1. Scrub, scrub, scrub
Washing your hands is extremely important. It’s imperative to always wash your hands: not only before a meal, but also after every bathroom visit, and when you are sick. It’s also important to wash your hands when you’re going to lift a barbell that your neighbour just had a blast with. Or when you are planning to use a mat which your friend just used to break her push-ups record. When you frequently wash your hands - for 30 seconds with soap - you make sure that those annoying bacteria will go down the drain, which is good for your health and those around you.
2. Clean appliances
Besides having to wash your hands thoroughly, it’s also key that you clean the equipment you’ve used. There are hygiene stations in every club, which carry paper towels and sprays filled with detergent. Just spray and polish the equipment after you’ve used it! But that’s what you’ve always done anyway, haven’t you? 😊
3. A little distance, please
Bacteria are transmitted through human contact and moisture particles in the air. Keeping an appropriate distance (at least 1 meter) limits the chance of getting bacteria from someone else or transferring them yourself. So make sure to put your mat just a little further away from your training buddy, skip the duo exercises and don’t give a high five, but try the feet five instead!
4. Feeling under the weather? Train at home!
Exercising when you're sick is never a good idea. Your body needs rest to get better. Also, you may run a risk of infecting other people and nobody wants that! If you’re not feeling super sick but just feel a little blegh and still want to do a workout, train at home! Use the free Basic-Fit app (for members only) to find lots of workouts and group lessons that you can do at home. You can still exercise without any equipment. Do you want to use weights? Fill bottles with water, use a pack of sugar or fill your backpack with some heavy books!
5. Sneeze! (use your elbow)
We can't forbid sneezing. Even if you are in perfect health, you can’t help an itch in your nose.
If you have to cough or sneeze, use a paper tissue, and if you don’t have one, sneeze or cough in your elbow, while mimicking Usain Bolt's dab. What’s really not handy, is to sneeze in your hands and then touch something that others might touch as well.
So what do you think? Can you contribute to a hygienic and healthy fitness environment?
If you want to read more information, please refer to the WHO (World Health Organization) website.
