Fit Fare

Ah, February. The gym is starting to get back to normal after the January New Year’s Resolutions Membership Spike and it is cold and rainy in my part of the world. That often translates to an abundance of colds and flu. Add to that warm, moist environments like the gym locker room and you’ve got a breeding ground for illness. So how do you survive? Here are a few tips.

• If your gym offers bottles of disinfectant, use them. Don’t just use them when you’re done using the machine (although that’s an absolute must for good gym neighbor relations), use them before you work out. While we all hope that the person using the machine before us was considerate enough to disinfect the machine, there are no guarantees.
• Bring a small bottle of anti-bacterial hand cleaner with you. My gym offers the bottles of disinfectant on the cardio machines, but none for the free weights. Tuck a small bottle of cleaner in your pocket or gym bag for use after weight lifting.
• Wash your hands often. This is something your mother has been saying to you for years, but that’s because it is good advice. Use soap and wash for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth as much as possible. If you do need to rub your eyes or blow your nose, disinfect both before and after.

One other quick bit of advice that’s more about keeping other people healthy. If you’re sick, please stay home. Exercise can help you heal, but if you’re coughing or sneezing at the gym, you’re putting other people at risk of infection. Work out at home or go for a walk outside.