No, You Likely Won't Get Monkeypox from Going to the Gym

 

We've just barely got the Covid 19 Pandemic in our rearview mirror and already we're dealing with another health emergency, the emergence of the Monkeypox Virus has Americans and others worldwide on edge. While the numbers are still relatively low, the number of Monkeypox cases are quickly growing and have nearly doubled in the past week.

There's some controversy surrounding how the medical community is handling the public messaging regarding Monkeypox. So currently the statistics tell us that over 95% of those who've contracted Monkeypox are gay men, and not just gay men, but gay men who've reported having attended large orgies or sex parties, and/or who've had numerous sexual partners in a short period of time ie over the course of a day or a weekend. The medical community and the media are quick to tell us that Monkeypox is not an STD nor is it a gay disease, despite it up until this point being for the most part spread through sex and spread among gay men. The media and medical community seem to not want to point this out either due to not wanting to stigmatize the gay community as happened with aids, and/or not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone feel singled out. Handing the messaging in this way however ignores and does not focus on the population most at risk and spreading this, and causes unnecessary fear among groups who are at little to no risk of getting or spreading Monkeypox.

Being that were a fitness and supplement blog, our readers were curious if they are at risk of contacting Monkeypox from touching weights or benches at the gym. While Monkeypox can be spread on surfaces, the chances of you contracting Monkeypox at the gym are extremely low. Dr Jessica Justman an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health says it's "unlikley" that one could contract Monkeypox at the gym for several reasons, first off most cases of Monkeypox spreading on surfaces tend to be from blankets, towels, and linens which are porous, gym equipment by design is not porous, most materials in the gym are rubber, leather or metal and don't harbor the disease well, they're also easy to wipe down and standard household cleaners will kill the monkeypox virus. Furthermore, most of the sores or pustules, which are the most contagious aspect of monkeypox, tend to reside in warmer areas like the anus and genitals and at the gym those areas are typically covered. While it's not impossible to catch Monkeypox from gym equipment, even the Chicago Department of Health echoes Dr Justman's sentiment saying contracting Monkeypox at the gym is "highly unlikely"

So what can you do to protect yourself, well first off realize that you're at very low risk from contracting Monkeypox while working out, however you can take further precautions such as wiping down gym equipment and weights prior to using them and after you're finished. You could wear long pants and longsleeves at the gym, though this is probably unnecessary it will bring you an added layer of protection, and lastly you can live a healthy lifestyle and take supplements to keep your immune system in tip top shape. Ultimately however it's very unlikely one would contract monkeypox at the gym.