Gym Unhealthy ?

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  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    I think the question is how much of your world can you possibly wipe down with antibacterial wipes? Every surface you touch, every door handle, handrail, countertop, item you pick up at the store, taxi's, buses, keyboards etc etc.

    Every thing you touch has germs on it. A gym isn't any less healthy than any environment that is used by a lot of people. In fact in a it may be a bit healthier after all most of the occupants will be getting fitter and are probably more likely to take care of their health by resting if they are ill and therefore not bringing their germs to the gym. However the work environment where people are dragging themselves in with colds and stomach upsets because the don't want to lose money is probably less healthy.
  • redhousecat
    redhousecat Posts: 584 Member
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    I think the question is how much of your world can you possibly wipe down with antibacterial wipes? Every surface you touch, every door handle, handrail, countertop, item you pick up at the store, taxi's, buses, keyboards etc etc.

    Every thing you touch has germs on it. A gym isn't any less healthy than any environment that is used by a lot of people. In fact in a it may be a bit healthier after all most of the occupants will be getting fitter and are probably more likely to take care of their health by resting if they are ill and therefore not bringing their germs to the gym. However the work environment where people are dragging themselves in with colds and stomach upsets because the don't want to lose money is probably less healthy.

    I see your point. I also think that most people, whose actual lives depend on how germs affect them know what to avoid and how to avoid it. It's not fun, but some may choose a lesser of two evils.

    If I am having one of my bad days, I avoid the public until my system builds back up. I go to the gym when it is not busy, grocery stores when there is less of a crowd, etc....

    I think the OP just may have been to a pretty unclean gym. It is not uncommon for folks to get sick from different things, but each person is different and learns to adjust accordingly.
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
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    I love being outside for my walking, etc - however I joined a gym for the str toning aspects. After losing a bit over 100lbs in a very short period of time (8 months! Wow) I realised I needed to start doing the str training in order to mitigate just how much saggy baggy I was/am acquiring. I don't have the equipment or space to do this in my own home, so the gym is my only option. I wipe down the machines thoroughly before/after use, but as it is shared space (much like schools, etc) sharing germs is bound to happen. There are some nasty ppl who hop from machine to machine, sweat dripping like water and don't wipe a thing off. It's pretty hideous how discourteous (and gross) some ppl are. =| If I could do it at home, I would!
  • Shrelana
    Shrelana Posts: 248 Member
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    I am actually very happy to have a job that I can afford a membership at a gym in town...I've been battling my weight from home unsuccessfully for a long, long time. I love walking and biking outside...but since I live in ND - that can't happen from about late September to mid to late June, or about 1.5 months after the snow melts (takes that long to clean all the flooding and what not off the bike paths).

    In my exercise room at home, we have a bo flex and an elliptical which is not exactly made for a person my height (puts my lower back out to use the foot pedals and put my hands on the HRM bars. At the gym, they have ellipticals which fit me, Arc Ts (I've never had a better work out!), treadmills I can walk on for 30 to 45 minutes when it's 45 degrees below zero outside, and stationary bikes (same as treadmills). They also have all sorts of strength training machines and someone there to walk me through how to use them and push me when I hit that point of "I'm not having it..." My husband and I go together and do all our exercising at the same time so we can have an extra hour together rather than me waiting the 30 minutes until he is done with the Bo Flex.

    Oh, did I mention that with the set up at the gym, I can plug my headphones into a jack which attaches to 9 televisions, so when my mind wanders and wants to go do something that, to me, is less boring, I can switch over to Law and Order, or the News, or Family Guy...It keeps me going and keeps me from realizing that yes, I DID just spend 36 minutes on the Arc T because I want to know what's going to happen with the current Law and Order case! There is simply no way I can have this set up at home.

    As far as the germ thing goes...I work as an adviser to teens at a youth home setting and as a substitute teacher...the folks at the gym are WAY more conscientious about germs than the kids I work with on a daily basis...if I get sick, it's going to happen at work, and I know that.
  • Marc713
    Marc713 Posts: 328 Member
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    I think it's more an individual's own physiology & immune system. It could be allergies or some sort of mold in the AC ducts causing your sinuses to act up.

    As for being outdoors, try doing that stuff down here in Houston in the middle of the summer, you can have a heat stroke if you are really doing some intensive training. I would love to have some mild weather like parts of California where they have the weights on the beach...man, that would be awesome! And the reverse can be said for the people in the colder climates, it's nice to talk about going out biking and enjoying the trees and forest, etc., but try doing that when it's snowing and the roads/trails are icy, frozen, or muddy. It's way too hard to keep a regular workout if you are on certain type of workout plans without a gym of some sort, be it a home gym or a commercial one.

