We have two YSBAI’s (You should Blog About It) in a row! I was sent a Facebook message a couple of weeks ago by a former classmate that I should blog about Gym Hygiene. This one was from a man yall! I’m happy to bring this to you on Act-Fit Friday! People who have sent request in the past, I’m getting around to them. Please stay tuned in in the mean time.
- Wear deodorant to the gym & if you work out first thing in the morning, make sure you shower the night before
- Dress in apparel made from moisture-wicking materials from head to toe, including your undergarments (or go commando) to prevent development of yeast infections in your sweaty gym clothes per Michele Curtis, M.D. an ob-gyn from Houston who was quoted in the March SHAPE magazine issue
- If towel services aren’t provided, bring your own to wipe off sweat. It is probably best to bring your own CLEAN towel anyway
- If you sweat a lot, make sure you give yourself space in a class not to sling sweat on other participants while jumping around. If you are on a machine, don’t sling your sweaty hair over on the member working out beside you
- Wipe down machines and bicyles before and after you use them
- Bring your own exercise mat
- Keep hand sanitizer in your gym bag and sanitize before using machines
- Bring your own bottle of water or buy one from the gym, the water fountains have lots of germs
- Try to keep the body sprays and perfume to the bare minimum. None at all is ideal
- Don’t hog the machines during prime time, be reasonable
- When you finish with the machine, turn the TV off
- Re-rack the weights appropriately when taking a class or working out on the floor
- Place wet clothes in a separate bag inside your gym bag when you finish working out
- Shower before you leave the gym. If you don’t have time to shower, take the wet clothes off, wipe off with body wipes, and put on dry clothes
- Use shower shoes in the gym showers
- Take sick days and stay at home to prevent spreading germs to other members
- If you are mildly ill, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing (use the inside fold of your elbow)
- Dress appropriately (no pones hanging out & breast popping out)
- Wash your hands before leaving the gym and if the paper towel dispenser isn’t automatic, dispense them with your arm
- Speak to people and be nice to everyone, including newbies.
These all work together to prevent germs and infections from spreading and to provide the most gym friendly environment for all parties.
Yours in Healthy, Active, & Prosperous Lifestyles,
Rx Fitness Lady wants to know…
- What pet peeves do you have about hygiene at the gym?
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Rx Fitness Lady
Greetings, I'm Joi, a Pharmacist with a passion for fitness & a community leader. I am the Creator & Senior Fitness Trainer of "In The Paint" Online Group Training Program. I teach BODYCOMBAT, BODYPUMP, Tabata Boot Camp, & serve as a mentor to young girls. My goal is to inspire people to live healthy, active, & prosperous lifestyles through practical blog posts deliveries. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram. ARE YOU WASTING TIME DIETING... Check out my book "Diets Are Dead Win Small With M.E.D.S., DO YOU WANT TO WORKOUT FROM HOME WITH LIVE ACCOUNTABILITY? Join #InThePaint #OneCommunity! You can view more posts, subscribe to stay tuned to latest updates & Shop all things Rx Fitness Lady at The Shoppes at Rx Fitness Lady.
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They had better have on deodorant and some good kind too that will hold you. That is one place my sanitizer would be put into full use could you imagine the sweaty germs….ewwwww
Kita recently posted…Convo with the baby: The case of the bagel
It is really gross when you think about it Kita! What exactly is the good kind of deodorant, lol!
These are some great tips. The bad gym habits of some can really make for a bad experience at the gym or dance studio. Thanks for sharing these tips.
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Thanks Monica for pointing out that these rules are not only for gyms but for specialty fitness centers and places for the arts!
Joi
Wipe down equipment before and after….BEFORE AND AFTER!! YES!!!! Nothing grosses me out more than seeing someone profusely sweating on a machine and then just walking away. It’s so RUDE.
Your etiquette/hygiene rules are fantastic. FANTASTIC. I wish everyone would read them. –Lisa
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Thank you for sharing them Lisa! It’s rude, but I honestly think, people don’t know any better. It’s like, yes it makes sense, but I can see how they think everyone is funky up in here anyway, so why do I need to clean anything.
Joi
I LOVE THIS!!!! As you are now aware, I am a stickler for rules(and courtesies). I can’t even begin to tell you how much I support #12! I used to be into heavy weight lifting and nothing could get me hotter than a wet cat then someone not re-racking or racking weights in the wrong spot! I also used to work at a gym for a while and it was sooo frustrating seeing a floor full of unracked weights.
Thank you for informing folks that a clean and orderly gym is a happy gym. 😉
Veronica @ vwattsthoughts recently posted…A Parenting and Runner No No All Wrapped In One
I don’t particularly care to re rack the weights from after group fitness class behind adults, but lucky for me, the gyms where I primarily teach have members who place them in the correct spots.
Joi
Whew! Makes me glad I workout at home. My breast did pop out once in my living. But no one was looking.
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LOL, always a jokster.
Girrl. ALL of this! Its so gross to say, but I have been slung with sweat in spin class. OH MY GOSH I was was so grossed out and mortified! oh and the body sprays and perfumes, that can get pretty serious in the womens locker room. When I used to go to the gym during rush hour (5pm) there would be this annoying dude that was actually assigned to tell us to jump off the treadmil after 30 minutes, he was so annoying! But I respect the rules.
