Germs lurk at the gym & on yoga mats
Chris Zdeb , The Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON -- Getting fit is supposed to make you healthier, but sometimes, it can make you sick.

"I got a toe wart last year for the first time since I was 12 ... and I'm not amused!," says one woman who is sure she got it at her yoga studio. "I know someone else who got a plantar wart, too. Now I wear socks until I'm on my mat."
Not to give you another reason for not working out, but public gyms, fitness centres and yoga studios can be breeding grounds for all kinds of bacteria, germs, fungi and viruses that can result in anything from a cold or flu to an upset stomach, rashes and skin infections.

Researchers have found E. coli, strep bacteria and the influenza virus in gyms and on athletic equipment.
Things like warts, athlete's foot and other fungal infections, such as ringworm, are commonly picked up in places where you have skin-to-skin contact with somebody or your skin touches an area where someone who has one of these infections has been before, says Dr. Gerry Predy, Capital Health's medical officer of health. There is an increased chance of infection if you have cuts or cracks in your skin due to cold, dry weather.
"Generally, the risk is higher on wet surfaces because these organisms tend to like a little moisture in order to persist," Predy says.

"These things are pretty common, and while they're not going to cause any serious illness they can be painful, annoying and pretty persistent. Warts, for example, are difficult to treat and it can sometimes take a year or two for them to go away."

Common bacterial breeding grounds include swimming pool decks, showers, weights and workout equipment and yoga mats.

So fight the E. coli and influenza virus by using an effective, all natural cleanser like Love My Mat's™ 100% Organic Yoga Mat Cleanser. It's 100% safe for all yoga mats and safe to inhale. So go ahead and spray your mat before your practice to inhale the immune-boosting properties of Tea Tree Oil & Lavender. It's a treat for your beloved yoga mat.

COMMON GYM INFECTIONS AND HOW TO SPOT THEM
- WARTS: A viral infection picked up by being barefoot in yoga studios, locker-rooms, shower stalls. Symptoms include thick raised patches of greyish, brownish or yellowish skin. On the bottom of the feet they're known as plantar warts. They tend to grow inwards, have a black core and can be painful.
- ATHLETE'S FOOT: Spread by walking barefoot on locker-room and shower floors. Symptoms include red, scaly, tender rashes, cracked, blistered skin between the toes along with an itching or burning sensation.
- RINGWORM: Shared yoga mats, unsanitary equipment and dirty towels are sources of ringworm. Symptoms include round, red, scaly rings on the surface of the skin.
- STAPH INFECTION: Easily transferred from shared gym equipment to the skin, nose and throat. Symptoms -- skin lesions such as boils or open non-healing sores.

© The Edmonton Journal 2007
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