BC students are all about healthy living, at least when it comes to exercising. Dedicated gym rats enjoy rolling out of bed at 6 am and heading over to the Plex with hopes of squeezing in a quick cardio workout before sunrise yoga starts at 7:15 am. Other collegiettes wait until the prime afternoon and evening hours to fit in their daily sweat-sesh. Going to the gym is productive, fun, a treat for your body, and something that should promote your overall health.
Unfortunately, gyms provide an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, germs, and other unwanted funguses that are detrimental to your health and wellbeing. Just think about the hundreds of students that were stretching on your mat, holding on to your elliptical, and picking up your dumbbells. I don’t want to get too visual, but those same students were profusely sweating, wiping any unwanted drippage from their noses, and obsessively touching their faces all while holding on to the same equipment as you. Maybe they cleaned the machine after they were done, but how can you know for sure? Cleanliness at the Plex is a mystery and as a Plex employee, I can tell you that people rarely wipe down their equipment.
Working out should never be the cause of illness, so HC BC is here to help you stay healthy and happy. Next time you are at the Plex, consider these 10 easy ways to avoid all those pesky germs!
1. Bring Your Own Water– Drinking fountains are one of the worst breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses. Think of all the hands constantly pressing on the button as well as the close contact that various mouths have with the fountain. We are lucky in that BC has fabulous water fountains specifically designed with a spigot to refill water bottles. However, make sure that you are using this special spigot to fill up your personal water bottle and not drinking directly from the tap.
2. Bring Your Own Mat – If you attend group fitness classes on a regular basis or find yourself frequently stretching in the workout area, then I would suggest purchasing your own mat. The Plex mats rarely, if ever, get wiped down and they are kept in stuffy, dirty closets. There are tons of cute mats out there free of icky gym germs just waiting to be purchased by a style-savvy, health-conscious collegiette like you!
3. Cover Up All Cuts – Because gyms typically are home to infinite amounts of germs wanting to make their way into our bodies, make sure that a handy, dandy Band-Aid safely covers up any cuts, scrapes, or wounds.
4. Disinfect Equipment Before and After Use – As I mentioned earlier, students are pretty bad about wiping down equipment after they use it. Before you start your workout, make sure to quickly wipe down the machine you plan to use just in case the previous user absentmindedly forgot to clean up after themself. At the same time, don’t be one of those “Plex-ers” who is too lazy to walk a few feet, grab a wipe, and clean off their machine or mat. Always end your workout by wiping off the equipment that you used.
5. Keep Your Hands Away from Your Face – Our hands act as great transportation for bacteria and viruses. Hands are essentially a free ride from any dirty, germy object to our faces. When working out, try to avoid touching your face, especially your mouth, nose, and eyes. This will lower your chances of catching any annoying and unwanted bugs.
6. Purell, Purell, Purell! – Ever notice the Purell dispensers scattered throughout the Plex? Use them! They are there to help with reducing germs and making BC a healthier place. Whenever I walk by one, I make myself stop and grab a squirt. I’d rather be constantly Purell-ing than battling a pesky head cold.
7. Get Out of Your Sweaty Clothes ASAP –Sweat is a good sign as it shows that you worked hard during your workout. However, sweaty clothes are a breeding ground for bacteria, so you are going to want to shed those clothes as soon as you can. This leads me to my next tip.
8. Shower After Your Workout – Please don’t be one of those people who refuse to shower after working out. Not only will you be incredibly stinky, but you will also be collecting bacteria until you finally take the time to rinse yourself off. If for some reason you can’t spare 5 minutes for a quick rinse-off, at least wash your hands and face.
9. Wear Shoes in the Locker Room –This should be common sense, but I have witnessed people walking around barefoot in the women’s locker room. Make sure to have some kind of shoe on, anything from your sneakers to shower flip-flops will do. If you are showering at the gym, make sure to actually wear your flip-flops in the shower. You definitely do not want to contract any foot funguses, including the painful (and disgusting) athlete’s foot.
10. Use Your Own Deodorant and Soap When Showering – This should also be common sense, but make sure to use your own hygiene products. It might seem convenient to borrow your best friend’s deodorant when you forget yours, but try to avoid doing so. Open and used products such as deodorant, soap, and razors are sure to be covered with germs.
There is no need to become insanely paranoid about germs at the gym, but definitely keep these 10 tips in the back of your mind. No one should have to worry about getting sick while they are healthily working out.
Sources:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/germs-at-the-gym
http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2011/10/how-avoid-germs-the-gym/aE59oOaZ6Lu3c2gEmGd8lK/index.html
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MStTbQsMuT4/TEIY_FHROBI/AAAAAAAACtk/nfSk8ZXyFIs/s1600/child-band-aid-lg.jpg
http://blog.timesunion.com/kristi/files/2009/11/shower.jpg
http://epicfitnesstraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Gym-Germs-2.jpg