Every time you pick up a weight or grab an exercise bike handle, you could be putting yourself at risk for an illness or infection. Fit Rated recently gathered bacteria samples from 27 different pieces of equipment at three different gyms to get an idea of how many germs you may encounter when you touch a treadmill, exercise bike, or free weight. Their results appear in the below info-graphics.
Based on their results, the average treadmill, exercise bike, and free weight are all teeming with germs – more than 1 million per square inch apiece. All three types of equipment yielded gram-positive cocci (a common cause of skin infections and other illnesses); gram-negative rods (which can prompt many types of infections and sometimes resist antibiotics), and gram-positive rods (which can – but don’t often – cause various types of infections).
CLICK HERE to learn more about Fit Rated’s Gym Cleanliness project and research.
