Author: Olga – Co-Founder of GYMMONKY, MedTech manager (background: physiotherapy & sports science), competitive athlete for 20 years, personal trainer and group fitness instructor.
Five places in the gym or fitness studio account for most of the microbial contamination: dumbbells and handles, exercise mats, pads and bench backrests, floors – and the changing room. Here is what studies have found in these areas and what you can change immediately without becoming paranoid.
The key points at a glance
- Staphylococcus aureus was detected on 38.2% of all sampled gym equipment surfaces in a field study (Dalman et al., 2019; 16 gyms, 288 swabs).
- Depending on the equipment, usage and cleaning status, gym equipment surfaces can carry substantial microbial loads – studies detected S. aureus on between 38.2% and 73.8% of the sampled surfaces (Dalman et al., 2019; Bilung et al., 2018).
- Wet areas are recognised transmission sites for dermatophytes, the pathogens that cause fungal foot infections. Shower shoes are the recommended protective measure.
- When equipment is used frequently, cleaning once a day cannot prevent it from becoming contaminated again between cleaning cycles.
The 5 biggest germ hotspots in the gym – and why they are underestimated
1. Dumbbells, handles and weight plates
Dumbbells and grip areas are among the most frequently sampled and most heavily contaminated pieces of gym equipment. In a field study involving 16 different types of gyms, 62.5% of samples from medicine balls and cable machine handles tested positive for S. aureus, as did 56.3% of samples from weight plates and 50% of samples from treadmill handles (Dalman et al., 2019).
The reasons for these high contamination rates include direct skin contact and sweat, the lack of a wipe-down routine between users and the textured design of many grip surfaces.
2. Exercise mats
Through direct contact with the body – skin, sweat and skin flakes – exercise mats continuously pick up germs. At the same time, their texture and material make their surfaces more difficult to disinfect thoroughly than smooth metal or plastic surfaces.
Relevant pathogens include S. aureus and, when mats are used barefoot, dermatophytes (fungal pathogens). Shared mats should be disinfected before and after use – and barefoot training should be limited to your own mat.
3. Pads and bench backrests
Bench pads, back pads and seats are in constant use in the gym: skin, sweat, clothing and gym towels all come into direct contact with them. This becomes a problem for your gym towel if you place it on one of these surfaces.
Anything on the surface beneath your gym towel can be transferred to the towel. And anything that ends up on your gym towel can later come into contact with your face and skin.
Studies from different countries show that frequently touched gym equipment surfaces can carry relevant germs. The exact figures vary depending on the gym and its cleaning practices – but the pattern is clear enough to support one simple rule: your gym towel should not be left on random training surfaces.
For your gym towel, this means hanging it up is better than putting it down. Find out more in our article Gym towel hygiene: protection or risk?
4. Training-area floors
Floors are sampled less frequently than gym equipment in studies, but contamination has also been found there – including S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacillus spp. and moulds (Dalman et al., 2019). Floors are relevant reservoirs of germs: gym towels that touch the floor can pick them up and spread them further.
The transmission chain floor → gym towel → skin is biologically plausible. Direct quantitative data from gyms are lacking – but this does not invalidate the underlying mechanism.
5. Changing rooms and showers
Wet areas are recognised transmission sites for dermatophytes (Trichophyton species, which cause tinea pedis/athlete’s foot). The pathogens spread through skin flakes on damp floors in showers and changing rooms. Using shared showers without shower shoes is considered a risk factor (Ilkit & Durdu, 2015).
Athletes who use shared wet areas are affected by tinea pedis more often than the general population. Wearing shower shoes in showers and changing rooms is the established protective measure (Ilkit & Durdu, 2015).
What actually lives on these surfaces
The microbial profiles reported in studies of gyms and fitness studios show a consistent pattern. For a detailed overview of all pathogens and hotspots, read our article Gym hygiene: what really lives on gym equipment, floors and gym towels.
Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA): The most clinically relevant pathogen in the gym context. A field study involving 288 swabs from 16 gyms detected it on 38.2% of the sampled surfaces – with significant differences depending on the gym and the type of gym equipment (Dalman et al., 2019).
Dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Epidermophyton): Relevant in wet areas and on mats. They cause tinea pedis and fungal nail infections. Transmission occurs mainly via contaminated floors and shared surfaces (Ilkit & Durdu, 2015).
Other pathogens: Enterobacteriaceae, Bacillus spp. and moulds. If you want to train as hygienically as possible, you need to know these hotspots – not treat every surface as equally risky.
