Whether you are partial to the occasional wobbly Warrior pose or attend your local yoga class five times a week (depending on how Gwyneth Paltrow your life is) we can all agree on the fact that Yoga is an amazing stress antidote. Not only does it leave you feeling zen, but it also helps with flexibility, muscle toning and weight loss. Can angelic, virtuous yoga do no wrong?
Well, according to scientists, yes it can! It turns out your yoga mat could be making you ill.
'Yoga mats are the worst – they are a hotbed of contamination, literally and figuratively,' says Dr. Robert Lahita, a professor of medicine at Rutgers School of Medicine. Speaking to Fox News Magazine, Lahita explained: 'The yoga mat is a very fertile source for infection, mainly because people sweat on them and they rarely are cleaned.
'It's a big issue — this is even bigger than cell phones or airline seats.'
Dr Charles P. Geba, expert on domestic and public hygiene, also told the magazine, 'It’s like sharing your bed sheets with somebody, If you're going to [share], it better be with a relative or a great friend.'
US Elle also conducted some research of their own, and after sending samples collected from yoga mats to be analysed in a lab, they found that the yoga mats contained bacteria and fungi and even discovered something called flesh-eating strep – which definitely doesn’t sound healthy.
Yoga Journal suggests bringing your own mat, wiping it regularly with an antibacterial spray and putting it in the washing machine once a month to zap any lingering bacteria that could harm your skin.
Who knew there was a down side to the Downward-Facing Dog?
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