One of the most common ways of staying in shape for many people is hitting the gym. With the sheer range of equipment, classes and knowledge there, they can really help keep you healthy. Whether you go to a yoga class a few times each week or prefer to hit the weight room for regular workouts, the gym is superb for helping you stay strong. This is seen in the global gym membership numbers around now. The whole health club industry generated over $87bn in revenue during 2017, which shows how vibrant it is.
One key thing to know about though is doing all that you can to remain healthy while working out at your gym. This may sound a little strange taking into account the above – after all, aren’t gyms places that make you feel better rather than worse? While this is true, they can also be places where germs or dangers can lurk for the unsuspecting gym goer.
Awesome health hacks for your next gym visit
To take all you can from your next gym session and keep in top shape, the below health hacks are vital to know about:
- Use compression wear – a real health hack secret for the gym is compression wear – especially that found at tommiecopper.com. This specialist clothing will not only look cool and feel great when working out in it but also help prevent injuries. The compression effect helps to support your body and also keep the blood flowing effectively to your muscles. This helps to reduce the usual stiffness felt after a hard session. If you wear it while working out, then you will love the way it makes you feel, before and after.
- Warm up thoroughly – another great piece of health advice is to make sure that you warm up before beginning your main session. This is especially true if you will be exerting yourself a lot or performing strenuous movements. Warming up means that your muscles are flexible enough to cope with your workout and helps to avoid any strains or tears. Cold muscles are simply not ready to perform the movements needed when exercising, which is why it can lead to injury.
- Stay hydrated – we all know that water is super-important in our normal lives, with the recommended amount being around eight glasses per day. It is just as key when working out though. A great hack to feel better and perform to your peak is to have a bottle of water with you in the gym. If you take regular sips on this, it will keep you hydrated and also stop you from feeling dizzy or faint.
- Go steady on machines and weights – one of the best things about going to the gym for many people is using the machines or weights. These can not only feel great as you power through your routine on them but also deliver fabulous results over time. One word of warning though – do not be tempted to overdo it on either! There have been many injuries caused by lifting too heavy weights or performing too many reps on an overly ambitious setting. Make sure to start out at a comfortable level before building up how much exertion you take on.
- Wipe down machines – for healthy places, gyms can harbor a lot of germs! This is mainly due to the sweat that builds up around the place when people exercise. To stay healthy at your gym, make sure to wipe down any machines you use. This should be done before and after you use them. Before helps to wipe away any germs that may be there already, while doing it after is simply good etiquette for anyone who follows you. If there are no paper towels and spray at your gym, then just use a towel.
- Consider investing in shower shoes – do you walk around barefoot when showering and changing at the gym? If so, this could be dangerous to your foot health. The germs that cause conditions such as athlete’s foot often live in gym locker rooms. A great hack is to take special shower shoes with you (think flip-flops) to use in the locker room.
Health hacks for the serious gym goer
If you go to the gym regularly, then you should try to take at least some of the above tips on board. Although you may not think it, gyms can be places where illness or bad health are passed on. By taking the opportunity to combat this, you are making sure that you can stay in shape without risking your general health.
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