How to Prevent Coughing When Jogging in Cold Air

by admin | May 27, 2024 | breathing exercises, healthcare blog, reusable mask respirator

As a regular jogger, I run a few times in the morning each week, and I found myself coughing lately when the temperature went below 12°C. The cough was more persistent within 30 minutes after the run, and some mucus came out occasionally with the cough. But after that, the cough would disappear, and I would feel quite normal.

Then I realized it must have something to do with cold air. So I decided to do some experiments by wearing the elastomeric exercise mask AYO HC in my run.

Here is the summary result so far:

Date	Temperature	Distance/Pace	AYO HC	Coughing Status
Day 1	11°C	5.4K/6:02/km	No	Yes
Day 2	8°C	4K/6:20/km	Yes	No
Day 3	7°C	7.1K/5:55/km	Yes	No
Day 4	9°C	10.8K/6:11/km	Yes	No
Day 5	3°C	7.1K/5.51/km	Yes	No

It is very convincing that AYO HC helped me stop the cough.

Here are my thoughts:

For some reason (God only knows) I have mucus in my throat that becomes irritated with cold air.
During jogging, breathing volume increases, passing more cold air through my airways and making them drier, irritating, and making me cough.
When I wear AYO HC, it warms the air before it travels into my airways, and it also brings in the moisture accumulated from my previous breaths.
This makes the mucus less irritating. Even better, it dilutes the mucus making it flow out of my nose/mouth naturally removing the source of irritant without coughing!!
When we exercise in cold windy conditions, we would put on hoodies to keep our upper body and head warm, tights to keep our legs and knees warm, and gloves to keep our hands warm. However, we often forget about our more sensitive airways!!
It is logical and makes perfect sense to wear a proper mask to shield the cold wind from going straight into our airways, to warm and moisten the air before breathing in.

I think many people like me may benefit by wearing AYO HC too in this situation, especially for asthmatics and people with COPD symptoms.

So I recommend that people with sensitive and vulnerable respiratory systems wear AYO HC when exercising outdoors if the air is cold and windy.

AYO HC can also protect you in case of air pollution from wood or coal burning that typically occurs in winter, as AYO HC is a P2 / N95 medical-grade respirator. Due to its low-profile design, great field of view, and elastomeric reusable nature, AYO HC is suitable for many outdoor exercises, such as jogging, cycling, and walking.

Now, you may wonder how I dealt with the mucus flowing out of my nose and mouth when I wore the mask?

I lipped it and swallowed it back to my stomach!!

Gross? I would rather do that than coughing or spitting 😊

About the author:
Eric Fu, founder of Aimwell, exercise enthusiast.

What to Wear for Respiratory Protection in Physical Exercises

by admin | Feb 20, 2024 | reusable mask respirator, healthcare blog

The Use Cases

Physical exercises are fundamental parts of human life, we all need them, no matter whether you are an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, young and old, healthy and sick.

However, these seemingly healthy activities may be compromised if the air we breathe during the activities is poor or even health-threatening.

Typical scenarios include:

Working out in a gym during a pandemic or flu season.
Running, walking, and cycling in air-polluted cities.
Running, walking, and cycling in bushfire seasons.
Asthmatics’ outdoor exercises during a pollen season.
Asthmatics’ outdoor exercises in a cold and dry winter.

Key Requirements for a Sports/Exercise Masks

At least N95/P2 level of particulate filtration.
Have a reliable facial seal.
Complied with relevant respirator standards.
Protection not affected by breath, sweat, and condensation.
Reusable and easy to wash and clean.
Good field of view.
Good wearability and mobility.

Some Typical Masks Claimed to be Sports Mask

Under Armour Sportsmask

Analysis:

This is a mask made from synthetic fabric material.
Does not protect from viruses/does not comply to any respirator standard.
The breathing resistance will increase with breath, sweats, and condensation.

Verdict: This is not a true sports mask.

RESPRO Sportsta™ Mask

Analysis:

The breathing resistance will increase with breath, sweats, and condensation.
The facial seal is not considered reliable due to the fabric-natured face piece.
Does not comply with any respirator standards.

Verdict: This is not a true sports mask.

Reusable Respirator AYO HC – The True Sports/Exercise Mask

The concept for AYO HC started in mid-2020 at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by a need for better protection for healthcare workers, we spent over 3 years since 2020 developing and rigorously testing the world’s first healthcare reusable respirator AYO HC.

Now certified by BSI to Australian respirator standard AS/NZS 1716 P2, AYO HC provides at least 50 times better protection than disposable N95 masks.

What is also outstanding is its features for sports/exercises, such as:

Built-in inlet valve to protect the main filter from being affected by breath, sweat, and condensation.
Low-profile and great field of view – exercise compatible.
See-through silicone mask – easy to see your expression and comfortable to wear.
Built-in speech diaphragm – easy to talk.
Easy to clean and disinfect.
The mask can work as a barrier to cold wind and a warmer/humidifier to cold/dry air – beneficial to asthmatics.

AYO HC is the only true sports mask in the world, your best choice for respiratory protection in physical exercises.

AYO HC Reusable Respirator – A New Standard in Respirator Protection for Sports and Physical Exercises.