EDITOR'S PAGE

摘要

After the over indulgences of the holiday season, fitness seems like a really good idea. That, along the whole "new year, new you" mantra, means that a lot of people enthusiastically sign up for gym memberships once they put the champagne down and get back to business. The scramble to lose weight and get fit in the beginning of the year is always a given, and the gym industry reaps all the benefits. In fact, morethan 12 percent of all new gym members join in January, according to research conducted by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). However, the interest tends to wear off quickly, as more often than not; the New Year party's hangover lasts longer than the New Year resolutions! A majority of those who buy the membership end up doing a charity. The 10-20 odd percent who religiously slog at the gym are at a risk of exposing themselves to various kinds of health hazards, if not careful. Studies have found that the surfaces of treadmills, weight machines and other typical gym equipment are teeming with bacteria and other infectious germs. Germs can lurk on any surface, from exercise equipment to the spigot on the water fountain, and locker rooms are ideal places for bacteria andfungi to thrive. The bestway is to take precautions is wiping down the equipment using antibacterial wipes or sprays that gyms provide or use your own towel as a barrier between yourself and the equipment.