Exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy mind and body, with research showing that regular physical activity can slow the progression of 40 chronic diseases and conditions.
However a health expert has warned that we should reconsider our less-than-clean exercise habits we take up in the gym, to stay well during these winter months.
GP and wellness Doctor, Aarthi Sinha, warned that failing to clean your water bottle could eventually result in diarrhoea and vomiting.
“If you don’t wash and air your water bottle often enough this can lead to these bugs building up on the side of the bottle and then getting into the water when the bottle is filled up,” she warned.
“If you then drink this water, it can lead to diarrhoea and vomiting.”
She advises to clean your water bottles every day as how you would with cups and mugs, reports Surrey Live.
Additionally she suggest occasionally cleaning your bottles with sterilising tablets.
“You may periodically consider cleaning it using sterilising tablets (like those used for baby’s milk bottles), if they’re compatible with your water bottle.”
Dr Sinha’s list of essential habits to avoid at the gym
Using shared gym mats
Using gym mats that are drenched in another person’s sweat without cleaning it before use can put you at risk of catching multiple germs.
Dr Sinha notes: “Any bodily fluid contains dead skin cells and bugs from our skin and other secretions. You may be carrying viruses you are unaware of and if this spreads to another person it can cause skin infections (including spots), coughs and colds.”
Delaying changing out of your gym kit
Dr Sinha emphasises the risks of re-wearing exercise gear without washing it: “Sweat and dead skin cells that shed when we workout can transfer on to our gym clothes. If these are worn again, it can cause skin infections like impetigo and thrush.”
Wash your gym clothes inside out on a low temperature and avoid using fabric softeners, as they can damage the stretch of gym fabrics and leave residue behind.
Not wiping your gym equipment down
A study by FitRated found that gym free weights carry 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, while treadmills have an average of 74 times more bacteria than a public bathroom tap.
So, it is best to wipe down your equipment before and after you use it.
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Using the gym’s swimsuit dryer
Additional research on household washing machines and dryers, which operate similarly to your gym’s swimsuit dryer, found that 20% contained E. coli in the drum—a bacterium that can cause diarrhoea, stomach issues, and cystitis.
“Bodily fluids like sweat, dead skin cells and even saliva transfer from our bodies to our swimsuits and therefore into the dryer. This can then be transmitted on to our swimwear,” warns Dr Sinha.
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