Germophobe at the Gym

I am a germophobe, it’s true. I try not to be ridiculous and not to the full extent, but I am one to a point and will admit it. I HATE germs!!

My germophobe self developed at the young age of 5, or most likely I was always one. Entering kindergarten I even started an odd movement where I would flick my hands with my fingers from the palms outward, thinking I could flick off any germs that accumulated on my hands. My family lovingly called this movement “throwing stars,” so I didn’t bother to share with them that I was simply trying to stay clean 😉 I know it would have really worried my grandma, ha.  I was worried about germs while other kids were happily rolling around in them.

Being a germaphobe doesn’t really affect me that much, I don’t have it as bad as some and thankful for that! It could truly be exhausting!

The time that it is probably most obvious to me is when I go to the gym. I absolutely love all the machines, weights, and well basically everything. They are fun toys! Fun, germ infested toys, that is. I suffer through it because it’s worth it to use the machines and weights but I can’t think about it while using them. I don’t even like to wipe them off after use for fear of picking up others germs while I’m wiping away mine. However, that’s not fair to the next gym-goer! So I always do, cringing the whole time and quickly racing to use antibacterial afterward.

To make myself a little less grossed out, I thought it might help to do a little research and find the dirtiest things at  the gym to be aware of and maybe even steer clear. But sheesh! Don’t know if it’s better to know or not know… so warning…if you want to stay blissfully in the dark… quit reading 😉

Dirtiest Things at the Gym

• Showers – This one was not a surprise to me. Germs love moisture so of course they breed in the shower. Hence, I never use the shower at a gym. I always plan time to make sure I can run home and shower before my next item on my to-do.

• Hand Held Weights – For s0me reason I hadn’t thought of these as being a culprit, but they are. It does make sense once you think about it though, they are probably one of the most used things at the gym. Maybe the heaviest ones are much cleaner because they are used less often. 50 pounder, I’ll grab you next time 😉

• Treadmill – This one really surprised me. How is a treadmill that germy? You are just running or walking on it. Do you even really touch it? But apparently it is, so remember to use antibacterial after it too!

• Weight levers – I hadn’t thought that much about this part because it’s just your hand, not your sweaty back on it or legs. But the lever where you adjust positioning is crawling with germs.

The types of germs most common at the gym are cold and flu virus, staph infection, strep bacteria, and unfortunately a few others but we will stop there. Men’s Fitness goes into more detail if interested!

The best way to keep yourself in the clear? Wash your hands often. Don’t touch your face while working out. Cover any cuts with band aids, or tape.

So I’m off to wash my gym bag now, and no I’m not kidding. You should remember to wash those often! There was a study that proved many people’s gym bags had fecal matter on the bottom of them, excuse me, what?!

Are you afraid of the germs at the gym?