Make sure you only get healthy from the gym 要健康，也要注意衛生

Don't Get Sick When You Try to Get Healthy

Work out at the gym is a great way to stay healthy. However, personal hygiene should be your top priority when working out at public facilities.

A recent paper on skin infections published by the National Athletic Trainers' Association says it's imperative that you wipe down those machines and mats if you want to guard against infection. The report covers everything from the towels to use and when to shower.

You can come across many infections in many ways, for example, in the shower you can catch athlete's foot if you don't wear shower shoes. On the yoga mats, you can get Folliculitis. For the exercise machines, there are usually a lot of resident bacteria. If you have any open cuts or abrasions, you want to make sure you keep them covered.

Tips to guard against infection: full story

• Cover cuts with waterproof dressing before swimming; chlorine doesn't kill everything.

• Run water fountain for 15 seconds before drinking; make sure it runs clear, because you don't know how close the person was to it before you.

• Bring your own bathing essentials, including a towel, razors and shower shoes.

• Wipe down all equipment with anti-bacterial wipes; this includes not just the handles, but the buttons to ... anything you're touching.

• Shower immediately after you work out; that's the fastest way to get bacteria off your skin. Don't wait until you get home.

要健康，也要注意衛生

很多人都有上健身房做運動，保持身體健康的習慣。然而，健身房是一個公共場所，進出的人很多，亦潛在著許多的傳染病菌。因此，每次到健身房，不論是使用舉重器材，還是瑜伽毯子，甚至是浴室、桑那、泳池等設備，都要做好防備，以免感染像香港腳、毛囊炎、金黃色葡萄球菌等傳染病。

專家建議：

*如果身上有傷口，必須包紥好，如要游泳則加上防水層。

*使用飲水機前，最好讓水流了15秒才飲用，並確保水是乾淨的。

*自備毛巾、剃刀、浴室拖鞋等用品。

*在觸摸各種器材前，應用消毒紙巾擦乾淨。

*運動過後馬上洗澡，這是最好、最快消除你身上細菌的方法。