Running with a facemask would have been unthinkable before
the Covid-19 crisis, but is now a standard fitness accessory. However, a high
proportion of runners refuse to abide by this particular law, arguing that it
is “too uncomfortable”. My stock answer: it’s more comfortable than a
ventilator. Aside from being protected from others, you are also protecting
them from you and your potentially selfish lifestyle.
However, for those who need all the air available to them,
there is an elegant new solution.
Sports apparel innovator Under Armour has produced the first
dedicated COVID-19 sportsmask available in South Africa.
Having run with any number of different styles of mask, and
finding some less and some more burdensome, I was resigned to most of them
leaving my glasses fogged up as hot breath escaped from the gaps in the top.
The UA Sportsmask has changed this. It succeeds in the
seeming impossible, being both snug and spacious, standing off the face while
sealing the upper edges with a mouldable nose-bridge. This means that one has more breathing space
inside the mask, and airflow to the eyes – and therefore fogging – is
reduced.
The only negative is that, thanks to its innovative fabric,
it feels overly padded, and can be a little stifling at first wear. After a few
washes, however, it settles into a great compromise between breathability and
wearability. And, of course, it is one of the more stylish facemasks around!
