READ ON / foot safety
G’ANATOMY BOOTIES ARE HERE!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.Relentless Gym Germs
Being a fitness buff and a germaphobe is not a good combination. If you're wondering why, it's because your local gym is positively swimming with bacteria, fungus and other things that make you go "ah-choo" in the night.
But fear not! Before you buy a containment suit and set your gym membership card on fire, rest assured that these common germs are easily avoided and much less frightening than they sound. Which is why we've provided a handy list of germs that have been found in gyms, what they actually are (in English) and how you can get them.
So spray and wipe down machines before and after you use them, lay a towel down before you lay your ass down on a bench, invest in a pair of shower flip-flops, change out of your sweaty gym duds as soon as you're done with your workout, and, most importantly, wash your hands before you stick them up your nose and in your mouth like a filthy toddler and you won't have to worry about these microscopic critters.
HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS
What is it?
Human Papillomavirus is a virus that you probably know as HPV. It's the most common sexually transmitted disease... but that doesn't mean sex is the only way you get it...
Symptoms
HPV usually causes genital warts in both men and women. It can also cause warts in the throat and mouth and even on the feet (known as plantar warts). If untreated, it can lead to cervical cancer in women and (shudder) penile and anal cancer in men. It also results in the inability to land a date ever again.
How do you get it?
You can pick up plantar warts from walking around barefoot in bathrooms and showers.
How do you treat it?
There's no actual cure for HPV, but there are prescriptions to treat outbreaks.
KLEBSIELLA
What is it?
A bacteria that is usually found in healthy human intestines and stool.
Symptoms
Klebsiella can result in a variety of infections, most commonly urinary tract infections and pneumonia, but in rarer cases blood infections and meningitis. The type of infection you get depends on how it enters your body (i.e. through your nose results in pneumonia).
How do you get it?
It's spread through contact, so any shared surfaces--cardio machines, workout mats, weights, water fountains and locker rooms--are fair game.
How do you treat it?
Different varieties of Klebsiella are resistant to certain antibiotics, so it can be difficult to treat, but the right antibiotic will clear it up.
E. COLI
What is it?
Escherichia Coli, commonly known as E. coli, is a common bacterium found in the intestines and stool of animals. It's infamous for almost putting Jack in the Box out of business in 1993.
Symptoms
E. coli infections cause cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and can lead to pneumonia.
How do you get it?
You usually get it from eating contaminated food, but it's possible to catch it from tainted gym surfaces.
How do you treat it?
Most healthy people just need to drink a lot of water and wait for the gut-wrenching symptoms to pass, but if it escalates, get thee to a hospital. Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune symptoms are especially at risk.
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
What is it?
Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as staph, is a bacteria that mostly causes skin infections.
Symptoms
Staph infections are usually mild and include superficial rashes, pimples and/or boils on your skin. However, if the bacteria spreads and gets deeper into your skin, it can become a life-threatening infection such as pneumonia, sepsis or meningitis. Recently there have been reports of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a very aggressive form of Staph that's resistant to antibiotics, in gyms, but it's extremely rare.
How do you get it?
It's spread through contact, so it can be picked up through a shared towel or razor, exercise equipment surfaces and grips or skin-to-skin contact.
How do you treat it?
A course of antibiotics should do the trick.
CANDIDA
What is it?
The most common culprit in fungal infections, this yeast-like fungus can lead to everything from athlete's foot to ringworm to jock itch in men and yeast infections in women.
How do you get it?
Contact. It loves warm, moist areas, so locker rooms, saunas, swimming pools and showers are the perfect environment to pick up some tasty foot fungus.
Symptoms
Ringworm is usually marked by ring-shaped skin rashes, usually on your toes, sometimes on your palms and between your fingers. Athlete's foot gives you itchy, cracked, flaking and peeling skin between the toes or side of the foot, while jock itch causes a rash on your groin. If it's untreated, it can escalate to blisters and severely cracked skin.
How do you treat it?
Antifungal creams, but if it escalates into an infection, antibiotics will do the trick.
STREPTOCOCCAL BACTERIA
What is it?
A type of bacteria that usually causes upper respiratory infections--strep throat. There are 20 different types of strep bacteria.
How do you get it?
It's very contagious and is spread through person-to-person contact, airborne droplets, doorknobs and other surfaces. Sweaty exercise equipment, saunas, locker rooms and drinking bottles can harbor strep.
Symptoms
Symptoms can range from mild throat infections to pneumonia. It can also cause skin infections such as impetigo, which causes blisters, and cellulitis, which affects deeper layers of skin.
How do you treat it?
Antibiotics, although minor strep infections, such as a throat and inner ear infections, usually get better on their own. Skin infections are treated with antibiotic tablets or creams, and more serious infections like pneumonia and meningitis require hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.
INFLUENZA
What is it?
You probably call it the flu. It's a virus, which causes a nose, throat and lung infection that makes you feel like crap for a few days.
