Do You Regularly Go to the Gym? You May be at Risk of These Infections

You go to the gym to look and feel great as well as to live a long and happy life. Did you know that there are all sorts of infections that you can catch at the gym? Because everyone in there is sweaty, that’s not a big surprise!

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So keep on reading if you frequent the gym. Below you will come across some of the kinds of infections that you are at risk. Also, don’t forget to share this article on your various social media sites afterwards especially if you have family members and friends who hit the gym on a regular basis, too.

Boils

Staphylococcus bacteria are some of the most common types of microbes at the gym, and they can be found primarily on the skin of your co-gym goers. Actually, everyone has some form of staphylococcus on his or her skin. There should be no problem unless they infect a break in the skin and cause a boil to strike.

If you have a cut, scrape or sore, make sure that you cover it with clean gauze. Refrain from sharing towels or any other personal items with someone at the gym. Before and after using a piece of gym equipment, wipe it down. Don’t forget to use a hand sanitizer as soon as you step foot outside the gym.

Athlete’s Foot

There are a couple of things that can cause you to catch athlete’s foot at the gym: by means of your own poor hygiene practices and getting it from someone else who has it. The type of fungi responsible for athlete’s foot loves to thrive in warm and moist places, and that’s why various areas at the gym serve as its playground.

Make sure that you do not walk barefoot anywhere at the gym if you want to keep athlete’s foot at bay. It’s also important for you to mind your own hygiene practices by putting on a pair of clean cotton socks each time and allowing your gym shoes to dry thoroughly before using them again.

Ringworm

Basically, ringworm is just athlete’s foot that is found elsewhere on your body. Needless to say, it’s also brought about by the same type of fungi that’s responsible for athlete’s foot. Ringworm commonly affects the arms and legs, although it can also appear anywhere on your trunk.

In order to lower your risk of having ringworm, make sure that you put on clean and dry clothes after taking a shower. Wear clean cotton socks all the time and give your gym shoes plenty of time to air dry. Since it’s very much possible for ringworm to appear on your scalp, using an anti-dandruff shampoo is a wonderful idea.

Warts

A lot of people are infected with the human papillomavirus or HPV, and some strains of the said virus are responsible for the formation of warts. Because warts love to live in places that are warm and moist, you can easily get HPV at the gym. It’s easier for you to end up with a wart if the HPV infects a broken part of your skin.

It’s true that warts can appear practically anywhere on your body. However, plantar warts or warts on the weight-bearing areas of your feet like the heels are very common among gym goers. It’s also very easy for warts to appear on your hands, so make sure that you have a bottle of hand sanitizer within your easy reach while working out.

The Cold

Especially when the cold season is here, it can be very easy for you to catch this upper respiratory tract infection. Be wary when someone at the gym is sneezing or coughing — it’s through such that the cold virus gets from one person to the other. Infected people can actually transmit the virus even before they feel ill.

Definitely, you should refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth after touching anything at the gym that could be contaminated. Frequently washing your hands or using a hand sanitizer is your best defense against the cold virus. It will help a lot, too, if you strengthen your immune system by loading up on vitamin C-rich foods.

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