Under Armour Sportsmask

Breathing comes easy for writer Clara Lock when wearing the Under Armour Sportsmask for a low-impact outdoor yoga class.
Breathing comes easy for writer Clara Lock when wearing the Under Armour Sportsmask for a low-impact outdoor yoga class. ST PHOTO: CLARA LOCK

I long for the day when mask wearing is a thing of the past.

How we used to take fresh air for granted! These days, even when I am not thirsty, I sip from my water bottle for the briefest chance to breathe unencumbered.

So it is with some apprehension that I pull on the Under Armour Sportsmask for a workout.

It is touted as offering better airflow, a secure yet comfortable fit and innermost fabric that is both cooling and antimicrobial. The nose wire is moldable without being rigid and the soft straps are gentle on my ears.

The whole thing feels thick and plush, like wearing a pillow on my face. Certainly comfortable if I want to lay on my cheek for a nap, but will I be smothered during a workout?

I start with a low-impact, beginner-friendly outdoor yoga class, where mask-wearing is not mandatory.

Within the first 15 minutes, I spot the first droplets of perspiration on my mat while holding a plank pose. Even so, breathing comes easy. The structured design means my lips and nostrils never once graze the inside of the mask. Inhaling is close to effortless.

When the hour is up, I even have to remind myself to remove the mask during savasana, or the final resting pose.

So far, so comfortable. I amp it up with a high-intensity interval training workout from the Nike Training Club app.

Again, the mask feels great during a low-impact warm-up, and even during bicycle crunches and oblique twists during the corefocused component.

But when plyometrics, or jump training, kicks in, it becomes harder to catch my breath. Brief spells between sets of jump squats and jumping lunges - meant for rest - become a race to slow my pounding heart.

The air grows warmer with each exhale. Finally, I give in and remove the mask. Sweet relief.

As a comparison, I do the same workout with the first reusable fabric mask issued by the Government in April. Although flat and much thinner, it plasters to my nostrils and mouth and my breathing grows even more laboured. I last all of five minutes before pulling off the mask.

At $35, the Under Armour Sportsmask does not come cheap, but far outperforms masks that are not made for sports.

It is a worthy investment for an added sense of security as gyms and fitness classes grow more crowded, or while doing semi-strenuous activities such as rock climbing, where a mask is mandated.

Perhaps, like me, you might also forget to take it off when you're done.

  • The Under Armour Sportsmask will be available at underarmour.com.sg and at stores from next Friday.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 30, 2020, with the headline Under Armour Sportsmask. Subscribe