Are you thinking about going back to the gym in 2020?
The fitness industry is booming, and most of the reasons revolve around health.
People are getting more conscious about their health. Some workout to improve their self-image, helping their self-esteem and mental health. Seeing their improvements often prompts them to post it on social media, getting more people into fitness.
This is when hygiene habits become even more important. New gym members don’t have a clue on what the proper habits are in keeping the equipment and environment clean. This causes ailments like Athlete’s Foot and can spread illnesses.
To help prevent another outbreak when you go to the gym, here are a few tips to keep yourself clean.
1. Be Careful in Choosing Your Gym
Make it a habit to review any gym you’re planning to go to. People have a lot to say about different establishments today thanks to the businesses having interactive profiles on social media platforms or their websites.
You can check their reviews or their comments to know how the gym is in advance. The comments may say something about the cleanliness of their facility. Use this to know how your experience in the gym will turn out.
2. Wash Your Hands
The most basic hygiene habits are often the ones people forget about. Washing your hands before using any of the gym’s equipment makes sure you don’t infect them with germs. You could have gotten germs anywhere during your trip to the gym.
Make sure you use soap and warm water to kill off the germs you’re carrying. You must also dry off your hands before handling any equipment. Wet hands can still carry germs and may cause some equipment to corrode.
3. Wipe Down the Equipment
Wiping down the equipment before using it is a good practice. This makes sure the equipment is clean of anything the previous user left. Fungi and other bacteria from the skin can stay on the equipment for a long time.
It’s also a good way to remove the previous user’s dried sweat. Sweat can be carriers of certain diseases like Hepatitis B and Herpes. Use a hygienic workout towel to get rid of any remnants of the previous user.
Doing this will make sure you keep yourself safe from these infections.
4. Take a Shower After Your Workout
This should be a no brainer – After your workout routine, taking a shower should be the first thing you do. Showering ensures the bacteria clinging on your body gets washed away. It also cleans your hair of any bacteria you may have picked up while working out.
Taking a hot shower is ideal as it helps you keep your blood flowing. If you’re looking to cool down, though, consider taking colder showers.
You should also clean your sweat towel and sweaty clothes as soon as you can. Put them in the washing machine and dry them to discourage any bacterial growth on your clothes.
Wearing flip-flops or anything else to keep your feet off the tiles is also a good idea. Going in the shower barefoot can have some serious health hazards. Ringworm often enter your body through the soles of your feet.
Wearing these can save you from getting parasites.
5. Bring Separate Towels for Showering and Working Out
Before you shower, make sure you have a bath towel available to use. Having a separate towel to be your workout towel ensures that the bacteria you wiped off doesn’t go back to you. This is the reason you often see people bring different towels to the gym.
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6. Protect Any Damaged Areas You Have on Your Skin
Having any kind of damage on your skin makes it easier for bacteria to enter your body. If you have any cuts or skin breaks, consider covering them up. You can get bacteria from interacting with other people or the gym equipment.
Using a waterproof bandage is ideal for the situation. This is because you’ll end up sweaty after your workout routine. Using regular bandages can slide off when they’re wet, exposing the damage on your skin.
7. Don’t Share Your Hygiene Items
Your hygiene items should stay personal for a reason. You use them to clean yourself up during your workout.
If someone else uses your gym towel for example, it means foreign bacteria can invade it. Your body won’t be able to protect you in the same way it does with your bacteria.
This means you can get sick easier upon cross-contamination. Keep your items to yourself to prevent yourself from getting sick this way.
Remember These Hygiene Habits When You GO Back To The Gym
Going to the gym is a great way to improve your overall health. Make sure you stay healthy by practicing these hygiene habits.
Looking for a hygienic gym towel to use for your workout routine? Contact us here and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as we can!
