Germiest Places At The Gym

Ever wonder where the most bacteria lurks at your local gym? Peter Sheldon, the vice president of operations at Coverall Cleaning, did, so he and his company researched dozens of gyms to sniff out the top five most germ-friendly spots.

So what lives in these germy places? "You can pick up anything from influenza to the common cold, those are the most common," says Sheldon. "There's also a chance of running into antibiotic-resistant staph infections and MRSA, especially at school gyms," he says.

Be especially careful hitting the gym if you have any open cuts or sores, advises Sheldon, since that can make transmission of infection more likely.

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Water Fountains

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"We found more bacteria on the drinking fountains than even on the toilets," says Sheldon. His number one piece of advice is just to bring a pre-filled bottle of water from home. If you do need to refill your water bottle on the gym floor, Sheldon recommends touching the fountain with a towel instead of your hands to avoid germs.

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"We found more bacteria on the drinking fountains than even on the toilets," says Sheldon. His number one piece of advice is just to bring a pre-filled bottle of water from home.

If you do need to refill your water bottle on the gym floor, Sheldon recommends touching the fountain with a towel instead of your hands to avoid germs.

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Comments

[WhoIsNoOne]

11:27 PM on 08/13/2011

Sweet, besides the weights, and weight machines, the water fountain, and
the locker room we're good.
I think they could have just said "Everywhere anyone touches"

[Freedom Rush]

11:04 PM on 08/09/2011

i hate reading articles like this, and yet i did.
i'm germ phobic enough on my own. thank you.

[khanti]

01:11 AM on 08/09/2011

The germiest place is your kitchen cutting board especially if it is a wooden one. More bacteria found than on your toilet seat!

[tonyprovri]

08:18 PM on 08/08/2011

I usually pee in water fountains I always thought that's what they were for? Oh well.

[lydatarz]

04:28 PM on 08/08/2011

Since men sweat so much, and totally stink, any gym they exercise at will be chock full of germs.

[Jtreg]

04:19 PM on 08/08/2011

If I showed up at my grimy gym with antibacterial spray I would get laughed out of the gym. A few germs won't kill you, people. Wash your hands regularly and don't lick your fingers between workouts. Let the drinking fountain run for a few seconds before you take a drink and keep your mouth away from the spout.

[saskatoonie]

02:32 AM on 08/09/2011

MRSA will kill you. It is an antibiotic resistant staph infection and it is becoming more and more prevalent in gyms and highschools all over.

[Freedom Rush]

11:06 PM on 08/09/2011

you're totally freaking me out sas!!! i mean i knew that already, but didja have to remind me? ugh.

[caprawalie]

03:52 PM on 08/08/2011

Mr Sheldon's expertise seems to be in the cleaning of toilet articles rather than as a public health or infectious diseases expert............what he does not understand is that the presence of bacteria does not necessarily mean the spread of disease, nor is there an epidemiologic reason for him to make such sweeping statements and expert medical advice...he should stick his expertise on the cleanliness of toilets and such and not delve into public health advice

[zeroesandones]

03:33 PM on 08/08/2011

In other words.. The entire gym....

[Freedom Rush]

11:07 PM on 08/09/2011

that was my take too. scuse me while i take a shower...at home.

[IglooUsher]

03:03 PM on 08/08/2011

"We found more bacteria on the drinking fountains than even on the toilets," says Sheldon. His number one piece of advice is just to bring a pre-filled bottle of water from home. CORRECTION: Sheldon should have said just to TAKE a pre-filled bottle of water from home. "BRING" and "TAKE" are NOT interchangeable! Didn't you ever take an English composition course?

[erntgernt]

03:49 PM on 08/08/2011

i don't see a problem bringing a bottle from home. just the same as taking a bottle from home

[IglooUsher]

10:40 PM on 08/08/2011

Hey erntgernt...I hope you didn't waste any money on a university education.

[MyNinja]

04:22 PM on 08/08/2011

No but i did bring one this one time...

[IglooUsher]

10:43 PM on 08/08/2011

TO: MyNinja - you completely changed the statement. You made it posessive versus transitive.

[Gargoyliscious]

03:03 PM on 08/08/2011

Wow. Stunning news: Microbes are everywhere.

Why do we have to keep churning out variations of TOP 10 GERM-INFESTED PLACES when it only reinforces growing issues of anxiety and compulsivity in our population which, in turn, only hastens the explosion of superbugs thanks to panicked use of disinfectant on everything all the time?

I personally find the microbes much less problematic when working out than dealing with the non-existent gym etiquette of fellow exercisers -- cell phone use, failing to stick to treadmill time limits, not returning to equipment...

[360Dunk]

02:58 PM on 08/08/2011

Hey slobs, bring a towel and wipe your sweat off the equipment after you've used it.

[saskatoonie]

02:33 AM on 08/09/2011

No use proper spray and paper towel, wiping with a towel just smears the germs. All gyms should be providing these items!

[mschultzpa]

02:48 PM on 08/08/2011

Wear flip flops in the showers. All kinds of diseases. Dirty sweaty feet. Urine.

At the very least, Athletes foot and Planters Warts.

[mt76cifrino]

02:44 PM on 08/08/2011

sooooooo everything.....thanks for wasting my time huff post