Filthiest Spots to Avoid at the Gym

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.