Cleaner Air for Every Workout and Sauna Session
Portable plasma ion power for easier breathing while you train.
Research shows that more than half of Americans (around 52%) exercise regularly.
While working out can deliver a host of health benefits, it's important to approach it safely. In addition to using the right equipment and being cautious with your movements, have you considered the air quality around you? For a full picture of what indoor air can carry, start with the Indoor Air Quality guide.
While it's natural to breathe heavier as you exert energy, contaminants in the air can make it difficult to catch your breath.
Enter the Breathe Safe® Plasma Air Purifier.
Today, we're taking a closer look at what makes our air purification system different and why it's a must-have for anyone who enjoys breaking a sweat at home, in the gym, or in the studio. Read on to discover the advantages of making this system part of your everyday fitness routine.
Before we dive into the benefits you can expect when you work out alongside the Breathe Safe, let's explore what this machine does and how it works.
The Breathe Safe is a portable plasma ion generator capable of working with any voltage around the world. When engaged, it boosts the oxygen level immediately around it — independent laboratory testing measured about 17% higher oxygen directly above the unit within five minutes. At the same time, it delivers an incredible 23.5 million ions per cubic centimeter into the air. Both of these actions enrich and purify the air in an unprecedented way.
How does it work? The Breathe Safe contains 19.1 million negative ions, along with 4.4 million positive ions. Together, these ions combine to form an invisible plasma cloud that powerfully breaks down contaminants in the air. In their place, the machine leaves behind an abundance of negative ions and oxygen, making the air cleaner and easier to inhale.
Why are ions the secret to pure, healthy air? More specifically, why are negative ions and plasma so important?
In short, negative ions are air molecules (e.g., oxygen) that are formed with a negative charge. Positive ions contain much of the same atoms but have one less electron than negative ions, making them unstable. Though these ions are small and invisible, they are mighty.
As active oxygen molecules, negative ions can securely attach themselves to particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air. After this bonding occurs, the negative ions switch their electrons with these harmful contaminants, effectively weakening their molecular structure.
The result? The particulates become oxidized and destructed to the point that they're no longer able to multiply. This purifies the breathing environment, making it both healthier and safer.
On their own, negative ions are powerful, but the addition of plasma makes them even more so.
Identified as the fourth state of matter, plasma contains both types of ions in a 5:1 ratio, favoring negative ions. This introduction of a small number of positive ions heightens the negative ions' effectiveness and makes them more powerful. When plasma binds to the protein surface of a pathogen, its electrons rob that substance of the hydrogen molecules it needs to mutate.
In addition to eliminating particulates and VOCs, plasma and negative ions can also help remove mold, bacteria, and dust from the air, as well as other contaminants. Together, they help sterilize the air. For this reason, you can also find plasma cleaners designed to purify surfaces, from home countertops to work desks.
During exercise, you're engaging two of the most important organs in your body: your lungs and your heart. This is true whether you're on the yoga mat or hitting the elliptical machine.
Your lungs have a critical job. They bring oxygen into your body to provide energy. They also remove carbon dioxide from your body, which is the waste produced as you burn energy.
Meanwhile, your heart pumps this new oxygen to the rest of your body, sending it directly to the muscles that are engaged in the exercise. As your muscles expend energy, your oxygen levels tend to drop, and your heart rate subsequently increases, pumping extra hard to make sure your body has the nutrients it needs.
You may already know the benefits of ensuring optimal indoor air quality in your work and home. After all, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that Americans spend roughly 90% of their time indoors, where air pollutants can be concentrated up to five times more potently than outdoors.
Yet, did you also consider that those very pollutants are also present in your home gym or your local workout studio? While it's always important to breathe the healthiest and cleanest air possible, that initiative becomes even stronger when you exercise.
Why is this the case?
When at rest, most people breathe an average of 15 times per minute, taking in around 12 liters of air. When you exercise, that rate increases to 40 to 60 times per minute, requiring around 100 liters of air.
If the indoor air quality is poor, this means you're inhaling more than eight times the number of pollutants as normal. Thus, it's easy to see why a machine like the Breathe Safe is a natural addition to your regimen. The purer the air around you, the easier it is for your lungs and heart to absorb and deliver the essential oxygen that your body needs to continue.
It's easy to invest in the latest workout gear or spend time researching the perfect cardio routine that will deliver the physical effects we desire.
However, it's equally important to make sure that the air around you is clean and pure when you're ready to start an exercise session. Now that we've covered what the Breathe Safe does and why it's important, let's explore five reasons to add it to your daily routine.
