How to Avoid MRSA in the Gym

One of the best places to contract the 'superbug' MRSA (methicillin resistant staphyloccocus aureus) is the gym, with all its warm, humid places for bacteria to thrive. MRSA is an infection that is almost always spread by direct contact, such as touching bacteria-contaminated objects, and the bacteria can survive for prolonged periods on things like towels and sports equipment. In addition, your immune system is weaker after a hard workout, making you more susceptible to infection. Hygiene is the key to combating this potentially dangerous combination.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Hand sanitizer
• Bandages
• Disinfectant

1. Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water for at least 15 seconds, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Shower with soap after every workout and don't share soap.
2. Bring your own personal and skin care products to the gym, including towels, washclothes, razors, moisturizers and lip balm to avoid sharing.
3. Keep any cuts and scrapes clean and covered until healing is complete with a bandage that attaches to the skin on all sides. Openings in the skin are MRSA's main route into the body.
4. Wash your workout clothes and towels after every use with hot water and laundry detergent. Dry them in a hot dryer. Don't air-dry.
5. Wipe down non-washable gear such as head protectors or gloves after each use with a phenol- or chlorine-based disinfectant.
6. Ask about the gym's cleaning procedures. Athletic equipment, lockers and benches should be wiped down regularly with disinfectant cleaners. When you use shared equipment, cover it with a clean towel whenever practical.
7. See a doctor immediately if you get a wound that doesn't heal properly or seems infected, or you experience unexplained fever, muscle pain or fatigue, especially in the months following a skin infection. Most MRSA infections are treatable with newer antibiotics when caught early.

Tips & Warnings

• Never wipe your face with a towel used to wipe down athletic equipment.
• Stay out of shared whirlpools.
• Shaving body hair increases your chance of infection. Scraping the skin opens a portal for bacteria.
• Don't want to take precautions and look like a wimp? Note that MRSA is responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections and nearly 19,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making it much more common than flesh-eating strep infections, bacterial pneumonia and meningitis combined.