1)
Wash or sanitize your hands frequently. If you decide not to shower at the gym,
make sure to at least wash your hands. Your hands are one of the most important
areas to prevent the spread of infectious bacteria. Washing hands for the
amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday, will appropriately clean the
surface of your hands.
Upon entering a fitness
center you should know that it is a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
Fungal infections of the skin are very common, especially among athletes, fitness
center members, and children. Whenever or wherever you exercise you are bound
to encounter sweaty clothes, germ ridden equipment, or both! There are many different
kinds of skin infections include jock itch, ringworm, yeast infections, and
athletes’ foot. Serious bacteria that can lead to salmonella and staph
infection have also been discovered at most fitness centers and are some of the
most prevalent. These types of bacteria can even be life threatening! However, this
should not scare you away from the fitness center. Listed below are hygiene
tips suggesting habits to help lower your risk for infection.
2)
Germ-proof all fitness equipment. Before you work out, make sure to wipe
down the equipment you will be using with sanitary wipes or provided cleaning
solution. Also, after using the equipment, be sure to wipe it down for the
person who will be using the equipment after.
3)
Shower as soon as possible. After a long, sweaty workout, bacteria
love to entrench themselves in sweaty and dirty workout clothes. Try to get out of those wet clothes as soon as
you can, shower off the sweat, dirt and bacteria, and put on some clean
clothes.
4)
Watch your feet. When you are in the fitness center facilities,
ensure you wear some form of footwear at all times, especially in the showers!
5)
Protect yourself. Your skin is the first barrier of
defense on the body. If there is an opening on the skin, make sure to cover the
area with adhesive bandages, such as a Band-Aid, to protect it from bacteria.
This step not only protects you, but also whoever you come into contact with.
6)
Do not share personal care items. Personal care items are items that
come into contact with your skin, such as deodorant, towels, water bottles,
soap, razor, brushes, or make-up.
To help improve the cleanliness of the fitness
center for yourself and others, it is essential to practice good health hygiene
and fitness center sanitation. Following these seven steps will help to ensure
that your hygiene is up to par to avoid any infections. Understand that
stopping the spread of infections starts with you!
Johnson, T. (2011,
August). Stay healthy and infection-free at the gym. Retrieved September 14,
2017, from http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/site/healthyyou/HealthyYouGyms.pdf
Mukherjee, N., Dowd,
S., Wise, A., Kedia, S., Vohra, V., & Banerjee, P. (2014, December 03). Diversity
of Bacterial Communities of Fitness Center Surfaces in a U.S. Metropolitan
Area. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/12/12544/htm
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