    As for gym memberships, LA Fitness (when i signed up) was first & last months dues, I pay month to month, no extra fees or anything. Canceling isn't as easy as I would like it to be, as you have to fill out a form and mail it in, but that's a minor inconvenience. There are also Fitness Connection gyms all over Houston now & possibly other markets that are $9.99 a month. I don't think any of them have a pool, but from what my friends that use them say, they have good equipment and are well worth the money. In the end, I think my own personal healthy and well being is worth $32 a month. Heck, I spend way more than that being unhealthy at one happy hour during the week.
  • swonn
    swonn Posts: 323 Member
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    I am a teacher so being around germs is nothing to me. That being said, the only reason I have ever joined a gym was for the pool (can't swim outside in winter). We have a gym in our basement that was stocked by purchasing the equipment from garage sales and the like. We spent maybe $200 for everything. I also like to ride the bike and take the dogs for a walk and on days like today nothing is better. Just my opinion.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
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    maybe it was just coincidence or your immune system was compromised? Any time you are in a shared space--your own home if you don't live alone, grocery store, school, office, library, gym, etc, you could be in contact with other people's germs. I have a bad cold right now, possibly from being around a friend's child who was sick, but before this I had not had a cold for nearly 2 years...and I go to the gym regularly.
  • VogtAndrea
    VogtAndrea Posts: 236
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    I have very little immune system and found that I'm far too conscious of my own shortcomings around others. I wouldn't mind working out with others if I hadn't been a victim of locker room *****iness as a kid. Never having gotten over it, I find that swimming is a better fit. I do aquafit and enjoy the benefits of it but find the social end of it is a mixed blessing.
  • jrutledge01
    jrutledge01 Posts: 213 Member
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    lots of people look for excuses not to go to the gym. pick whichever one makes you feel better
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
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    Since joining the gym I've been the healthier then ever- it could just be your gym.

    The only time I've fallen ill was when I got stress caused tonsillitis (which was from pressure at work).

    I love the gym! I have professional advice easy to hand, I've never felt pressured or been looked at. Not to mention if I need to stop (for what ever reason) I'm not stuck in the middle of no where. Even better my performance is monitored and the encouragement from it is priceless!
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    My immune system could kick Chuck Norris' *kitten*.

    I've been a nurse for 16 years and have been exposed to absolutely everything. I do not believe in sanitizing the world with antiviral or antibacterial wipes.

    Like others here, I work out much harder at the gym, and there's no way I could amass the variety of equipment at home that I use at the gym. I like variety and challenge in my workouts and if I'm bored, I'm more likely to quit.

    As for air conditioning... really? I live in the hottest metro area on the planet (Phoenix) and if air conditioners were responsible for illness, millions of people here would cease to exist.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I've noticed that I often develop a runny nose and sniffles soon after rejoining the gym. But I need access to the machines, especially in cold weather.
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
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    My immune system could kick Chuck Norris' *kitten*.

    I've been a nurse for 16 years and have been exposed to absolutely everything. I do not believe in sanitizing the world with antiviral or antibacterial wipes.

    Like others here, I work out much harder at the gym, and there's no way I could amass the variety of equipment at home that I use at the gym. I like variety and challenge in my workouts and if I'm bored, I'm more likely to quit.

    As for air conditioning... really? I live in the hottest metro area on the planet (Phoenix) and if air conditioners were responsible for illness, millions of people here would cease to exist.

    bump the smart lady ^^
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    unless you have lowered immunity or easily get sick i wouldnt worry about it.

    i've been a gym goer all my adult life and i never wipe anything down and i've probably maybe had 10 colds in the past 20 years.

    oh and when i lived in NYC i touched the pole too, with my bare hands :laugh:

    i think the things that germaphobes dont realize is that germs can't live that long outside on their own for too long, but then again i guess like most phobia, it's less about using logic and reason and more about perceptions and emotions. also people sneeze and get the sniffles for a variety of reasons, not just germs :laugh:

    with that said i prefer the gym because there's no way i could get all the equipment in my space on my budget.
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 Member
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    The gym is not any worse than any other enclosed space. Ever see a sick person in a restaurant, school, office, airplane, grocery store??? If you wash your hands and keep them off your face while working out, the gym is about as dangerous as grocery shopping.

    I take that back- most people avoid the gym when sick so by percentage, even less sick people would be in the gym than the other places I mentioned.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    its not the gym...its you. some people just have weaker immune systems.
  • manhn1
    manhn1 Posts: 137 Member
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    Where are these places with no people coughing? Yes, I have never seen a person cough at a park despite the fresh air.
  • butterflyqueen2012
    butterflyqueen2012 Posts: 12
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    Sometimes, the gym can be unpleasant. Going anywhere public can be unpleasant because people are rude, disgusting, inconsiderate, annoying...

    but you have to take the bad with the good. By going to the gym, you open yourself to a variety of workouts. You could stay on the treadmill, or you could go over to the elliptical. You could do a boot camp routine that involves multiple activities in your 1 hour workout. You can use the weight machines or you could do free weight lifting. Depending on the gym you go to, there are classes available, or a swimming pool, or a basketball or tennis court.

    Exercising outside is great, but if the weather is too hot, too cold, too stormy, then the gym is the way to go. If you do not live in a mansion that has space for all kinds of exercising equipment, then the gym is a great place. If you cannot afford to purchase thousands of dollars of equipment, then paying for a membership can be better for the budget.

    If you are afraid of getting sick from going to the gym, you could always try taking precautions. Make sure you get your vitamins and other nutrients to keep your body and immune system top notch. In addition to cleaning the equipment you use, make sure you bring your own towel. You could use that towel to put a barrier between you and any floor mats that you use. Wash your hands before you leave, or bring hand sanitizer with you.

    Although you might take all of these precautions and you may still end up sick, you can at least know this: your immune system will get stronger after every cold or virus.
  • mollylaremeter
    mollylaremeter Posts: 59 Member
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    i got a wart on the back of my leg, and my Dr thinks it was from the gym. :sick:
  • titanium2012
    titanium2012 Posts: 64
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    I stress about gym germs too, but it's not gonna keep me from going. I haven't been able to come remotely close to the progress I've made since joining. I try my best to practice good gym hygiene. I make sure to wash my hands before and after, wash my gym clothes after each use and shower immediately after I get home. Even so, I know that won't totally protect me. I don't really care if it gives me the occasional cold. If I get warts or worse, I might rethink it.

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