Editor Note: Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program. If you feel pain, stop immediately.
CNN
–
At the time the pandemic of the new Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was rampant, it was standard to carefully wash the kinetic equipment. But today, even crowded places, such as the fitness center, may have reduced the attention to pathogens.
Ignore it According to experts, gyms can be a problem because of the potentially harmful bacteria.
According to one institution, almost 75% of the cotton swab samples collected from fitness devices such as dumbbells, treadmills, and exercise mats showed a positive reaction of yellow grapes. 2018 Survey It was published in the environment and public health journal. Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacterium, Most infectious diseases。
Staphylococcus aureus can be found on the surface of the gymnasium, but the exercise mat is particularly highly bacterial. Jason Tetro, the Canadian popular Podcast “Super Orders Science Show,” said one of the reasons because everyone had a microorganism cloud.
“Tilling trillion microorganisms are discharged from us like a dead skin cell. It can be discharged in a million range per hour. If the microorganisms are visible, we are all pigpens. It looks like, “said Tetro and said with the characters of the manga” Peanuts “.
According to Tetro, dropping these microorganisms on exercise mat instead of dumbbells is particularly problematic, because the exercise mat is like a share. Usually, it is made of soft porous material packed with small grooves, and easily captures oils falling during exercise, dead skin cells, and sweat. Bacteria and fungi, like a humid environment made when sweating, can be recognized as food and to grow.
These pathogens usually enter the body through small cuts and burns. In addition, it may adhere to your hand and invade your body when you touch your face. This is the act of humans about 50 times per hour. Looking back in 2020 It is published in the Global Health Annual Report.
Depending on the pathogen infected from the exercise mat, a cold, flu, gastroenteritis, honey, athlete’s foot, etc. may occur. International Sports Science Association。 However, more concerns were the methicillin -resistant yellow pacis (MRSA), Professor of Virus Garba, Professor of Arizona University of Touson.
MRSA is a particularly dangerous variety of staphylococci, which is resistant to several antibiotics and may cause sepsis or death if left untreated. Disease Control Prevention Center Warns. About One -third has MRSA According to CDC estimation, it may be infected in the skin and nose. It spreads rapidly in a fitness club Through the contact between the shared equipment and the skin and the skin.
Washing and disinfection are the key to safety
However, do not let go of the exercise mat for this information. All you need to keep your safety is to wash and disinfect carefully. Most fitness centers have disinfecting wipes and sprays for this purpose. According to Gelva, spraying or wiping the entire mat, then drying the solution before use.
“Most consumers spray mats and wiped them right away, but that’s not enough time to kill something.” “Another problem is that if a cloth is used, the disinfectant will be combined with the cloth and the effect will be weakened.”
According to Gelva, a better habit is to bring a disinfecting wipe pack to the gym and use it. Wipe contains an appropriate amount of disinfectant to kill bacteria, which is also an important factor. If you are spraying on the mat yourself, you may not be using a sufficient amount of disinfectants.
According to Tetro, it is necessary to keep the disinfectant on the mat during the time in the product manual. Usually it is about 3 minutes, but it may take about a minute.
Another way to avoid bacteria is to cover the exercise mat with a towel before use.
“If it’s your towel and it’s fresh, you’ll be less likely to come into contact with what is on the mat,” said Tetro. “But do not reuse the towel. Otherwise, bacteria may adhere. Please wash immediately.”
Many people use their own exercise mat at home and gyms. Two experts said that using their mats, especially at home, reduces the chances of getting others. However, it is not so frequent, but cleaning and disinfection are required.
Cleaning includes removing dirt, sweat, and dirt on the surface, and can be performed using neutral detergents and water. For disinfection, it is necessary to use commercially available disinfectants that kill bacteria and bacteria. According to Tetro, if you use your mat at home or gym, you need to clean it every time after use, but only after use needs to be disinfected.
“Be sure to use a disinfecting cleaner for the mat,” says Gelba. “Some people use natural oil and other products, but they do not kill creatures. At least they don’t kill as much as you want.”
Using an antibacterial mat is also effective. Tetro said that they were effective in preventing bacteria proliferation. Cleaning and disinfection are required, but it is not necessary to handle as frequent mats.
Another good habit for maintaining your health is to wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the gym, even if you use your mat.
Tetro and Gerba said that all of these precautions were to provide information, not to scare people.
“It’s your responsibility to keep your safety,” said Tetro. “Be sure to do what you need to protect your safety.”
Melanie Radatsuki McManas A free writer specializing in hiking, travel, and fitness.
