We go to the gym because we want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s where we burn calories and tone our bodies while we try to stay as fit and as well as possible. However, did you know that the gym is a prime environment for microbial growth?
Every time someone uses a piece of fitness equipment, they leave behind a trail of sweat and microbes. If the machines aren't cleaned regularly - and properly: a quick wipe with a sweaty towel isn’t enough! - the warm and humid atmosphere in the gym will cause the microbes on them to multiply fast. Eventually they’ll develop to create stains and unpleasant odors.
No one wants to use equipment that’s stained and giving off horrible scents, particularly when they’re using the equipment to help them live a healthier lifestyle. So this build-up of microbes is not only potentially harmful, it’s off-putting too.
Let’s take a look in more detail at the effects that microbes have on fitness equipment and what you can do to combat them.
How microbes affect fitness equipment
Whether you’re using it at home or at a health center, equipment including running machines, rowing machines, yoga mats, free weights, cycling machines, yoga balls and fitness mats can all become tainted with stains and smells as the microbes left behind after exercise quickly multiply. The only way to stop this growth is to clean the equipment properly after every use. However, gyms and health clubs can be busy environments where machines and fitness equipment are hardly ever out of use. One person may use the equipment straight after another has finished with it. When it comes to exercising at home, we'll often jump straight in the shower after we've worked out, rather than wipe down our equipment with a cleaning solution.
On an unclean piece of fitness equipment, and in a warm and humid environment, microbes can thrive. With gym equipment being expensive, often costing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, you'll be interested to know that microbial growth can also affect the deterioration of your fitness equipment, causing once gleaming equipment to discolor and unpleasant odors to take hold, affecting not just the equipment they’re on but the whole room. So it’s easy to see why people who enjoy keeping fit, as well as those who own gyms and health clubs, are interested in antimicrobial-protected fitness equipment.
How antimicrobial technology enhances fitness equipment
Stain and odor-causing microbes can be fought against, thanks to SilverShield® antimicrobial technology. This advanced protection can be built into the equipment at the point of manufacture, where it will last the useful lifetime of the product. SilverShield antimicrobial technology will inhibit the growth of microbes on the surface of the fitness equipment, working alongside a normal disinfection routine to keep the equipment fresher and cleaner for longer. Importantly, the technology does not wash off or wear away.
It works fast too – 8 times faster than other silver antimicrobials, and, because it’s built directly into the equipment, it will even work when the surface of the equipment has been scratched or nicked.
Antimicrobial technology is really helping to enhance fitness equipment. Whether you're using it at home or at a facility such as a gym or health club, knowing that the equipment is protected with an antimicrobial solution is very reassuring. Stain and odor-causing microbes are continuously fought against, and the equipment is kept fresher and cleaner for longer as a result.
