Safe to wear face mask during exercise, new study finds For the study, researchers carried out detailed testing on breathing, heart activity, and exercise performance in a group of 12 people. (Photo source: ANI) Updated: Mar 13, 2021, 11:28 PM IST A new research by European Respiratory Journal claims that wearing a face mask during an intense workout is safe for healthy people and could reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading at indoor gyms. For the study, researchers carried out detailed testing on breathing, heart activity, and exercise performance in a group of 12 people while they were using an exercise bike with and without a mask.