Girlawhirl's noticed more and more people bringing their own yoga mats to the gym. While she gets it that some people might not want to use a mat that a stranger has just used, truth be told, she's not usually bothered by stuff like that. But lately she's noticed that more and more of her fellow gym-goers have been toting their own mats. And there's a reason more of her yoga-mates and pilates pals have decided not to use the communal mats the gym provides…
It turns out the treatment resistant MRSA infection – or the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria – which is usually contracted in a hospital, can be passed on in the gym too. While the majority of Staph infections can be treated, this particular strain doesn't respond to antibiotics and, according to a 2007 report from the CDC, the “mostly hospital acquired” infection now causes more deaths in the US than AIDS. It is especially a risk to the elderly, sick and people with compromised immune systems.
The reason for Girlawhirl's and other gym goers concern is twofold: first, this so-called “super bug” can be easily transferred through open wounds. So if she nicked herself shaving, and the person who used a mat before her had an open wound too, she could potentially contract MRSA.
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She's also careful to scrub her hands more thoroughly, shower as quickly as she can after a workout and steer clear of unnecessary use of antibiotics. She wants to make sure they will work when it really counts.
As for a yoga mat, Girlawhirl's been thinking about getting a new one for a while anyway. And after she saw the super cute Yoga Essentials® Printed Mat from Gaiam, she realized there's nothing stopping her. And she plans on wiping her own mat down after each use too!
Girlawhirl bought her Yoga Essentials Printed Mat in her online shopping mall at Gaiam.com.