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Is It Tough To Speak And Be Heard Through Masks

No on likes wearing masks – period. It’s hard enough to climb a flight of stairs already and with masks, it’s like summiting a mountain. The folks in San Francisco can be seen lowering their masks when they walk around the slopes of the city so they can breathe better. But is it tough to speak while wearing a mask ? We think not!

Photo By Tonik on Unsplash

Masks. Not Restrainers

The masks that have been used during the COVID-19 pandemic are medically approved to stop virus particles. Sure, they do cause some restrain on normal breathing but that just means they’re working. The CDC recommends changing the masks whenever you feel like the elastic strands have loosened. This is to make sure they cusp the mouth and the nose so that the outside air doesn’t enter your respiratory system thereby keeping you safe.

Sound has nothing to do with these things. Human speech is perfectly audible because the vibrations of air pass through the mask perfectly. You can even chew a gum while wearing a mask! Hence the notion that masks affect your ability to communicate is just plain wrong.

Let’s Talk Science

According to a study published in The Journal of Acoustic Society of America, facemasks do not affect speech. They based their findings on the N95 masks and the common surgical masks that people mostly wear. The study concluded that there were no differences observed related to word or sentence audibility.

To everybody surprise, human speech was more affected by face covers done via mufflers and other pieces of clothing. So next time you’re thinking of just wearing your scarf for protection, think again!

What Can’t You Do While Wearing Facemasks

Your safety and protection should come first! That being said, let’s see some of the things you shouldn’t do while wearing a facemask.

Running

There are a lot of social media personalities that have posted their videos of their cardio sessions. In these videos, they show how wearing facemasks does not affect their ability perform. That might not be the case for you.

Facemasks protect you by partially restricting the airflow to your mouth and nose. If you’re not a regular runner, wearing a facemask while running might make you feel tired sooner. When you are running, your muscles are using up more oxygen. If there isn’t enough oxygen reaching your brain, you might feel dizzy. Therefore, it’s always best to at least lower your facemasks when doing cardio sessions. Make sure you’re socially distant though!

Weight Lifting

If you workout regularly, facemasks will not affect you. Lifting weights is an anaerobic exercise which means, your muscles don’t need as much oxygen. That does not mean you shouldn’t wear one at the gym!

Our recommendation? Just lower it whenever you feel out of breath. Again, make sure you’re at a safe distance from the next person.

Final Thoughts

It is not tough to speak when you wear a facemask. If Joe Biden can make speeches to millions of people while wearing a facemask, you can too. If you wanna checkout some cool facemask designs, checkout our masks!