My immune system is shot to begin with. It's a given I'll battle with infections throughout winter. I know that interacting and practicing withother sweaty bodies leaves me susceptible to disease. What do I need to do to reduce teh risk of me getting constantly sick. I would like to add on an ironic note that my occaisonal smoking has seemed to strenthen my imune system and I have not been sick in some time. What are thoughts about how to reduce my tendency of getting sick?
Oooooooooo, this is one of my pet peeves. One dojang I looked at had blood stains on the floors, looked as if it hadn't been scrubbed down forever, yuck. Our current dojang is mopped DAILY. The last one I was at several people left when a breakout of ringworm occurred. ***shivers***
Generally I think anyone who is a considerate training partner will practice exemplary hygiene for the benefit of their partners. Probably the most important thing to reduce you tendency for getting sick is washing your hands and training with partners who wash their own. Hand and fingernails carry all kinds of icky germs and bacteria. It is really disgusting how many people don't wash their hands after using the restroom - all kinds of stuff is contracted that way. Having instructors and partners who do not train while infectious is very helpful as well. Good facility hygiene on the part of the owners of the school is important too. Clean washrooms are a priority. Mats/floors that get washed/disinfected at regualr intervals can reduce plantar warts and other foot fungii. Can you imagine for all the hapkido/judo/aikido/MMA types out there constantly having your face ground into a floor that had people's sticky feet all over it and was never washed or disinfected? Asking for trouble there. Nothing will eliminate risks of contracting diseases but at least you can minimize them with a few simple precautions.
It kinda goes against everything I have ever come across, but the same thing happens for me! I have the odd one now and then when I'm drunk or really stressed. If I have one when a cold is just coming on, it tends to go away or get better! Very strange. Dirty mats = disgusting. Make sure it gets cleaned, because if health and safety ever checked up, i suspect there could be consequences. As to advice for keeping good health in winter - spend more time wrapped up outdoors! Colds are a result of lots of time indoors, not the cold weather! Take a multivitamin, drinks tons of water and eat well. Works for me.
keeping clean! I carry a bottle of that 'PURELLE" alcohol-gel hand sanitizer in my bag. After practice, a good glop all over my hands and feet. Ther are many brands of this kind of suff, and said to kill 99% of germs. My school is infamous for swabbing the place down with pure bleach, noxious to be sure , but effective.
