Rebecca Dawkins
Most of us often come across individuals who implement significant health and hygiene facts almost on a daily basis, with the objective to remain hale and healthy. Particularly for the athletic community, remaining in the pink of health at all times is profoundly significant. Even the smallest of health issues can have devastating effects on an athlete’s professional career.
There are myriad of skin related concerns that develop as a result of poor hygiene practices. Skin infections can prove to be a bone of contention in an athlete’s life, and, therefore, the below mentioned 20 health and hygiene facts should be kept in mind and rigorously implemented by an athlete on everyday basis in order to keep skin infection at bay.
1.| Hand Washing
A particular statistic shows that 80% of communicable diseases are transferred by touch. Besides, a research in London estimates that if everyone washed their hands regularly, a million deaths could be prevented.
Washing of hands is of paramount importance, especially for athletic community that cannot afford to get sick. It is also estimated that washing of hands with soaps and water play a pivotal role in reducing diarrheal-associated deaths by up to 50%.
It is strongly recommended that you wash hands frequently during the day with hot water and the best antifungal soap.
2. | Keep The Gym Equipments Clean
Most of the athletes hit the gym regularly, but very few of them actually pay attention to the cleanliness of the equipments used in the gym. It is imperative to wipe the equipments and mats with a disinfectant spray before working out. Also, wipe the equipment after every workout to give a cleaner equipment to the next person.
3. | Keep Your Feet Clean
Athletes are susceptible to developing foot-related infections such as Athlete’s foot, and, therefore, it is vital for them to keep their feet clean. When in health clubs, make sure you wear flip flops. Also, keep your feet dry and clean, especially between toes. It is a good idea to use an antifungal powder on feet to keep it germ free.
4. | Say No To Sharing of Personal Care Items
Do not ever share items such as towels, soaps, razors, combs, brushes, and water bottles. Ensure that you don’t share any items that come in contact with anyone else’s skin.
5. | Take Showers Immediately
As an athlete, you must immediately take a shower post workout or training sessions. Take a shower only with an antifungal soap to keep your body clean and fresh. Shower regularly and dry your skin with a clean towel.
6. | Wear Dry Clothes
Never wear sweaty workout clothes as bacterial love breeding in sweaty clothes. Always wash and dry your clothes each time before you wear them.
7. | Trim Your Nails
This particular tip is for women athletes as certain exercises and workouts are more conducive to damaging nails. Therefore, it is pertinent to cut the nails to avoid collecting nasty germs at training sessions.
8. | Cover your wounds
Make sure that you cover all your open wounds, cuts and scrapes in order to prevent fungal skin infections. If you’ve got an open wound, make sure you cover it with a waterproof bandage.
9. | Sleep Well
Athletes that are training hard need sound sleep for optimal hormonal release necessary for healthy body and mind. Learn to go to bed before 11 p.m. and sleep for 8 to 10 hours every day.
10. | Maintain Proper Hydration and Electrolyte Balance
All athletes should drink enough water to avail outstanding benefits in their training sessions. A hydrated body helps in garnering adequate energy levels, allows the heart to work efficiently, leads to proper functioning of nerves and muscles, and reduces the likelihood of cramps.
11. | Keep the Locker Rooms Clean
Athletes must keep their training rooms clean and disinfected. Keep all surfaces in the locker rooms clean.
12. | Get Skin Injuries Checked
Don’t take any lesion or cut lightly. Make sure you get your skin checked to make sure it’s not serious.
13. | Keep the Playing Surfaces Clean
It is vital to keep all facilities clean to prevent spread of bacteria and viruses. Keep the training surfaces such as mats clean.
14. | Consume Balanced Diet
Athletes should consume a diet that contains proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins for proper functioning of the human body.
15. | Wash Your Clothes After Wearing Them
Ensure that you don’t wear the same clothes all the time. Wash your clothes after every use and remove unwanted lint and hair from clothing.
16. | Schedule Doctor’s Visits
All athletes should periodically visit a doctor to help catch illness and infections early. Do not fail to miss your doctor’s appointment.
17. | Use Natural Skin Care Products
Do your research and zero down on natural skin care products only for keeping your skin healthy and moisturized.
18. | Pick Your Training Centre Carefully
All trainers and athletes should carefully select their training facilities. Always pick centres that are clean and germ free. The equipments, changing rooms, and so forth, should be all clean.
Personal hygiene is profoundly significant in an athlete’s life. Maintaining proper hygiene can help an athlete remain healthy. In a nutshell, learn to take care of your body with the help of the mentioned hygiene facts in this article and choose your habits wisely.
Rebecca Dawkins is a health writer and fitness coach. Shes love promoting personal hygiene in athletes, sports players and daily exercisers. Besides this, she contributes for various online health publications that cover health guides, fitness, skincare and yoga.