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He sounds SUPER annoying!!! Now I’m a stickler for rules, but adults being scolded at a place where they pay for membership….NO MA’AM, I’d have to keep it moving!
Great list! Especially the perfume thing. I’d mention that you should wipe of sweat before and after you use equipment. It’s to protect you and the next person who might not be as gym savvy.
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Being slung with sweat, yuck and I’m glad I do Zumba at home. I wanted to get out, but maybe walking will be my outside workout. Almost time, I can’t walk when it’s cold. Great tips Joi!
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Love the list! I am not a gym person, but when I am not working out outside, and I am in the gym, I do have some concerns. Now, if people followed this list I would feel a lot better. Glad your classmate sent a request for this post.
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Great TIPS!!! I completely understand working out causes a lot of perspiration and body heat which generates odor and germs. So it’s important that we clean our areas after we are done.
Thanks for the question and for regularly reading.
Joi
ha this has a LOT of good information on it — sometimes I think people should know it, then I remember they don’t always 🙂
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I agree Melissa! It is all about communication. We can deliver this information in a tactful way as not to offend members.
When I used to work out in the gym, I cringed when I saw people leaving sweat behind. {So, now I have to clean up YOUR mess if I want to use that piece of equipment?} If you haven’t already done so, you should do a post on gym ETIQUETTE. Like, please don’t gab on your cell phone/grunt loudly/play music so loudly I can sing the lyrics too/hog equipment.
Keep the fun tips coming. I’ve noticed your posts tend to generate discussion, which few blogs do. 🙂
XOXO,
Meredith
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Thank you for the suggestion Meredith. I threw a couple in this one, but I will put it on the calendar.
Thanks for the compliment. That means a lot to a newbie in the blog world.
Joi
Great tips!! A lot of these are very simple things that will make your life and workouts much easier.
Tracie recently posted…Anne of Green Gables Cover Art Take Two
Thanks Tracie, they would make us gym goers have a an easier life 😉
Some great tips, people should stick to them and quite funny too! I can’t bear other people’s sweat, YUCK! Wipe it up! and sanitise, that is a great idea.
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Yes, when I was training for a program, we were in a very small GF room and had a lot of people….needless to say, I almost purged several times.
Spoken like a true gym & health enthusiast. Although I don’t hit the gym I do have the luxury of running into quite a few gym regulars post – workout, so thank you for the deodorant tip. Thanks a lot!
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ROTFL, you are crazy girl!!!
The gym is just infested with people who leave their germs everywhere, so these tips are so helpful. Wiping down is like the first thing I do before getting on those machines…lol! Thanks for the tips!
A germ infested infection waiting to happen. I hope people use them.
HI Joi,
Thanks so much for connecting – it is great to “meet” someone else who is just like me, so I’m really looking forward to delving into your blog some more now!
Cheers,
Liz n
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Great Liz! Thanks for responding. I love stumbling across people with similar interest!
Joi
i absolutely love this list and wish we can print it out and post it in all gyms. My biggest pet peeve at the gym are women who think it’s ok to walk around naked and have conversations in the nude. People get to comfortable in the locker rooms, you are not home so please wrap yourself with a towel. thanks again for this list.
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I don’t pay the ladies any attention in the restroom but then again, they are never walking around naked either. That’s funny and awkward!
Joi
GREAT post!!! The gym’s that I have been too have been very ppl friendly and clean. I was a member at an all female gym that was very small. The equipment was really close together and I really did not like that. I had to take my own santi wipes to wipe the equipment down. After that I made sure that the gym was large and that the equipment was well spaced with proper ventilation. I went a couple months ago to a gym just to use the sauna and I took my own towels with me .
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Margaret, that’s unfortunate at a small business but good that we have ways to still support them. Thanks for sharing.
Joi
Love this post!! You would think most of the things on your list are common sense, but you’d be surprised that most people don’t follow it. lol I am not really a gym person, more of an outdoors girl, but the few times I have gone in the gym I’m surprised by the lack of sanitation and common courtesy people seem to follow. Thanks for such a great post!
Yeah it seems that way, but some is ignorance and some is just pure laziness!
Joi
Good advice! I hope everyone who goes to the gym reads this blog and adheres to it! Wouldn’t that be a blessing?
That would be nice if a post of mine went viral! It would be nice for the members as well 🙂
There’s a guy at my gym that I try to avoid b/c I know if he ends up next to me I’ll be holding my breath trying not to breathe in his funk for 30 minutes… It’s horrible.
Can you recommend a good body wipe brand please?
Hi Diandra,
I would use the store brand especially for after the gym, Walgreens store brand is fine. That guy sounds like a nightmare! Thank you for visiting!
Joi
Great points….I don’t go to gyms as I don’t like crowds, I don’t like waiting for equipment and I’m a germ a phobic I also cannot stand guys in gyms showing off and acting up beside me…I know….cray cray I am! I stick to outdoor activities or classes that I know will be at hours that are not peak time.. I’ve just gotten sick so many times after going to gyms in the past, so now I’ve become slightly paranoid! Eek…what to do?
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Cray Cray made my day!!!
Hand sanitizer and wipe down machines is all I can say!
Yes I do that alot…trust me! I was kinda exaggerating before, I do like gyms when I can attend Pilates and Zumba classes (though if they are crowded I just head to the tennis court) – I am saying those words alot lately around here “cray cray” ha ha!
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