Don’t Skip the Gym When You Have Allergies

Allergies can be such a bane to someone with an active lifestyle. Not only does it make you itchy, drowsy or irritated but it can also make you think of locking yourself inside your house and just let the allergies disappear on its own. But for some doctors staying away from your local gym is not the best way to treat your allergies.

According to Dr. Donald Novey, a family physician based in Poulsbo, Washington, you shouldn't rule out going to the gym right away whenever you get an allergic reaction. Some people would prefer to lie in bed whenever they get the sniffles caused by pollen and if that's the case for you try working around it and find a time within the day when there’s not much pollen in the air.

Scientists say that pollen count is at its highest in the morning so if you’re planning on going to your local gym schedule your daily workout in the afternoon or evening to avoid getting an allergic reaction. You could also try exercising inside your house and there are numerous ways to keep fit and healthy even without the proper gym equipment.

But if you’re the type of person who gets pumped up more when you’re running on a treadmill alongside other exercise nuts then go ahead and visit your local gym. Just take some necessary precautions so that you won’t get annoyed unduly with your allergies.

Make sure you’re medicated

Visit your physician first before you try out any medication to alleviate your allergies. There are lots of over-the-counter drugs to help you deal with your allergies but it’s still safer to consult your doctor first. Also, don’t use any medication that can make you drowsy. First generation antihistamines have sedatives that can really knock you out but other medications such as loratadine and fexofenadine are known to cause less drowsiness.

Once you’ve chosen the right kind of medication for you the next step is to prepare your gear for the gym.

Prepping for your workout

It’s nice to bond with your fellow workout warriors in your local gym and some would even attest that one of the reasons they succeeded in exercising regularly is because they were in a company of like-minded people wanting to be healthier. Take yoga practitioners, a lot of these people prefer working in groups as compared to going through it solo because the sight of other people working out together motivates them to stick to their fitness routine.

But sharing equipment with other people can lead to disastrous results since you can’t guarantee that the person who used the free-weight bench before you is stringent about his/her personal hygiene. Even if most gyms are strict about keeping their equipment squeaky clean this can still lead to annoying allergic reactions since the chemicals they use to clean their stuff might be harmful to you.

But there are ways around this and all you have to do is conduct a little research on stuff (chemicals) that won’t be harmful to your skin. If you find that whenever you lie down on a rubber mat and you get hives immediately you might be allergic to latex.

If you find that whenever you put on a pair of tank tops and you immediately develop bumps or blisters on your skin then you may be allergic to spandex. But not to worry because you can find gym-wear that does not incorporate latex or spandex into their fabric making them hypoallergenic and perfect for you.

If you’re dead-set on taking up yoga but you’re allergic to the rubber mats they provide in your local gym then try purchasing one of those sustainable mats you’ll find online. There are many ways to counter your allergies that you no longer have to worry about getting stuck inside the house. Just as long as you stay medicated and you find ways to help prevent your allergies from worsening you can hit the gym and start working on those abs to perfection.