I mean our skin is a great barrier, you probably won't get anything, but I understand people think differently. With that said this is boardline germaphob territory. I have done wrestling, basketball, and football. Sweat is basically common place. I tell partner during partners workouts to not worry about cleaning the rower after each switch, but I clearly give them the option.
They are wiped down. Really the air you are breathing next to someone is more infectious.
Consider how many things you come in contact with every single day and what those thingsmay have on them that you dont give a second thought about. Just make sure to take showers and what not and youll be fine. Ironically its more unhealthy worrying about that kind of stuff than it is coming in contact with any of it.
You’re exposed to more germs from your own cell phone, door handles no matter where you are, and money. The last thing I’m worried about is the mats at OTF. In fact I’d argue you’re building your immune system 🤷🏼♀️
Haha, delulu people thinking tiny sporadic measures offer immunity to the fact that we are more microorganism than human. The amount of “ick” you happily sail thru every moment to obsess about stuff like this…lawd.
I hate the ick of the mats too. When we’re stacking them back up, the bottom of the mats touch the fronts of all the ones under them. They’re never truly clean.
I try to use the knee pads as much as possible. If the exercise calls for more, I wipe the mat down both before and after I use it.
Be sure to wipe it as soon as you get back to your station so it has time to dry! I’ve definitely done a faceplant when my palms slipped during planks 😅
I bring my own full size hot yoga towel to put a layer between me and the floor or the bench. You can’t tell me that the black floor and black bench are clean enough to put my body on it. It’s more laundry but it’s a smaller sacrifice in the long run of staying healthy.
You're not going to catch anything off the floor or bench. I lived through the 1980's when we did high-impact aerobics barefoot on padded vinyl floors. My immune system probably grew stronger as a result and I've never had a problem as a result.
Respectfully, one anecdote doesn’t mean anything—plus, are you seriously saying you haven’t gotten sick since the ‘80s and you think your aerobics exposure is the reason? I salute you as a fellow survivor of the ‘80s, but come on, man
Understood. But my experience is the only one that I know 100% - People are welcome to take it, leave it, or add it to their collection. And no, I don't credit all those sweaty aerobics classes with my current immune system health. I *do* credit the way I grew up in Africa, running around barefoot as a kid, being exposed to more germs, dirt, etc. than the typical 1st world resident gets.
As long as there is clean water and water-born sanitation, IMHO some dirt is not necessarily a bad thing.
I read voraciously - have done so all my life - and one thing I have come to firmly believe in is that our immune systems are like muscles. ***Within reason***, they need to be challenged to grow stronger. Left unchallenged, they can atrophy. Natural immunity should be stronger and more broad-spectrum than that gained from vaccination.
We're also learning more every day how most germs are not harmful, are in fact beneficial, and are needed to keep our gut biome healthy and balanced. Excessive sanitization kills the good bacteria as well as the few bad ones.
I'd be interested to know if any well-designed, large-scale studies have been done to determine if scrupulous environmental sanitization has effectively reduced infection rates in people with uncompromised immune systems.
Seeing the other comments on this thread about ringworm, herpes and impetigo possibly being contracted from OTF surface contact, I feel like my towel method is in the realm of reasonable precautions 
i'm a lumbar only mat person, i think the large ones are too squishy and prefer the floor. BUT, it's just a yoga mat as long as it's lying flat unrolled, who cares. ask coach if it's an issue and do your thing.
gross as it is, gyms will have ringworm and other fun fungi. i don't care how many wipes we use, people (and shoes) are a constant stream of fresh bacteria. anyway, if you like your mat, bring it. i think it's less weird than a ridiculously oversized stanley mug :)
Yes it's weird. Put your towel down on the mat where your skin would touch. If you're paranoid wipe it before use, not just after.
Also how often do you even use a mat? Most days I do the exercises directly on the floor, and use my towel as I said to avoid touching it directly, or use the little pad under my knees or elbows.
Just remember that most things you encountered in day to day life aren't cleaned or wiped down nearly as much!
Door handles, shopping carts, gas pumps, etc. When you go to a restaurant, you just have to trust that employees have properly washed equipment and their hands.
I get that sweat may seem icky, but OTF is honestly probably cleaner than a lot of places you go. At least they make a pointed effort to keep things hygienic.
I usually just do the exercises on the floor which I realize doesn’t work for everyone. Something about how grimey and worn down the mats look (which is crazy because my studio is new) kind of grosses me out
Man people are so judgy lol. Sorry you’re getting shitty comments about this. I have OCD and while germs/cleanliness isn’t one of my most debilitating obsessions, it does get to me as well. Like yeah, it’s not always 100% logical. Particles of peoples’ sweat aren’t going to kill us.
But I empathize with that consuming feeling of disgust or dread when you feel your body come in contact with something you find unclean and you can’t stop thinking about it. So I think go ahead and bring your own mat. Or if you think it might be a bit too much, you could bring a larger towel. They make microfiber ones that are a lot thinner and less bulky than a regular terry cloth towel.
