Beware of Staph Infection Risks while You’re at the Gym

I recently mentioned that I started going to a gym. I’ve been going to Planet Fitness, which I’ve been enjoying very much. I like that it’s a gym that caters to people (like me!) who have always believed that they were not fit enough to walk into a gym.

I used to work as a barista at a very pretentious coffee shop that just so happened to be located downstairs from a gym. I made health drinks, smoothies and teas more than anything else and I became very familiar with Whey protein. I also figured out very quickly how much I hate the smell of Whey protein, never mind even considering putting it in my mouth. The people I served these so-called healthy drinks that really weren’t all that healthy, but people ordered them because of the geniuses behind the marketing of said drinks, were very snobby. They were snobby and they were built! From the looks of these people, there was no way I was going to walk into a gym like that. I’d get the weird looks and the people wondering what Fat Planet I was just warped from.

Enter: Planet Fitness. A gym that is open, accepting and diverse. A place where I do not get the weird looks or the condescending fake-friendly smiles when I claim an elliptical machine. It’s a place of freedom! And hey, if anyone does pass judgment on you, they get thrown out and that is policy. Pretty cool, huh?

One of the policies at Planet Fitness is that you have to wipe down your machine after you use it. No matter what. No exceptions. There are little stations set up throughout the place where you can grab a paper towel and some spray solution that they put out and make sure your machine is clean before you leave. I’m paranoid though; especially when it comes to cleanliness. I won’t touch a machine until I wipe it down first and after finding some pretty scary information about gyms and workout centers and how they are being connected to MRSA, I’m so glad I have been so paranoid about this.

Late last month a hospital in Idaho voiced concern with an increasingly-spreading, antibiotic-resistant staph infection within the community. This staph infection, called MRSA, causes skin rashes or bumps that are incredibly difficult to treat.

The biggest concern the hospital has is that MRSA is now being found and transmitted in public settings like school gyms, workout centers and any public place or area where the skin transfers. While the health district will not keep track of the reported cases because it is not “evasive” beyond the outer skin layer, it is still very important to remember that when you enter a gym, wipe down the machine you are using both before you hop onto it and after you’re done.

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About the Author: Holly Ord

In addition to being the Founder and Editor of Woman Tribune, Holly Ord is a freelance writer, web designer and developer, feminist activist and blogger, and hopeless video game addict. She lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania and has been blogging on liberal politics and gender equality on her personal website, Menstrual Poetry since 2007.

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