This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Arizona chapter.
Working out is a great habit to get into but be aware of these specific spots at the gym because
they have the most germs. Although gyms have cleaning materials, not everyone uses them (talk
about inconsiderate and lazy) so washing your hands after the gym is crucial to your health.
Many students eat a snack like an apple or sandwich after the gym because they burn tons of
calories and fat while working out so make sure those gym germs don’t get inside the body. Here
are the filthiest spots at the gym:
Free Weights, Weight Machines, Exercise Balls
With this equipment they have handles so many don’t think to spray the handles or wipe
them down therefore, built up germs get on our hands while we touch our face and hair while
transmitting them to other equipment.
Hot Spot: Locker Room
People walk around the locker room naked and barefoot while others track in dirt from their
running shoes (which can cause the stomach flu and hepatitis) and place their sweaty towels
anywhere.
Hot Spot: Exercise Mat
People lie down on the mats because of sit-ups, planks and yoga positions which cause sweat.
Before lying on a mat, spray and wipe it down thoroughly because strangers have been on it
before you and you don’t know what they did or if they even cleaned it after they left. Mats are
infested with microbes which can cause skin infections (rashes) and athlete’s foot.
Hot Spot: Gym Bag
It’s your gym bag so it has all of your own bacteria on/in it, right? Wrong. Bacteria can survive
for weeks and can be from anywhere so think twice after placing it on a locker bench or gym
floor. E. coli and salmonella are the “most common to be on your gym bag and can cause eye
infections,” says Charles Gerba, PhD, an environmental microbiologist at the University of
Arizona.
Hot Spot: Towel
You and I both know this is a given. Many borrow a towel from the gym and you’re sure they
wash them but how carefully do they clean them? “Most gyms use the same hamper to transport
dirty towels and clean ones,” said Maridel Reyes, columnist for Fitness Magazine. Your safest
bet is to bring your own towel and keep a close eye on it.
Hot Spot: Water Bottle
Germs from the gym can leak in from the rim and reproduce quickly. The bottom of your water
bottle is the filthiest because you set it everywhere at the gym: on the machines, on the floor, on
the locker room bench and on the mats. If you don’t wash it after a few days of using it, it could
be just as bad as drinking from a public swimming pool.
Hot Spot: Cardio Machines
Ladies, you know exactly which machines I’m talking about. These are the bicycles, treadmills,
elliptical and stair masters (which appears to be a row of women). People wipe these machines
down but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re clean enough to have 0 percent of germs. “63
percent of the machines that had been disinfected still had traces of rhinovirus, which causes the
common cold. And possibly contain staph, fungi and yeast on bike seats.” said Reyes.
Hot Spot: Pool
Don’t say you’ve never peed in a pool because we’ve all done it at least once, especially when
we were toddlers. It may seem innocent when one person has an accident in the pool but when
everyone in the pool thinks that way it’s a more serious issue. “62 percent of pool-related
diarrhea outbreaks are the result of the chlorine-resistant pathogen cryptosporidium, which is
spread by contaminated fecal matter. In addition, bacteria, such as pseudomonas, can cause ear
and eye infections,” says Elizabeth Scott, PhD, a co-director of the Simmons College Center for
Hygiene and Health in Home and Community in Boston.
Hot Spot: Shower
A shower shared by hundreds of women…you can imagine how many germs are inside that
cubicle-sized, tiled space. The shower stalls are the ideal living place for fungi and other
organisms that can cause infections like athlete’s foot, ringworms and warts. If you have to
shower at the gym, use antimicrobial soap and never shave in that germ chamber because bugs
can wiggle their way in your body through the tiniest nick. Also, blow-dry your feet to make
sure they’re moisture-free. Your safest bet is showering at home as soon as you get home (and I
mean right when you set your gym bag down). Letting dried sweat stick on your face and leaving
sweaty clothes on your body can cause breakouts and/or skin irritation.