How do you get it?
Through the air, so contained areas like airplanes, movie theaters and gyms are a great place to catch it. Breathe in the droplets from someone's coughs or sneezes, or get the virus on your hands and touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Symptoms
Fever, body aches, coughing, sneezing, chills, dizziness, flushed face, headache, lack of energy and, sometimes, nausea and vomiting that lasts between four and seven days.
How do you treat it?
There's no cure for the flu, but over the counter drugs help alleviate symptoms. Otherwise, your best bet is a healthy dose of rest, chicken soup, bad television, fluids and self-loathing.
Read on mensfitness.com …
Gym Germs: Locker Room Lurkers That Can Make You Sick!
It’s not hard to find reasons to skip a gym session, particularly when it’s been a long day, your favorite TV show’s on, and the couch feels extra-comfortable. But few of us would list health as a reason not to go. After all, exercising is one of the best things we can do for our physical and emotional well-being. Plus, the subsequent rush of endorphins is a fun reward for our efforts that lasts beyond the workout.
Unfortunately, we take more than just that happy hormonal surge home with us upon leaving the gym. I’m talking about the bacteria and viruses that thrive in warm, moist environments, like the surfaces of exercise equipment, floor mats, and shower stalls. And if we’re not careful during and after our workouts, hitting the gym can weaken health, rather than improve it. There are a number of ailments we can pick up simply by using dumbbells or changing in the locker room.
Colds and Flu
There are tons of germs lurking all over the gym, from the weights machines to the stretching mats. Even if you’re diligent about wiping everything you touch with antiseptic spray or wipes (which you should be), it won’t get rid of everything. A 2006 study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine tested two fitness centers for lingering bacteria and viruses over the course of a week. Every machine was disinfected twice a day and tested before and after. Researchers found that 63 percent of the equipment had traces of rhinoviruses, which are the culprits behind the common cold. Their findings also suggested that the twice-daily cleaning didn’t make a significant impact on the viral presence. With so many viruses flying through the air, thanks to sweat and sneezes (not to mention the amount of people in such close quarters), there’s always some risk of illness.
Fungal Infections and Warts
Fungi are happiest in warm and wet places, which is why fungal skin infections are one of the more prevalent afflictions among gymgoers. The most common is athlete’s foot, which is characterized by cracked, itching, and inflamed skin between the toes. Plantar warts, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), pop up on foot soles. Both of these occur when feet come into contact with moist, infected surfaces, such as locker room floors, shower floors, and indoor swimming pools. Skin-to-skin contact with the infected area (or touching something that’s had contact with the area, like socks or towels) can cause infection as well. Athlete’s foot and plantar warts spread easily, and with the former, you’re more likely to get it again once you’ve had it the first time.
Ringworm is a fungal infection like athlete’s foot, except it occurs on the body and displays itself as a red ring of blisters or raised skin. It’s spread via towels, gym equipment, and clothes.
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a particularly scary kind of staph infection because, while many staph infections are treated with antibiotics, MRSA shows resistance to even the strongest antibiotics, making it a “superbug,” that can infect various parts of the body, such as the skin, lungs, urinary tract, and bloodstream. Because MRSA is so difficult to treat, it can prove deadly in some individuals. Its infection rate is also higher among younger generations than other varieties of staph bacteria are. You can get it from direct contact with an infected individual or by touching an object that person has handled, like gym equipment or towels. According to WebMD, one in one hundred people carry the bacteria but don’t necessarily get sick. MRSA starts out looking like a regular staph infection (small red bumps that are warm, painful, and/or pus-filled), but quickly looks worse in a matter of days.
The Keys to Prevention
This doesn’t mean that walking into the gym is a surefire way to catch any of these ailments. You can considerably reduce the likelihood with preventative measures.
- Keep a barrier between you and the gym. That means putting a towel down on gym equipment, never going barefoot in the locker room or shower stalls (wear flip-flops instead), and wiping down the machines before and after use.
- Wash up after working out. If you can’t shower, at least wash your hands before you leave. Throw your clothes and towels in the washer, too.
- Avoid touching your face during a gym session. It transfers germs to your mouth, nose, and eyes, which invites the onset of colds and the flu.
- Make sure any cuts or open wounds are covered up with a clean bandage, unless you’re curious about what MRSA’s like.
- Sweaty feet lead to athlete’s foot, so, after showering, dry your feet thoroughly with a clean towel. If you’re prone to the fungal infection, consider sprinkling antifungal powder in your shoes as a precaution. Change socks routinely if your feet get especially warm, and once you’re done working out, change immediately out of your gym shoes.
- The drinking fountain hosts a plethora of bacteria and viruses, so bring your own bottle of water from home.
Despite all its health hazards, going to the gym and getting your sweat on is still one of the best things you can do for your body. You just have to make sure no one else’s sweat gets on you in the process.
Read more on divinecaroline.com
