There are over one million germs per square inch on typical gym equipment, with the average treadmill housing 74 times more bacteria than a public water faucet. These germs can cause an array of infections, including staph, impetigo, and ringworm. The good news is that it is easy to avoid these problems by taking precautions and by choosing the right gym.
Cleanliness Starts With Your Gym’s Hygiene Practices
If your membership at your current gym is running out, and you are looking for a new one, ask your shortlist of potential gyms about their cleanliness policies and pay them a visit. Check out the state of their lockers, equipment, and floors. Thorough gym cleaning involves more than just vacuuming and cleaning a few surfaces. It includes disinfecting every piece of equipment, as well as machines and locker rooms.
It additionally includes sweating and washing stairwells, cleaning light features, cleaning elevators, and power washing parking spaces. The gym should also have an established daily cleaning routine. Finally, it should offer gym goers antibacterial hand gel, sanitized wet wipes, and hand and body wash in the showers.
Keeping Your Hands And Bag Clean
Wash your hands frequently and sanitize every piece of equipment you use. Wipe the surfaces of benches and seats on nautilus machines, preferably before and after you use the equipment. Avoid getting germs on your hands by bringing your own water bottle instead of using public water fountains.
If you do yoga and other exercises requiring a mat, bring your own and sanitize it when you get home with a disinfectant spray and wipes. Finally, be careful of where you place your gym bag. Bring a small piece of paper you can unfold and place your bag on. Make sure to machine wash your gym bag frequently, since one recent study found that 60% of gym bags contain significant contamination. Over one-third of these bags had coliform bacteria, which is linked to serious health issues.
Washing Your Workout Clothing
Never wear the same clothing to work out, even if it has dried and smells good. Bacteria thrive on sweaty gym clothing. Wash them on as high a heat as the manufacturer recommends and dry them as well. Remove them as soon as you finish your workout, as leading them on can lead to problems such as pimples in areas like your back and shoulders.
Cover Wounds Well
If you have scratches and wounds, make sure they are well covered prior to hitting the gym. This way, dangerous bacteria won’t make their way to these affected zones of your skin, where they can wreak havoc. If you are sick, stay at home. Consider it an optimal way for you to get healing rest while exercising good social skills and preventing others from getting ill.
Going to the gym does wonders for your health, but it can also cause illness if you aren’t careful. Firstly, choose a gym with a good reputation for health and sanitation and one with a daily cleaning schedule. Secondly, wipe equipment before and after using it, bring your own mats, and make sure your clothing and bag are washed frequently.
