5 Ways To Reduce Bacteria In The Gym

My wife loves the gym, with the drop off to creche giving her the free time she needs to drop off a crazy son and relieve her stress (towards a gym bag and not me). Here are tips for you other Mum and Dad gym users in a guest post from AMC Commercial Cleaning, a fully Australian owned and operated company with commercial cleaning experience of over 25 years.


Look over to the cardio section, the man on the treadmill is involuntarily competing in a wet t-shirt competition. Rivers of sweat flowing from every pore, he is seasoning the equipment with his bodily salts. Touch anything within a two metre radius of his machine, and you are contaminated. Naturally, you select the treadmill furthest away from the human waterfall. Feeling safely distanced from the perspiring behemoth, you select your level, speed and start warming up. Out of the corner of your eye you see a dried sweat droplet on the handle. There’s no guarantee you are safe. You can never know who came before you. Thankfully, there are some measures you can take to minimise your bacteria exposure.

Clean your Mitts

Washing your hands. It’s not a difficult skill, no one is going to list it on their resume. Despite this, there is always someone who walks out of the bathroom without cleansing their dirty toilet hands. They could have lifted the barbell you just curled, touched the rowing machine you warmed up on, or worse, smothered their germs over the yoga mat you are cooling down on. Giving your hands a thorough scrub before and after your session is a non- negotiable.

Wipe it Down

Each piece of equipment holds a new danger. Has anyone sneezed on it? Did someone try to sweat out their flu all over this machine? Did anyone with a nasty cough involuntarily spread their contamination? Ease your mind and use disinfectant wipes to rid the equipment of germs. The gym signs ask all patrons to wipe down equipment with their towel, but how will that save you when they wiped down their sweaty brow first?

BYO

When going to a restaurant with a questionable wine list, you BYO. Apply the same principle at the gym. Feel at ease knowing that your towel is freshly washed, your yoga mat is disinfected and your water is filtered through a squeaky clean tank. Your immune system will thank you for your preparation.

Strip Off

Not everything is better marinaded. You won’t appear more delicious by soaking in your sweaty juices, so strip off immediately post-workout. If you are braving the communal gym showers, avoid that floating tinea by ensuring you bring appropriate footwear. If you are deterred by the long shower line, quickly refresh your skin with some baby wipes. It might not be a shower, but it’s a step up from remaining salty, sticky and stinky.

Cover Up

Save your bruss build or bikini bod for the beach. While you may be confident in your skin, don’t leave your clothes at home. While exposing flesh may increase your chances of scoring a date, you’ll be more likely to contract a sickness. Decrease the surface area available for contamination by wearing a t-shirt instead of a singlet, or long pants instead of booty shorts.

The gym is a minefield of germs. Follow these tips for a bacteria free visit! For more tips and tricks, check out this website.