Gross Things People Do At the Gym That Will Make You Cringe

The gym is a great place to workout and stay motivated in your fitness routine. Unfortunately, it is also a place filled with germs at every corner. This is mainly due to the many people that go to gyms. Here are some of the gross things people do at the gym.

Not Wiping Down Gym Equipment

This deserves to be first on the list because too many people neglect to wipe down gym equipment after they use it. Some gyms have it posted as a rule but even if they don’t you should be wiping down any public equipment that you use. Whether it’s a machine, a public mat, or weights wiping them down is a common courtesy. There is a reason many gyms are equipped with Wipe-A-Way dispensers, so use as many wipes necessary. Don’t be gross and leave behind a sweaty mat or machine.

Using Public Mats

Investing in a mat is a good idea if you want to only come in contact with your own bodily fluids. Gyms have multiple classes a day where their public mats are frequently in use. There is a chance when you get to class the public mat you grab is still warm from the previous user. As stated above not enough people wipe down mats and the public mats are full of other people’s sweat and sometimes other bodily fluids. Think about the classes that require a mat. The moves usually involve your entire body all over the mat so you’re exposing your entire body to a cesspool of germs on a public mat. Your own personal workout mat is the way to go.

Not Wearing Gloves to Lift Weights

Another good investment for the gym are gloves to lift weights. There is a high chance that you’ve seen many people at the gym using weights while not wearing gloves. Even if the weights are wiped down after use they still may be swimming in germs. Gym weights have been grabbed and used by many hands leaving behind all kinds of bacteria. So, it’s better to be safe than sorry and grab a pair of gloves so you don’t get any unwanted bacteria on your skin.

Constantly Touching Your Face While Working Out

If you breakout a lot, especially after workouts it could be from touching your face too often at the gym. The skin on your face is extremely sensitive to foreign bacterias. So, if you’re currently wiping sweat from your face using your hand or arm stop it as soon as possible. A great way to stop touching your face is to bring a small towel to the gym. Anytime you feel like wiping your face with your hand use the towel instead. There will be much fewer breakouts when you do this. Just don’t forget to wash your towel regularly.

Sitting Naked On Locker Room Benches

Many people take a shower after working out at the gym. Some of these people then sit bare bottomed on the locker room benches. If you do this, remember that people put their dirty clothes and shoes on these benches too. Sitting naked on the bench makes your shower pointless because of all the bacteria your body is picking up. Make sure your towel is fully covering the bench or get dressed before sitting down to avoid unwanted bacteria.

Peeing in the Pool or Shower

Yes, people still do this! One in five Americans admits that they pee in a public pool. Don’t be ashamed if you’re one of these people. Just realize how unsanitary it is and maybe try to stop peeing in the pool and public showers. Chlorine can’t clean all of the pee in the pool so the fewer people pee the better. Pee in the shower may seem like it goes down the drain but bits of bacteria from it stay behind on the shower floor. This is why flip flops are good to have in the locker room.

Walking Barefoot in the Locker Room

If you plan on swimming or showering at the gym then do yourself a favor and bring a pair of flip flops. When you walk barefoot in the locker room or around the pool your feet are exposed to all sorts of bacteria. The showers at the gym are a huge breeding ground for germs as sweaty, dirty bodies mix with hot and steamy showers. Flips flops are the answer when it comes to public showers because as stated earlier some people may be peeing in them. Keep your feet safe with some type of protective wear.

Drinking from Water Fountains

Public water fountains, in general, are unsanitary. The water fountains at the gym have the added bonus of sweaty people dripping sweat all over the fountain. There are also people that put their entire mouth on the water fountain leaving so many germs. On top of that, water fountains do need to be cleaned regularly which many gyms don’t do. Even if you’re using a water bottle if you put it next to the mouthpiece there is still a high chance of collecting germs. Keep your mouth and water bottle a good distance away from the mouthpiece and there should be a minimal transfer of germs.

Other Gross Things People Do at the Gym

We tackled quite a few gross things that people do at gyms but there are probably countless more. Is there anything that you find gross at the gym? What is the grossest thing you have seen someone do at the gym? Tell us about it in the comments below.