Caution: Germs in the gym

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – If you are aiming to get the perfect body or to stay in shape, there’s some tips you need to know before hitting the gym.

The place where most people go to stay fit and healthy, can be harmful to your health if you’re not too careful.

Brandi Jones, Registered Nurse at Coliseum Medical Centers, says “A lot of time when people say they have spider bites that are infected it’s not usually spider bites, it’s usually a little staph abscess.”

When you’re at the gym, the most common infection is waiting. staph, a bacteria that can be found on the skin can make an individual sick and cause an infection.

“50 years ago, you probably got that in the hospitals but now people carry that on their skin and even though it may not make you sick, you can still spread it and it can make other people sick,” Jones adds.

Gym goer, Velma Willis says, “The first thing I do is I wipe down the machine for germs because you never know what the first person who was on here actually did so I wipe down before and after each use.”

So before you start a new work out, a simple wipe can make a difference.

Hannah Skelly goes to the gym often. She says, “If I am switching machines,I’ll just take a paper towel with me, just wipe down the machine as I go to it and as I finish.”

Personal trainers like Thomas Wright says before he starts any session, he makes sure his clients check the equipment to make sure it’s clean.

“I always advise my clients to check out the equipment, make sure everything is wiped down before we use it because we don’t want to jump on any machines and accumulate more sweat or just jump into someone else’s bacteria so we like to wipe it down ourselves,” Wright adds.

The germs in the gym are lingering around in each corner. Health professionals say besides these germs that we carry on our body, it’s also the start of cold and flu season. It’s better to take caution before it’s too late.

If you see red spots on the skin and they are painful, health experts advise you to seek medical attention. If left untreated it can swell up, and maybe cause pus.