Did you know the free weights at the gym have more than 362 times the amount of germs found on a toilet seat? Nice huh?
Website Fitrated did an investigation into gym cleanliness and found out that, not only are the free weights gross, you also need to watch out for the treadmill and the exercise bike too.
In gyms, the sheer amount of people and the warm, sweaty environment all provide a great home for germs to thrive and be picked up. In some cases, such as the winter vomiting bug, germs can last on surfaces for several days and people who have the virus may not know about it for up to 48 hours. Just think of how many things they've touched in this time.
So to prevent yourself from getting the runs for a week this winter, have a read through the following tips.
1. Create barriers
Simply creating a couple of barriers between you and the equipment you use can be a great way of avoiding gym germs. Use an old hand towel for mat work/sitting on equipment and wear flip-flops in the shower and around the pool side.
2. Learn how to wash your hands (AGAIN)
Unless you work in healthcare, you will NEVER realise what an art there is to washing your hands - just look at any doctor-based TV show to see how inadequate your handwashing skills really are. For your 10 step guide on how to wash your hands and get rid of all the nastys check out this link.
3. Don't french kiss the water fountain
There are probably some people in your gym you really wouldn’t mind kissing (black curly hair, Palace t-shirt, we're looking at you), but they're likely far and few between. Yet, if the top of your water bottle touches the water fountain when you fill it up, you may has well have snogged everyone in that room. Instead, invest in a bottle which you can screw the top off, leaving you a gap between the fountain and your actual bottle.
4. Invest in the right towel
There is nothing bacteria loves more than a warm, damp environment. Which is exactly what your regular towel will provide post-workout. Instead, replace this for an antibacterial microfibre towel which will not only dry you off faster but will not stay damp all day.
5. Wash your hands before you swim
Yes, most public swimming pools contain enough chlorine to kill a small animal, so you hands will come out clean from this. But, if you are going from the toilet to the swimming pool then think of all the things you touch on the way e.g. your phone/face/ hair/mouth. This means bacteria from the toilet is now in all of those places.
6. Avoid hang-over workouts
Although a workout can seem the perfect way to weigh out your bad habits from the night before, all you are doing is putting your body under more stress when it is trying to recover. Not only are you doing this, but your are far more likely to catch a flu/germs when your body is run down. Instead, take a day to recover and drink plenty of water.
7. The post-workout routine
You may feel recked coming in from the gym and just want to slump out in front of the TV. However, while you do this your gym bag is becoming home to whole bacteria community (warm and moist mmmm). So get your sweaty clothes into the wash and wipe out the inside of your bag with an anti-bacteria wipe. Leave the bag open to air and it will be nice and ready for your next session….. tomorrow? (pft).
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
How To Still Eat Healthily If You've Had To Move Back In With Your Parents
How To Survive An Exercise Class If You're As Self Conscious As Me
Follow Kirsten on Twitter @Food_Treatment
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.