Whilst we’re all for encouraging you to exercise, your dirty gym kit could actually be riddled with infection-causing germs.
And this isn’t just from the really filthy kit that stinks out the washing basket.
Simply wearing your gym outfit more than once can turn it into a bacteria powerhouse.
And whilst you might turn up your nose at the thought of throwing on worn kit, a staggering 44 per cent of Brits wear their gym clothes more than once, which includes a shocking 10 per cent of Brits who never wash their gym clothes. Grim.
Dr Abigail Short from Bark.com, explains that, ‘gym clothes harbour lots of bacteria due to sweat.’
She also explains that ‘touching fitness machines, wiping your sweaty hand on your t-shirt or sharing a barbell can transfer germs’, so aim to wash your gym clothes after every workout.
The research from Tap Warehouse also reveals that 22 per cent of British gym enthusiasts wait longer than an hour to shower post-gym, making themselves prone to fungal infections.
Are you showering quick enough after a workout?
Dr Asif Munaf, from Endorance, claims that we should aim to shower within an hour of a workout as ‘bacterial and fungal infections can spread in damp conditions, such as on sweaty clothes and in-between the toes – as is the case with athlete’s foot.’
It’s easy to think that this stat is aimed at the men in our lives. But 17 per cent of women said they can wait up to three hours before showering, compared to a much lower 11 per cent of men.
As well as dirty kit offering up the potential of infections, water bottles can also make us ill.
READ MORE: How often should you wash your bedding?
When was the last time you washed your bottle?
According to the latest stats, 40 per cent of Brits don’t clean their water bottle enough, which can create an environment for germs to thrive.
READ MORE: How much water should we drink everyday?
‘It doesn’t matter what material your bottle is made of, all bottles need to be washed with hot soapy water and thoroughly dried,’ says Dr Abigail Short.
It’s time to up our hygiene levels and make our fitness regime that little bit cleaner.
Be sure to wash your hands regularly, sanitise equipment when possible and get out of those sweaty gym clothes as soon as possible.
