
Who Going to a yoga studio or gym also wants to have good health and a beautiful body. However, it is the pathogens hidden in the gym that make the practitioner worry and reduce the spirit of practice.
The gym or yoga room is a hiding place for many pathogens. However, do not let that stop you from exercising because the benefits that these activities bring to the body are extremely great. The best way to protect yourself from harmful agents is to pay attention to hygiene and learn information about pathogens in gyms to take preventive measures. easyhealthylive.com has compiled some information about hygiene in gyms, hopefully with this information you will know how to protect yourself well and easily achieve your training goals.
Revealing the secret of the hygiene habits of people practicing at a yoga room or gym
According to Healthline, when conducting a survey of 1,000 people who practice gym and yoga about their hygiene activities at the gym, the results obtained surprised many people:
- More than half of gym goers see many people not washing their hands after using the restroom but continuing to use exercise equipment afterward.
- 35% of men and 25% of women admit that they don’t clean up or clean the training area after a workout.
Besides Healthline, a British survey of 2,000 people also found:
- 3/4 of gym followers complain about other people’s sweat being left on the equipment they use
- 1/2 people go to the gym to share towels and drinking water
- 18% admit to going to the gym when they have a cold, cough and sneeze
- More than 1/3 (35%) exercise without deodorant or socks
- 16% admit to not washing sportswear between workouts.
The results of the above surveys have partly “revealed” the truth about hygiene in gyms. Although exercise brings many health benefits, in reality, with the public environment and the sharing of exercise equipment, sometimes it is beneficial and harmful.
3 common pathogens in yoga studios and gyms
According to the survey, here are the 3 most common pathogens found in the gym that you need to be careful about:
1. Bacteria
Staphylococcus bacteria can live on equipment in the gym, such as machines, multi-function dumbbells, yoga mats, etc. In addition, this bacteria is often found in towels and other public items. plus in the dressing room. Staphylococcal bacteria can cause many infections. Specifically, superficial infections of the skin such as impetigo or cellulitis. In addition, this bacteria can also invade the lungs and bones, causing pneumonia, osteomyelitis, and can even lead to sepsis.
In addition to staph bacteria, you can also encounter other dangerous bacteria such as:
- E.coli bacteria cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and can lead to pneumonia
- The bacterium klebsiella causes urinary tract infections, pneumonia, rare blood infections and meningitis
- Streptococcus bacteria cause respiratory infections, skin infections
Yoga mats are one of the most hidden places for pathogens
2. Mushrooms
The fungus Dermatophytes that causes ringworm is often found on foot training equipment and locker rooms. This is because the fungus likes to grow in a humid environment. Therefore, the changing rooms and sweaty exercise equipment of the trainees are the ideal places for them to multiply. In addition to Dermatophyte fungus, practitioners are also at high risk of Candida infections in the feet, hands, gynecological fungi …
3. Virus
HPV – the virus that causes genital warts on the throat, mouth, feet, hands, genitals, anus in both men and women – is the virus most easily infected when going to the gym. In addition, in the gym, there are thousands of other viruses hiding, but the most important ones are Herpes simplex virus type 1 that causes eye herpes and viruses that cause respiratory diseases.
Overall, infections, dermatitis, and the flu are the most contagious illnesses in the gym. The cause may be partly due to direct contact with surfaces of equipment and objects such as machines, exercise mats, etc. Another part may be due to the fact that the gym is a public environment with a large concentration of people. winter, meanwhile, every time you exercise, you sweat a lot. These are favorable conditions for pathogens to multiply and develop.
How to avoid the risk of getting sick when going to the gym every day?
Although the gym contains a lot of pathogens, don’t let that stop you from exercising because the benefits of being physically active are immense. Instead, to avoid getting sick when you go to the gym, you can try these tips:
- If you practice yoga, bring your own personal yoga mat. The yoga mat at the gym is a hiding place for many pathogens due to too many people practicing. During exercise, sweat can stick to the mat and carpet cleaning at the centers is not guaranteed. If you want to use the mat at the center, you should spray disinfectant before use.
- If you have an injury, dress it up thoroughly before going to the gym. During the exercise, limit touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands to avoid the risk of pathogens from outside entering the body.
- If you see someone coughing or sneezing, temporarily stay away from the area for 10-15 minutes. After that time, if you want to use the equipment, please wipe it with a clean cloth before use.
Before using the equipment, please use a clean cloth and spray disinfectant to ensure safety
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after exercising. According to the survey, the majority of practitioners who are infected are not infected with the virus from sneezing, but because the practitioner does not have the habit of washing their hands.
- Wash the body with soap after exercise to remove harmful agents on the skin. In addition, you also need to regularly clean personal items used during exercise such as towels, mats, etc.
- Clothes after training sessions should be washed and dried in the sun. With training shoes, you need to change regularly and use shoe insoles with moisture absorption to avoid creating a humid environment, easy to breed fungus.
- Pay attention to wear shoes when moving on the floor instead of walking barefoot.
These are just simple tips to help reduce the risk of infection when working out in the gym at the center. However, no matter how careful you are, it is still not possible to completely eliminate the risk because the gym is a crowded place, pathogens are easy to reproduce and spread. Therefore, to limit infection and practice with peace of mind, you can consider practicing yoga or exercising with easyhealthylive.com’s personal trainer in more private places such as home, office, etc. With just a few simple steps, you can have a safe, healthy workout and meet your training goals:
- Download easyhealthylive.com now by following the link http://onelink.to/leep.app
- Answer the set of questions. easyhealthylive.com will help you find a trainer that matches your interests, personality, training style…
- Based on the PT-iMatch feature, choose a suitable PT 4.0 for yourself
- Select the number of training sessions and proceed to pay
- Talk to a LEEP coach right on the app to arrange a workout schedule that works for both of you
- Schedule your workouts on the app and do your workouts
- Don’t forget to share your practice journey on easyhealthylive.com too.
Reference source
Germs at the Gym: How to Work Out Without Worry https://www.healthline.com/health-news/poor-gym-habits-and-the-germs-they-carry Accessed: 5/6/2020

John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.