Staying Germ Free at Home
While many gyms put a large focus on staying sanitary and free of germs, as avid exercisers we sometimes forget to take the same precautions when we exercise at home. Because most of us view our own homes to be clean to our own standards, we may decide to skip the cleanup after our intense, sweat inducing workout and leave our in-home exercise space susceptible to germs and bacteria. Try following these tips to help create a safer and cleaner exercise space in the comfort of your own home.
Disinfectant Wipes – Just as the majority of fitness centers require, having disinfectant wipes or spray on standby for sanitizing areas that may come in heavy contact with germs during exercise is a very good practice. You often forget all the things you touch throughout the course of a workout. If you are using a Beachbody exercise program with DVDs for example, you will be touching a TV remote. It is very easy to finish up with a powerful workout, turn the DVD player and TV off and go about your day. Bacteria can sit on that remote leaving family members and yourself more vulnerable to catching colds or possibly even worse infections.
Exercise Mat – It would really be discouraging to your exercise plan if after each and every workout you had to vacuum the carpet or mop the hardwood floor you exercised on. Instead, try investing in an exercise mat that is much simpler to sanitize and clean. This will also keep whichever room you designate in your home as your fitness area to stay fresh and not allow carpets or rugs to hold in bacteria that cause awful odors. It is important to remember just because you use an exercise mat does not mean you do not have to clean it after your exercise. Mats can still hold germs but as stated before are much easier to take to the shower and give a good disinfecting.
Time Block Clean Up – We all have busy schedules and sometimes our exercise routine has to be fit into a tight time window. Time blocking is an important tool to be used in all aspects of your life but when setting aside time for exercising, try accounting for cleaning up as well. This practice will help keep your exercise area safer and keep your family out of harm’s way. Clean up should also include yourself. Leaving time to shower post exercise is very important. Carrying bacteria around your home can spread quickly and create an unsafe environment for children and other family members.
