Are You Getting Enough Oxygen?
A giant vacuum cleaner that turns smog into jewelry is making its way around the world, as doctors in Utah declared that there is no safe level of air pollution, London exceeded their annual limits one month into 2018, and cities like Bangkok and Tehran are on high alert for their levels.
But that's not the only "fancy that" news circulating about how to breathe more deeply.
According to Researchmoz, the recreational oxygen industry is expected to reach 2.1 billion dollars in the next five years, a major uptick from its current 44.5 million dollar status.
Big bucks for what seemed like a 90s fad.
Recreational oxygen differs from medical oxygen (and the ones on the plane) in that it's not for an emergency. It's often used to improve athletic performance.
The hoopla even made it all the way to the Super Bowl this year, as one portable fun-O2 company, Oxygen Plus, was an official host of the weekend's events. They served it by the bottle (it comes with a button that releases the air in spurts) to fans and NFL players for jet lag relief, hangovers and yes, exercise fatigue.
So, of course, we had to check it out ourselves and share it with a few of our friends.
"I thought my lungs felt clear and able to take in a normal, full breath," said Washington, D.C.-based yoga teacher Carol Collins. She even added some jumping jacks to her daily routine to see what would happen.
"I continue[d] to feel a little 'fuller' with my inhales about 5 minutes later. Pretty subtle effects and hard to know whether I would be feeling this way without the oxygen or not... I'll try it a couple more times with and without and see if I feel any difference."
She wish it were "mint or something," said avid runner, yoga enthusiast, and comedienne @funnyfitgurl. She said she checked it out after a six mile run to help with recovery.
Oxygen Plus sells their canned air for as low as $5 (their mini three pack costs $14.99), and they say it's good for everyone, from those who do high-altitude sports like hiking and skiing to those who commute on traffic-filled streets and subways.
For those who work[out] at home, it also could be a yummy complement to indoor plants and salt lamps.
"I smelled better immediately afterwards," said UWM's own, @districtiyoga. Not as in perfume, but as in her sense of it.