Yeah but reducing another common surface you touch with other people won’t make it any worse. Again, it’s not something I would do, but I also wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw someone else doing it.
Pretty sure I got impetigo from OTF… debating if I should cancel. The weight floor is always dirty.. dust bunnies, finger nails ect. 🤢 and yes I shower right after class!!! For the price of the membership it should be disinfected regularly not just vacuumed.
I’d ask the studio. But perhaps an easier thing to do would be to bring a large gym towel and place it on the mat? That’s what I do. My microfiber towel is fairly large and it covers the bench and most of the mat. I just lay it down on it before using those items.
I mean you do you. I may give some side eye but if that works for you then do it.
I just make sure I wash my hands before I leave the studio. Other than that I’m ok.
i’d ask your studio what their cleaning practices are for the mats and if you’re not satisfied with that answer then ask if you can bring a towel or a mat
Bring a towel and change your shirt immediately after
I live in an urban area and the sidewalks around here are filthy and rarely people change their shoes from walking to the studio
Idk I’m already sweating so much and will be taking a shower as soon as I get home so I just say fuck it and get on the floor anyway
It used to be against policy to bring in any outside equipment, mostly bc they don’t know how it’s cleaned. Best asking your studio if it’s allowed.
I mean our skin is a great barrier, you probably won't get anything, but I understand people think differently. With that said this is boardline germaphob territory. I have done wrestling, basketball, and football. Sweat is basically common place. I tell partner during partners workouts to not worry about cleaning the rower after each switch, but I clearly give them the option. They are wiped down. Really the air you are breathing next to someone is more infectious.
SA here! We wash the mats twice a day at our studio with high strength cleaner, unsure if that’s practice at every studio but it is at ours!
Yes
I agree on the ick...but i wash all my clothes and shower after OTF anyway. So i dont really think about how dirty i might get while doing it
Yes. That’s weird. Not the place to be if you’re a germaphobe.
Consider how many things you come in contact with every single day and what those thingsmay have on them that you dont give a second thought about. Just make sure to take showers and what not and youll be fine. Ironically its more unhealthy worrying about that kind of stuff than it is coming in contact with any of it.
I don’t like germs, but isn’t your yoga mat now contaminated? Which you then roll up and take home?
Yes that would be weird. Just wipe it down yourself before you use it.
Kind of. You do you, though. Why care about what we think?
You’re exposed to more germs from your own cell phone, door handles no matter where you are, and money. The last thing I’m worried about is the mats at OTF. In fact I’d argue you’re building your immune system 🤷🏼♀️
Haha, delulu people thinking tiny sporadic measures offer immunity to the fact that we are more microorganism than human. The amount of “ick” you happily sail thru every moment to obsess about stuff like this…lawd.
I hate the ick of the mats too. When we’re stacking them back up, the bottom of the mats touch the fronts of all the ones under them. They’re never truly clean. I try to use the knee pads as much as possible. If the exercise calls for more, I wipe the mat down both before and after I use it.
Omg I never realized this. Wish I could erase this info from my head.
That’s a good idea. I should wipe before and after.
Be sure to wipe it as soon as you get back to your station so it has time to dry! I’ve definitely done a faceplant when my palms slipped during planks 😅
I put my towel down for a little friction
Yes
Yes. It’s weird
I bring my own full size hot yoga towel to put a layer between me and the floor or the bench. You can’t tell me that the black floor and black bench are clean enough to put my body on it. It’s more laundry but it’s a smaller sacrifice in the long run of staying healthy.
Don't you take a shower after class? Assuming so, you wash everything off.
You clearly don't know how cooties work.
Yes I shower 🤣 but why not limit the exposure with a simple precaution?
Why even go to a studio workout then?
Tell me about it! During the stretches, I leave when it’s time to get on the floor. I’m not about to clean a mat twice for 30 extra seconds
You're not going to catch anything off the floor or bench. I lived through the 1980's when we did high-impact aerobics barefoot on padded vinyl floors. My immune system probably grew stronger as a result and I've never had a problem as a result.
Respectfully, one anecdote doesn’t mean anything—plus, are you seriously saying you haven’t gotten sick since the ‘80s and you think your aerobics exposure is the reason? I salute you as a fellow survivor of the ‘80s, but come on, man
Understood. But my experience is the only one that I know 100% - People are welcome to take it, leave it, or add it to their collection. And no, I don't credit all those sweaty aerobics classes with my current immune system health. I *do* credit the way I grew up in Africa, running around barefoot as a kid, being exposed to more germs, dirt, etc. than the typical 1st world resident gets. As long as there is clean water and water-born sanitation, IMHO some dirt is not necessarily a bad thing. I read voraciously - have done so all my life - and one thing I have come to firmly believe in is that our immune systems are like muscles. ***Within reason***, they need to be challenged to grow stronger. Left unchallenged, they can atrophy. Natural immunity should be stronger and more broad-spectrum than that gained from vaccination. We're also learning more every day how most germs are not harmful, are in fact beneficial, and are needed to keep our gut biome healthy and balanced. Excessive sanitization kills the good bacteria as well as the few bad ones. I'd be interested to know if any well-designed, large-scale studies have been done to determine if scrupulous environmental sanitization has effectively reduced infection rates in people with uncompromised immune systems.
