Scottsdale personal trainer, Karen Mullarkey, shares how to keep your gym a germ-free zone and tips to prevent a winter cold this season.
It’s that time of year again! We all love the winter weather here in Arizona, but with it comes dreaded flu season and those pesky winter colds. For those of you who have managed to stay healthy thus far, congratulations! You’re doing something right. Or you just have a killer immune system. Either way, a few good gym habits to keep you healthy include wiping gym equipment with antibacterial wipes before & after use, washing your hands before & after every workout, and avoiding sharing water bottles. If your gym doesn’t provide antibacterial wipes, carry a small pack of wipes or hand sanitizer with you (this is a great idea year-round!).
If you’re an avid gym-goer, it can be inconvenient to skip your daily workout due to a cold. You may even convince yourself that a workout will make you feel better, but this is not the case. I can’t stress enough to my clients and fellow gym-goers: skip the gym if you’re feeling sick. There are plenty of germs in the gym as it is, don’t risk further infecting yourself and others. Those of us who are healthy appreciate you not contaminating us!
During the winter months, I also bump up my vitamin C intake to 3,000mg a day. I do my best to take all of my vitamins on a daily basis. Washing your hands with soap and water often, avoiding touching your eyes, mouth, and nose, and staying away from people who are already infected are other great ways to protect yourself from the flu and colds this winter.
If you’re feeling under the weather, listening to your body is the best thing for you to do. Hydration, nutrition and rest will be the key to a speedy recovery — not pushing yourself at the gym.
For additional nutrition guidance or more information on when and when NOT to work out, follow Karen on Instagram, @karenmullarkey and contact her for a free consultation!
About Karen Mullarkey
No Mullarkey Personal Training was founded by Scottsdale health and fitness expert, personal trainer, and 4X fitness cover model, Karen Mullarkey. In addition to one-on-one, group, in-home, and virtual training sessions, Karen offers nutrition consulting and fitness competition preparation to women (and men!) throughout the Valley. Karen is a former professional fitness competitor, IFBB/WBFF Pro, and donates a percentage of her business proceeds to Prostate Cancer Research in memory of former mentor, Gary Cruz. Follow Karen on Instagram and Facebook for daily health & fitness advice, videos, and to follow her American Ninja Warrior 2020 training journey!
