In France, as well as in Italy and in a large part of Europe, gyms have been closed for months because they are considered to be among the meeting places with the greatest possibility of transmission of the Covid-19 virus. Those who used to attend them, even several times a week to train consistently, have long been falling back on more or less effective home workouts but there is no doubt that the absence, or the reduction of specific machinery, in many cases makes the difference in terms of results.
For gym-goers, however, now there is good news: France is preparing sports masks.
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Only the final certification is missing
The new mask designed for sports has not yet been approved, so the reopening of the gyms will not be immediate, but the announcement was enough to rekindle the enthusiasm of French sportsmen, who have long since orphaned their favorite meeting place. masks are currently in preparation. - explained Minister Roxana Maracineanu - The ministry works closely with the health authorities to establish the norm of these medical devices for individual protection, which could be reserved for all sportsmen ".
in the country of the Alps, given that at the moment the resumption of many sports activities still seemed a mirage. Due to the pandemic and the dizzying increase in cases, especially starting from the end of summer 2020, the gyms are closed on the whole national territory since last October, and a few days ago the government decided to categorically prohibit any type of indoor sporting activity.
In France, physical activity remains authorized exclusively outdoors, but only individually and in compliance with the curfew which, unlike what happens in Italy, is triggered every evening, starting at 6 pm.
At that time many French people return from work and for those who use the subway, in addition to wearing masks, it is advisable not to talk to other passengers or on the phone.
The importance of sport
«Sport - underlined the minister - has suffered a strong impact because it cannot respect the safety distances imposed by the crisis. With these sports masks, which we are about to bring into law, we hope to be able to re-establish this balance between sport, essential for the health of the French, and the precautions that must be taken because of the crisis ».
To change, at least in part, the situation could therefore be precisely the arrival on the market of this new so-called sport mask, made in record time and almost ready to be officially available for purchase.
various, in all likelihood will soon become an integral part of the sports equipment of every fitness lover, is Raphaël Dubi, responsible for the development of the new Décathlon product: "We worked on a filtration with permeability because, in addition to carrying out the primary task of protecting against the virus , the mask must also be comfortable and provide a support that allows it to remain fixed on the face even when you move with energy during a workout, without running the risk of decreasing safety ».
In Italy there is great anticipation for the decisions that will be taken in the next DPCM, on the reopening of gyms and swimming pools and on the use or not of masks to carry out sports activities.
Guaranteed efficiency and breathability
Until now, sports doctors and exertional breathing experts have always strongly advised against exercising by wearing any type of mask on the market, because the filters needed to protect against the virus made breathing more difficult.
Precisely for this reason, the greatest challenge in the production of a sports model, as Raphaël Dubi himself points out, was to guarantee effective protection from a health point of view, while at the same time offering a product thin and light enough to allow you to breathe. and move as freely as possible.
Some brands have already launched protections for sports on the market, but without receiving any health certification and failing to guarantee the necessary comfort, both in terms of breathing and perspiration, another aspect that should not be underestimated, given that when the sweat drops penetrate into the fabric risk reducing the filtering power.
If even the last step goes through successfully, the French government plans to have the masks tested by top-level athletes at the end of February, so as to put them on the market starting in March.
Considering that to have the first results of the Covid-19 vaccine we will still have to wait several weeks, this is "excellent news for all athletes.