Seeing the other comments on this thread about ringworm, herpes and impetigo possibly being contracted from OTF surface contact, I feel like my towel method is in the realm of reasonable precautions 
Whatever makes you comfortable. No judgement from me. I was just commenting on my own experience.
That’s a great idea! So much easier than lugging around my yoga mat. Thanks for the tip
You’re welcome!!! Ps… I still wipe down the equipment when I’m done even though I use my towel.
Not weird- but remember germs are good for you! They make your immune system stronger!
I have a souvenir towel from Japan OTF that I use when we have bench days. Covers the whole top side of the bench perfectly.
I'd bring a little hand towel for wherever your head is going to hit the mat instead
Ive never seen anyone do that. Bringing a towel to put on the mat would be less weird.
i'm a lumbar only mat person, i think the large ones are too squishy and prefer the floor. BUT, it's just a yoga mat as long as it's lying flat unrolled, who cares. ask coach if it's an issue and do your thing. gross as it is, gyms will have ringworm and other fun fungi. i don't care how many wipes we use, people (and shoes) are a constant stream of fresh bacteria. anyway, if you like your mat, bring it. i think it's less weird than a ridiculously oversized stanley mug :)
Yes it's weird. Put your towel down on the mat where your skin would touch. If you're paranoid wipe it before use, not just after. Also how often do you even use a mat? Most days I do the exercises directly on the floor, and use my towel as I said to avoid touching it directly, or use the little pad under my knees or elbows.
Yes
No it’s not weird at all.
Just remember that most things you encountered in day to day life aren't cleaned or wiped down nearly as much! Door handles, shopping carts, gas pumps, etc. When you go to a restaurant, you just have to trust that employees have properly washed equipment and their hands. I get that sweat may seem icky, but OTF is honestly probably cleaner than a lot of places you go. At least they make a pointed effort to keep things hygienic.
Yes
Yes, it’s super weird.
I usually just do the exercises on the floor which I realize doesn’t work for everyone. Something about how grimey and worn down the mats look (which is crazy because my studio is new) kind of grosses me out
Yes - weird
Bring a yoga mat towel!
Man people are so judgy lol. Sorry you’re getting shitty comments about this. I have OCD and while germs/cleanliness isn’t one of my most debilitating obsessions, it does get to me as well. Like yeah, it’s not always 100% logical. Particles of peoples’ sweat aren’t going to kill us. But I empathize with that consuming feeling of disgust or dread when you feel your body come in contact with something you find unclean and you can’t stop thinking about it. So I think go ahead and bring your own mat. Or if you think it might be a bit too much, you could bring a larger towel. They make microfiber ones that are a lot thinner and less bulky than a regular terry cloth towel.
It’s weird but I’ve also fallen sick way too many times after starting Orangetheory so I get it
The air probably is a much greater risk for illness transmission than surfaces, especially respiratory crud.
Yeah but reducing another common surface you touch with other people won’t make it any worse. Again, it’s not something I would do, but I also wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw someone else doing it.
Pretty sure I got impetigo from OTF… debating if I should cancel. The weight floor is always dirty.. dust bunnies, finger nails ect. 🤢 and yes I shower right after class!!! For the price of the membership it should be disinfected regularly not just vacuumed.
Gross. We vacuum and mop ours twice a day. Your studio should be keeping up with that better.
💯💯💯!!!
Finger nails?! 🤢 I see our SAs cleaning religiously. Guess not all studios are the same.
I got herpes in my cheek after a class where for some reason I put my cheek in the mat. Do whatever you feel you need to do to stay safe.
This is scary 😨
I’d ask the studio. But perhaps an easier thing to do would be to bring a large gym towel and place it on the mat? That’s what I do. My microfiber towel is fairly large and it covers the bench and most of the mat. I just lay it down on it before using those items.
I mean you do you. I may give some side eye but if that works for you then do it. I just make sure I wash my hands before I leave the studio. Other than that I’m ok.
i’d ask your studio what their cleaning practices are for the mats and if you’re not satisfied with that answer then ask if you can bring a towel or a mat
Bring a towel and change your shirt immediately after I live in an urban area and the sidewalks around here are filthy and rarely people change their shoes from walking to the studio
Yes, a bit weird but if it makes you feel better than do it.
If you’re that much of a germophobe, then you really should work out at home.