Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

When you practice yoga or Pilates, like many of us at Pierce Mattie do, be careful which mat you’re using. I hope it’s not a communal one!

In the last two years, there has been a 50 percent increase in patients with athlete’s foot and plantar warts, according to Greg E. Cohen, a podiatrist at Long Island College Hospital. The culprit - dirty exercise mats!

Even though there’s no “official” link between unclean yoga mats and fungal, bacterial and viral infections, dermatologists and podiatrists have noticed a rise in the number of skin infections in their patients who practice yoga and use public mats. Scary!

Although many gyms provide disinfectants so we can wipe down machinery, not all of them provide the same cleanliness with exercise mats. So, ask your gym if they provide antiseptic solutions for their communal mats or if they clean their mats daily, it will save you a trip to the doctor’s office!

Keep healthy in more ways than just practicing yoga – use a disinfected mat! Try investing in your own mat or yoga wipes to avoid the risk of getting infections. There are so many yoga-mat wipes and disinfectants now available, so please exercise with caution!