People go to the gym to get healthy, not to get sick. Unfortunately, gyms are absolutely crawling with cold and flu carrying creepy crawlers. You may even be exposed to athlete’s foot and skin infections. While the best way to avoid this is to workout at home (checkout Beachbody’s at home programs HERE), here are some tips for those of you determined to hit up the gym.
- The simplest, and possibly most effective thing that you can do is wipe down equipment BEFORE you use it, and of course, after. You have no idea if the person that was on a piece of equipment before you wiped it down, or how good of a job they did. I developed this habit quick. I noticed that a lot of people on machines did a good job when they were done, but people using benches and free weights almost never cleaned them off.
- Bring your own towel! Yes, your gym cleans the towels (hopefully). Unfortunately, most gyms transport the clean towels in the same hamper that they used for the dirty towels. This results in E. coli, MRSA, and more still being in the towels, even if they were cleaned.
- Get the right gym bag, and take care of it! You may think that your gym back only has your germs on it. WRONG! Every time you set it down in the gym, you are picking up someone esle’s germs. If you need to carry a bag with you at the gym, start by chosing one that is plastic or vinyl. It is harder for germs to stick to these materials that cotton and other surfaces. If you are using a canvas or cloth bag, throw it in the washing machine once a week. Be sure to keep your dirty clothes and sneakers in a seperate compartment or in a plastic bag.
- If you know what you are doing, you are taking time to stretch after your workout. If you are doing stretches on a yoga mat, you are lying in a pool of germs. Bring your own mat, and even then, make sure that you are cleaing it on a regular bases.
Personally, I prefer simply working out at home. No monthly fee, travel time, traffic to deal with, no waiting for equipment, and of course, I can avoid everyone else’s germs. I used to believe that I needed all of the equipment at the gym to get a quality workout. WRONG! Beachbody has a variety or programs, most of which require little to no equipment. CLICK HERE to check out the various programs that they offer, and to sign up for a FREE Team Beachbody Membership!
