks should be worn during the summer, too.
I guess specialist in other countries that have relaxed mask wearing and have
not experienced increased infection need to be lectured by Murakami.
"Masks are effective in preventing the infection of others, and keeping us from getting infected ourselves," he said. "There is no objective evidence that wearing masks causes heatstroke either, so we shouldn't demonize it just during the summer."
So many things wrong in just two sentences. There is no evidence that the common cloth masks that people use are effective in preventing infections particularly in gyms where the virus can easily transmit through touching surfaces. Also, no body except a very small minority "demonizes" masking. Let the people who care about it wear their masks and let others who do not want it in this heat not.
why gov cant admit that face masks are not stopping covid?
in most masked and vaccinated country with record high new cases?
how dumb must be one to admit this FACT?
What masks do is slow the spread from an infected individual. It doesn't block a lot of incoming viruses due to your eyes but they do block 90+% of outgoing viruses/bacteria's
The main issue is not knowing you are spreading something as you may not have symptoms but are still contagious and you uncover your nose or don't wear a mask at all or are wearing one of those sponge masks like the guy in the picture which are shown to block nothing and are sharing your oxygen with everybody in a crowded space.
Then once you have caught it you go home take of your mask infect the rest of your family. I would guess that most infections are spread at home then at school and at work Due to the we are in the same bubble mentality.
If forget this mask, it is the same with Bluetooth doesn’t responsive .
I drop my mask if someone isn't nearby. Also, wipe the equipment before use.
Abe didn't do anything. All shutdowns depended on the prefectural government. Companies decided the WFH and cities/towns decided SFH.
In Japan that's the same as ordering.
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