Having entered the third summer in the shadows of COVID-19, gyms across Japan are coming face to face with a mask dilemma as they juggle ideas to prevent the spread of infection while worrying about severe summer heat.
While exercising when wearing face masks can cause a suffocating sensation and lower oxygen intake, some patrons remain reluctant to remove them in gyms' closed, indoor spaces.
That sentiment may be shared by more and more people in the coming weeks as the sharp rise in positive cases has signaled the arrival of a seventh wave of infections.