We are in the midst of an epidemic. There are diseases out there mutating to strength never before realized and ready to latch onto us at any possible moment. And we carry and pass them with such regularity; the human population is at a crossroads of ill health. And it all can be prevented if we simply sang the song Happy Birthday.
Ok, well you have to wash your hands at the same time!
The Happy Birthday refers to the minimum amount of time recommended a person lathers and rubs their hands with soap when washing. The old ways of sticking your hands under hot water and barely put soap on the palms then rinse never did worked and still does not. The cold which engulfed your entire body just by shaking your boss’s hand is still on your hand and will be transferred next time you rub your eyes or lift that sandwich to your mouth, unless you follow the suggested amount of time to wash.
Below are some ways to help eliminate any germs:
1)Dampen your hands.
2)Use a large amount of soap on them without sticking your hands back under the water.
3)Rub and lather your palms and fingers, getting into the nooks and crannies of your knuckles and across the backs of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails, for the amount of time it takes you to sing Happy Birthday, then rinse.
4)Be careful of contamination right after. By taking hold and pulling on the inside door handle of the bathroom while leaving, grab a paper towel and cover your hand instead.
Those little germs are just looking for an agreeable host and will jump to anybody ready and willing to have them as company. Far from being a germ-a-phobe, you need to be aware of what you touch, when you touch it and when you should be washing your hands. It is a scientific fact that more viruses are transferred by hand-to-hand contamination then any other way. From the common cold virus to more serious diseases such as hepatitis A, touching a piece of paper which someone else handled who was sick can infect you.
What about the fitness machines?
When exercising at the gym, there are close to a thousand people starting at 5:00am using the free weights and cardio machines and many gyms are open till midnight; think how many germs are spread from one person’s hands to the next. Gyms always have a antibacterial cleaning solution in a spray bottle with paper towels and usually signs asking the members to please wipe off the machines when finished. Did you ever think this was to eliminate the spread of germs and viruses to your fellow gym mates?
If you have noticed lately at many gyms, there are cleaning crews who walk around and clean the machines. The minute you step off that Elliptical glider, there is a person with a spray bottle and paper towel role already cleaning the pedals, electronic screen, and handle bars. This is becoming more and more popular due to many members thinking by taking their own towel, which has their sweat on it, and wiping down the machines, makes it clean enough. Obviously they were wrong.
Remembering to wash your hands and clean the fitness machines can bring less illness and more healthy days. Singing Happy Birthday in your head may solve one of the greatest problems we face as a nation, germs! Consideration of others while at the gym and washing your hands before, during and after any activity will slow down if not stop the spread of diseases. Sometimes the simplest methods are the best.