Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman • Images courtesy of: @crossfitonevalley & @jakehoneycuttphoto

We all know that going to the gym to stay active and fit is super important for our physical and emotional well-being, but many of us forget about the potential for picking up illnesses in communal spaces like the local CrossFit box or the community yoga studio. During your next sweat session consider some of these immunity boosting tips to keep your future trips to the gym germ-free. 

1. Drink Immunity Boosting Drinks

Often forgotten, drinking immunity boosting drinks such as turmeric shots, IMMUNITYAID, or apple cider vinegar can give your body the extra line of defense it needs to keep you nice and healthy while you’re working out. Helping to deliver an extra boost to your immune system, turmeric is also a good anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, helping you recover from your workouts faster! The last thing you want is to have a bad cough that derails your PR attempts. Taking care of your body from the inside out is the first step to whole-body wellness.

2. Wipe Down Your Equipment

Whether you’re working with kettlebells or a yoga block, wiping down your equipment with an alcohol based sanitizer is a must. Forgetting can be easy when you’re leaving your CrossFit class in a post-WOD haze but cleaning your equipment is not only good for you, it’s also respectful to others who use the same wall balls and dumbbells. Germs can really proliferate on unclean equipment surfaces causing an illness to spread quickly through your local fitness center. Help keep sickness at bay by cleaning your (or other’s) gym equipment!

3. Drink Plenty of Water

We all know that drinking water is key to enhance your athletic performance but being well hydrated can also help your body in it’s defense against illnesses. Having a hydrated body can keep toxins from building up as well as assist in moving oxygen to your cells which could help with keeping your immune system functioning properly. 

4. Don’t Come to Class If You’re Sick

Thinking a good sweat session is going to kick your cold? Staying home when you’re sick can greatly reduce how many people you pass it to as well as your recovery time. Your body needs rest to fight off those germs and giving it something else to repair will only increase the time that you’re ill. Take the day off! Everyone, including your body, will thank you.

5. Take Care of Your Own Equipment

Washing your own wrist wraps, yoga mat, knee sleeves and weight belt will keep you and your gym bag healthy and clean. So next time you’re finishing up a workout, throw your stuff in the washing machine rather than in the back of your car. Not only will it keep nasty things such as staph from growing on your equipment, but it’ll smell better, too. 

CONCLUSION

Next time you’re at your local gym, try to take some of these tips along to help with keeping illnesses from taking root in your workout community. Not only will your fellow athletes be happy and healthy but so will you!

Cover image: Delanie, Gracie, Tiffany & Alexis Wade: @dwade556 | @gracie9421 | @alexis_wade99

Last image: Chase Hill | @chill_365

About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.

> > > Live well.