Health

Why You Need to De-Germ Your Gym Bag ASAP

Working out may be good for your health, but the icky pathogens that you're bringing home definitely are not

by Allie Flinn | 1 COMMENT

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Your Yoga Mat: A Sweaty Playground for Unwanted Feet Germs As you sweat, the liquid carries microbes away, where they attach themselves to your mat, Schmidt says. Now, if it's your own personal yoga mat, in theory you don't have much to worry about because all the microbes are coming from your own body. Things get tricky, however, if you're recovering from an infection like staph -- it is possible to infect yourself all over again.

You also don't know who has set up shop in that spot before you. Just think of all the feet that have walked on the floor where your yoga mat is laying down. That's why Schmidt says it is extra-important to always know which side of your mat is the bottom, and which side is the top. "Then, when your hands are touching your mat, you're touching your [own germs] and not other people's germs," he says.

Always wipe down your yoga mat with a sanitizing cloth or spray. Jasmine Seven Yoga Wipes are all-natural, and contain soothing lavender oil and disinfecting tea tree oil. And, keep your mat separate from the rest of your items.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Your Water Bottle: A Hot Spot for E. Coli

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