Sports and Good Hygiene

We get it: It’s not exactly nice to imagine everyone who has ever used his sweaty fingers to lift the dumbbells you’re now holding in the gym with or sat on the ergometer with sweat-drenched clothes. Especially these days, when you find yourself standing in front of empty shelves at the supermarket because of the coronavirus. Indeed, when fairs, events and tournaments are being canceled and even politicians are avoiding handshakes, when it comes to sports, it’s important to remember the most important hygiene rules.

Here’s the thing: fear of infection is not a good reason to avoid sports completely. Stasis does not help you fight viruses, on the contrary: if you stay active, you strengthen your immune system. And the fitter you are, the better your immune system works!

How high is the risk of infection in the gym?

The fear of getting a virus during your workout, while understandable, is not backed up by science: the risk of infection in fitness studios is no greater than in any other public place like the subway or the office. However, caution is required when dealing with open wounds. If germs and pathogens get into open wounds, the risk of infection and inflammation increases substantially. Therefore, you should always bandage open wounds both in everyday life and before training to protect yourself.

What should you pay particular attention to?

When it comes to sports, staying healthy always comes back to personal responsibility. Even if a gym has its own hygiene regulations, you should still follow these tips:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after training:

For 30 seconds you should wash your hands rigorously, including between your fingers and on the back of your hands. Always dry your hands with disposable towels, never with towels used by others—these are real germ pools.

2. Disinfect devices

If you use equipment to train, you will probably find disinfectant on every device and also in the dumbbell area. Whenever you use a new piece of equipment, spray the handles and all surfaces you have to touch with your hands with the disinfectant and let it work for at least 30 seconds. Then wipe the surfaces with the paper towels provided and dispose of them afterwards. It goes without saying that you should always have a clean towel with you and use it at all stations in the studio to catch your sweat, which also helps to minimize the risk of infection.

Due to current events, it is very important that you:

3. Keep your distance from fellow trainers

For the time being, you should avoid that handshake with your studio buddy altogether. If you have to cough or sneeze, do it in the crook of your arm. Always keep a distance of at least 2 meters from the next person exercising.

4. Position yourself correctly in group classes

At the moment, you don’t have to do without group courses such as spinning, HIIT or functional training. The great thing about group classes is that all participants look in one direction, i.e. you don’t face each other but face the back of the person in front of you. The 2-meter distance to the trainer who is leading the course should also be observed.

5. Practice healthy training

Basically, if you feel ill or have even the slightest touch of flu-like symptoms, you should refrain from sports for the time being. Here you can find out what you should bear in mind when doing sports if you have a cold.

Here you will also find current information on the coronavirus from the Federal Ministry of Health (Germany).

Here you find information on the coronavirus for France.
Here you find information on the coronavirus for Belgium.
Here you find information on the coronavirus for Italy.
Here you find information on the coronavirus for Portugal.
Here you find information on the coronavirus for Spain.

In the end, keeping healthy inside and outside the gym is a question of good behavior to protect yourself and showing consideration for others. With our tips on careful hygiene, you might just leave the gym healthier than you came in.