Forget bulky air purifiers that you can't take anywhere but home. One of the best features of the Breathe Safe is its convenience and portability.
You can easily take your machine in the car, on a plane, or anywhere else you travel. It packs neatly and sets up in seconds, allowing you to use it in almost any location. From Pilates studios to garage gyms, it's the essential carry-on you need to ensure optimal air quality anywhere you work out.
As mentioned, when you exercise, your body needs around eight times as much oxygen as it does at rest. You'll notice your body working extra hard to keep up with that demand in a normal scenario.
The Breathe Safe makes this process easier by enriching the air immediately around it with extra oxygen. This makes it easier for your body to inhale and absorb the clean air it needs to keep your workouts going.
Though it's smaller than many of its competitors, the Breathe Safe generates more ions than machines that are twice its size. As a result, our laboratory tests show that it can eliminate 46.1% of bacteria, 99.68% of particulates, and 86.4% of VOCs from the air.
Also, if there are other toxic compounds around you, such as formaldehyde or benzenes, those can enter the air, too. These contaminants are often found in carpets, furniture, paint, and other surfaces. The Breathe Safe can eliminate those as well, ensuring a pure workout station that can help fuel even your most rigorous routines.
The Breathe Safe machine can operate on three different cycles: continuous, off, or on/off intervals every one to two minutes.
You can choose the settings that you prefer! If you're working out, the continuous setting ensures that you always have a constant clean air supply. When at home, you may find that the on/off intervals are ideal for extended use.
A trip to the sauna is a smart way to ease your tired body after a workout. The heat loosens your muscles and allows the repair process to begin. It's also great for your heart health, helping to expand your blood vessels and improve circulation.
Also, the sweat produced during a sauna session is a powerful detox, helping to rid your body of built-up toxins, along with excess stress. This is especially the case when the Breathe Safe is used alongside our Sauna Fix®.
When used as a component of sauna therapy, Breathe Safe acts as an ideal sauna ion generator. Ramping up the number of negative ions in the sauna air you breathe can affect your sweat volume. In fact, it doubles with at least 20,000 ions per cubic centimeter in the air, and the Breathe Safe delivers 23.5 million!
You don't have to suffer through a workout. If you find that you're always panting, huffing, and losing your breath, poor indoor air quality could be to blame.
Breathe Safe can transform any exercise space into a clean, pure breathing environment. The negative ions and plasma it produces go to work immediately, binding to pollutants and stripping them of their power. When you're ready to take your routine to the next level, we encourage you to give it a try today.
To learn more about our products or ask any questions, please reach out to our team.
Most of the time it sits right at my desk in my breathing zone while I work. When it is time for my daily sauna session, it comes along — clean, ion-rich air has become as much a part of my sauna routine as the heat itself.
Pairing the two started as a personal habit and grew into a product. I appreciated what that fresher-feeling air added to a session, and that habit is the reason the Breathe Safe® Sauna ION Generator exists. The air inside a small, warm space can feel heavy; with the ion generator running, a session feels more like breathing crisp outdoor air, and I settle in more comfortably.
The Breathe Safe is a portable plasma ion generator capable of working with any voltage around the world. When engaged, it boosts the oxygen level immediately around it and delivers 23.5 million ions per cubic centimeter into the air, enriching and purifying the breathing environment.
Negative ions attach themselves to particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air, then switch electrons with those contaminants, weakening their molecular structure. The particulates become oxidized to the point that they are no longer able to multiply, which purifies the breathing environment.
When at rest, most people breathe an average of 15 times per minute, taking in around 12 liters of air. During exercise, that rate increases to 40 to 60 times per minute, requiring around 100 liters of air — so in poor indoor air, you inhale more than eight times the number of pollutants as normal.
Yes. It packs neatly and sets up in seconds, so you can take it in the car, on a plane, or anywhere else you travel — from Pilates studios to garage gyms.
Used as a component of sauna therapy, the Breathe Safe acts as an ideal sauna ion generator. Sweat volume doubles with at least 20,000 ions per cubic centimeter in the air, and the Breathe Safe delivers 23.5 million.
It operates on three different cycles: continuous, off, or on/off intervals every one to two minutes. The continuous setting suits workouts, while the on/off intervals are ideal for extended use at home.
Published June 5, 2022 • Updated August 27, 2026
By Eileen Durfee, inventor of the Breathe Safe® Plasma Air Purifier.
Educational notice: This article is provided for general education, to help you make informed choices about the air you breathe while you exercise. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and individual experiences vary. For guidance suited to your own health and fitness routine, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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