Nothing beats a morning dip in the pool at your gym. And everyone knows jumping in the sauna or hot tub after a tough workout is the pinnacle of self-care.

But, new research suggests that there could be a whole host of germs lurking in these warm, wet areas at your gym – and they could be causing loads of nasty illnesses.

The research, conducted by online pool and hot tub supplies shop Blue Cube Direct, found that if not properly maintained, these public environments can be a breeding ground for bacteria which can cause both mild and severe illnesses and infections.

In fact, there are so many possible illnesses – they have their own category; recreational water illnesses (RWIs).

The most common RWI is diarrhoea, which can be caused by germs such as Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus, and E. coli.

Cryptosporidium parasites can stay alive for days even in well-maintained pools, causing mainly a diarrheal Illness.

As well as diarrhoea, RWIs can include a wide variety of illnesses and infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections.

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