According to a recent study, not everything a gym can offer is benefits for the body. FitRader analyzed 27 pieces of workout equipment, such as treadmills and exercise bikes, from three different gyms to find out more than 1 million distinct bacteria (CFU) per square inch on every equipment type.
Mishandling workout equipment is not the only way to harm yourself at the gym. These are the three most common kind of bacteria FitRader found and they can put you in risk too: gram-positive cocci, which can provoke skin infections and it’s also linked to pneumonia and septicemia; gram-negative rods that can cause a more aggressive skin infection because it is resistant to antibiotics; and the third most common is bacillus, which can cause ear, eye, and respiratory infections.
FitRader reported that an average exercise bike ha 39 times more bacteria than a plastic reusable cafeteria tray, the average free weight is 362 times more full of bacteria than a toilet seat, and a treadmill is 74 times more bacteria than a public water faucet
Tips to avoid harmful bacteria while working out at the gym
To gym-lovers, FitRated suggests that instead of sharing a gym with infinite unknown people, it’s better to invest in their own equipment to work out at home. But if the conditions aren’t given to doing so, they recommend disinfecting machines before and after using them, no to touch the face while working out, never walk around footless, and change out the gym clothes and shower right after getting home from the gym.
FirtRader is a small group of fitness fanatics determinates to help people search for the right fitness equipment and choose a proper diet plan and workout program. Their goal is “to help the general public, build a strong fitness foundation quickly while saving money”. They work compiling vital information about popular fitness equipment, then through an exclusive algorithm based on data points, their experts determinate a score that represents the best overall value.
Source: Red Eye Chicago