Important: detecting germs is not the same as establishing an infection risk. Whether a transmitted germ becomes clinically relevant depends on the microbial load, route of entry and individual immune status. High germ counts indicate a need for cleaning – they do not guarantee that illness will occur.
Why cleaning frequency alone is not enough
Gym equipment is continuously recontaminated between cleaning cycles. This is biologically plausible and supported by observations from comparable settings such as rehabilitation gyms and healthcare facilities – although direct quantitative data from fitness studios are limited.
In practical terms, even if a piece of gym equipment was disinfected in the morning, it will be contaminated again after the first users. Cleaning once a day cannot keep the microbial load consistently low throughout training hours.
The answer is not paranoia, but personal responsibility: disinfect gym equipment before and after use, keep your gym towel on the equipment, wash your hands after training and avoid an uncontrolled contact chain from gym equipment → gym towel → face.
What professionals do differently after 20 years of training
“In competitive sport, you quickly learn that anyone who regularly gets infections cannot train. The difference between athletes who are always ill and those who rarely are is seldom bad luck – it usually comes down to having a system.”
– Olga, Co-Founder of GYMMONKY
Professionals break chains of contamination before they can develop. Three points are non-negotiable: the gym towel never goes on the floor. Contact between the face and gym equipment is consistently kept separate. Wet areas are entered only with shower shoes.
These are not elite-performance routines – they are systems thinking. The decisive factor is not greater discipline, but a setup that prevents typical mistakes.
What you can change immediately – without becoming paranoid
1. Never put your gym towel on the floor: The floor is not a storage surface. During training, your gym towel needs a fixed place on the rack or gym equipment – not on the floor, thrown over fitness equipment or placed on another random surface.
2. The two-side principle: Use one side of the gym towel for fitness equipment and the other exclusively for your body and face. Keep them consistently separate.
3. Shower shoes in the shower and changing room: A necessity, not an option. Tinea pedis spreads via damp floors – footwear interrupts the transmission route.
4. Wash your hands at least after training: Especially before touching your face – hygienic training also means taking the role of hands as carriers seriously.
5. Wash your gym towel at 60°C after every session: Dermatophyte spores are effectively eliminated by washing at 60°C (Akhoundi et al., 2022).
If you are looking for a simple solution, the GYMMONKY Magnetic Towel Clip helps you hang up your gym towel during training instead of placing it on the floor, on gym equipment struts or on improvised storage surfaces – and prevents it from slipping off the equipment.
Frequently asked questions
Which gym equipment surface is the most heavily contaminated? +
Medicine balls, cable machine handles and weight plates showed particularly high detection rates for S. aureus in a field study involving 16 gyms. Gym equipment pads can also be relevant because moisture and sweat make cleaning more difficult (Dalman et al., 2019; Bilung et al., 2018).
Can I catch an infection at the gym? +
The risk depends on the pathogen, microbial load, route of entry and your personal immune status. Detecting germs on surfaces does not automatically mean that an infection will occur. Personal hygiene – using a gym towel, wearing shower shoes and washing your hands – reduces exposure.
Why is personal hygiene necessary even when the gym is cleaned? +
There is good reason why gyms require towels, wipe-downs and cleaning routines. When equipment is used frequently, it is repeatedly touched between cleaning cycles. Gym cleaning and personal hygiene therefore complement each other: the fitness studio provides the framework, while members break the chain of contact in everyday use.
Are fungal foot infections really an issue at the gym? +
Yes, especially in wet areas. Dermatophytes can be transmitted via damp floors in showers and changing rooms. Shower shoes are therefore a simple and sensible protective measure (Ilkit & Durdu, 2015).
How can I prevent my gym towel from becoming a germ trap? +
The most important steps are to avoid contact with the floor, clearly separate the equipment side from the face side and wash the towel after every session. A magnetic towel clip can help because the gym towel hangs securely instead of lying on the floor or on improvised storage surfaces.
References
Akhoundi, M. et al. (2022). Effect of Household Laundering, Heat Drying, and Freezing on the Survival of Dermatophyte Conidia. Journal of Fungi.
Bilung, L. M. et al. (2018). High Occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Fitness Equipment from Selected Gymnasiums. Journal of Environmental and Public Health.
Dalman, M. et al. (2019). Characterizing the molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus across and within fitness facility types. BMC Infectious Diseases. doi:10.1186/s12879-019-4388-3
Ilkit, M. & Durdu, M. (2015). Tinea pedis: The etiology and global epidemiology of a common fungal infection. Critical Reviews in Microbiology.
Toh, S. et al. (2023). Contamination of the geriatric medicine outpatient rehabilitation gym environment. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology.
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