Online Exercise Education for Fitness Professionals. Becoming the All-Terrain Human. The 9 dirtiest spots at the gym. You could be getting more than you bargained for on your next gym visit © RexGyms are hotbeds of germ activity, researchers say. Norovirus, which causes stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea, can survive for a month on the surface of exercise machines. The fungi responsible for foot infections multiply at a blinding pace in the shower. And microbes like MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can lead to dangerous skin infections, lurk in the locker room. To help you stay safe, FITNESS asked top experts to ID the biggest danger zones in the gym and to share the best germ-beating strategies.
[Related article: Boost your immune system this autumn] Hot spot 1: Free weights, weight machines, exercise balls Germ meter = High Because so many people handle it, this equipment is rife with bugs and viruses that can lead to colds and other infections. Germ warfare Wipe equipment with disinfectant before and after you use it. Germ warfare Bring your own mat and don't share it. 10 Motivational Tips for Weight Loss. What Are the Best Foods to Eat Before Exercise? Recipe Included! Guest Author Brendan Brazier. Store-bought energy and protein bars are often filled with unhealthy ingredients—try homemade instead. As you probably already know, commercial versions of many sport nutrition products are not usually the healthiest options. Commonly packed with artificial flavors, refined carbohydrates, denatured proteins and sometimes even harmful fats, they’re certainly not something I’d want to consume.
Some commercial options have improved over the years, but I like to know exactly what goes into mine, so I opt to make my own. Whole food energy bars, sport drinks, energy gels, energy pudding, post workout recovery drinks, whole food meal replacement smoothies and even performance pancakes are all part of my specific sport nutrition program.What’s the Best Fuel Immediately Before Exercise? If the body has to resort to burning complex carbohydrates while exercising at a high intensity, it will have to use extra energy in order to convert the complex carbohydrates into simple carbohydrates. Benefits of outdoor exercise confirmed. A systematic review carried out by a team at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has analysed existing studies and concluded that there are benefits to mental and physical well-being from taking exercise in the natural environment. Their findings are published in the research journal Environmental Science and Technology on February 4th 2011.
The research team, supported by the NIHR Peninsula Collaboration in Leadership for Applied Health Research and Care (PenCLAHRC, part of the NIHR family of health and research initiatives) in collaboration with the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), analysed data from a number of sources including 11 randomised and non-randomised control trials incorporating information from 833 adults. Eligible trials were those that compared the effects of outdoor exercise initiatives with those conducted indoors and which reported at least one physical or mental well-being outcome in adults or children. Dr.