With virtually every media outlet riffing daily on the flu and the spread of germs in our day to day travels, it's not surprising that I've received several questions of this same ilk.
Q: I've recently started going to the gym (after taking a hiatus for a couple of months). Anyway, I noticed after my first week of working out (and going pretty hard) I got sick. Two weeks later, my brother started going to the gym and the same thing happened to him. Now I'm sure both of these situations could be merely coincidence, but I have read articles about how the gym can make you sick, from you a) catching germs from the machines that aren't cleaned properly (or at all) or b) pushing yourself to excess after a period of being relatively sedentary.
There are several reasons that the gym could make you sick. And yes, you are quite right that one of the big reasons is equipment cleanliness, especially during this time of the year when many people go to the gym semi-sick (sniffles, coughs) and then touch all the equipment, leaving a trail of their germs behind for others. Most people are pretty good about wiping down cardio machines, but no one ever wipes down free weights or cable machine attachments, which often have a foam or rubber cover on them that absorbs millions of germs!
It's unfortunately difficult to avoid germs in a public gym, so remember that if you are using this equip don't touch your face, mouth or water bottle until you have had a chance to wash your hands or disinfect.
Another big reason is that people push themselves too much and their body is simply not ready for it. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, exercise is a type of stress on the body, because it is expending energy and breaking down muscle fibres. If you have had a stressful day at work, aren't eating very healthfully, have been getting little sleep and are already tired before getting to the gym, you are essentially depleting your body of all the energy stores it has left.If you are healthy and have a strong immune system; meaning that you eat right, sleep right, get enough sleep, then your body can certainly take the stress of working out, and the feeling you will get after a great workout is exhilarating.
If you are working out, hopefully doing strength training as well as some cardio, you need to be sleeping adequately. This is the only time that your body will get to recover. People who go to the gym and do countless hours of cardio and are on a low calorie & fat diet often tend to get sick quite often as well. Simply put, it's your body telling you that you aren't necessarily taking the best approach to losing weight.
So long answer short, if you yourself aren't proactive in your approach to going to the gym, then there is a good possibility it could make you sick. Follow the advice laid out above to stay free and clear of sickness.
Stay healthy.
Daniela
Q: I've recently started going to the gym (after taking a hiatus for a couple of months). Anyway, I noticed after my first week of working out (and going pretty hard) I got sick. Two weeks later, my brother started going to the gym and the same thing happened to him. Now I'm sure both of these situations could be merely coincidence, but I have read articles about how the gym can make you sick, from you a) catching germs from the machines that aren't cleaned properly (or at all) or b) pushing yourself to excess after a period of being relatively sedentary.
There are several reasons that the gym could make you sick. And yes, you are quite right that one of the big reasons is equipment cleanliness, especially during this time of the year when many people go to the gym semi-sick (sniffles, coughs) and then touch all the equipment, leaving a trail of their germs behind for others. Most people are pretty good about wiping down cardio machines, but no one ever wipes down free weights or cable machine attachments, which often have a foam or rubber cover on them that absorbs millions of germs!
It's unfortunately difficult to avoid germs in a public gym, so remember that if you are using this equip don't touch your face, mouth or water bottle until you have had a chance to wash your hands or disinfect.
Another big reason is that people push themselves too much and their body is simply not ready for it. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, exercise is a type of stress on the body, because it is expending energy and breaking down muscle fibres. If you have had a stressful day at work, aren't eating very healthfully, have been getting little sleep and are already tired before getting to the gym, you are essentially depleting your body of all the energy stores it has left.If you are healthy and have a strong immune system; meaning that you eat right, sleep right, get enough sleep, then your body can certainly take the stress of working out, and the feeling you will get after a great workout is exhilarating.
If you are working out, hopefully doing strength training as well as some cardio, you need to be sleeping adequately. This is the only time that your body will get to recover. People who go to the gym and do countless hours of cardio and are on a low calorie & fat diet often tend to get sick quite often as well. Simply put, it's your body telling you that you aren't necessarily taking the best approach to losing weight.
So long answer short, if you yourself aren't proactive in your approach to going to the gym, then there is a good possibility it could make you sick. Follow the advice laid out above to stay free and clear of sickness.
Stay healthy.
Daniela
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