Our bodies are covered with bacteria and so are the handles and seats of exercise equipment, towels, shower floors and dressing room benches. In a recent study where samples were taken from the hands of fifty-one college students, almost 5000 different varieties of bacteria and viruses were found including the drug-resistent MSRA virus. The average hand tested had 150 types of bacteria. Surprisingly women had more bacteria on their hands than men, possibly due to cosmetics and hormones.
It makes sense to take precautions whenever you're in public places. Here's some common sense tips to keep you safe at the gym.
- Clean the equipment before you use it. Use 60% alcohol wipes to clean the handles and seats of the equipment you use. Some gyms provide these for you. Using a towel does little more than stir the germs up a bit.
- Never use someone else's towel.
- Shower immediately after you exercise. You really can't avoid picking up some bacteria in the gym so a shower is good protection. Don't stay in your sweaty clothes until you get home. Use your own soap.
- Wear flip-flops or shower shoes in public showers. Athlete's Foot is a pain but there are very nasty bugs that can attack small cuts on your feet or cracks between your toes. One woman suffered an amputation after drug-resistant and flesh-eating bacteria got into her foot through a cut.
- Avoid the sauna or the whirlpool if you have a cut, scrape, or other skin injury. Water treatment in regular pools will kill many bugs—but not all. Some microbes actually thrive in hot water so shower after you use the sauna or hot tub.
- Watch for signs of irritation afterwards. If your skin becomes red, swollen or hot afterwards, seek medical care. Don't wait for the infection to spread.
