Germs In The Gym | The best defense is a good offense
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 ILLUSTRATED BY KRISTOPHER LEE |
Few things help your immune system more than exercise. So doesn't it make sense to take a little time to prevent your health club from making you sick?
Germs are everywhere. Gyms certainly don't corner the market, as anyone who has lived through a co-worker's hacking can attest, but anytime you're in close proximity to sweating, panting people, you're at risk.
The vast majority of germs are harmless, but about 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted by contact. And in general, germs love moisture, from sweat to shower stalls. That's why you must wipe off machines and mats before and after you use them.
You also need to be vigilant for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a version of staph bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics. While rare, MRSA can infect blood, even bones. MRSA and other staph infections can be contracted by touching equipment and then touching a scratch or other skin opening.
The health-club industry spends a lot of money and attention on hygiene. Some clubs provide instant hand sanitizers, although washing with warm water and soap is usually enough.
The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association gives a series of recommendations for gym owners. Among them are ensuring that spray bottles of disinfecting solution and towels or disposable disinfecting wipes are available, and designating an employee to inspect or clean equipment and surfaces in locker rooms throughout the day.
Good gyms not only sanitize their equipment regularly, they try to get members to play their role. (Sorry, but scribbling over the surface you just used with the same towel you've been carrying around does not count as doing your part.)
What you can do is clean your hands a lot. Some members use individual wipes for each piece of equipment and spend time thoroughly wiping what they will touch.
There are even such things as HandleBuddies, which are sanitary handle or hand-grip covers. You can wrap them around most fitness equipment handles to avoid skin-to-surface contact altogether. See www.handlebuddies.com for more information.
As for communal yoga and exercise mats, clubs should thoroughly wash them regularly, but you can never tell. Consider bringing your own mat.
It all seems a bit much, but you have to protect yourself if you want to stay healthy. Isn't that why you go to the gym in the first place?
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