Students focused on losing weight for upcoming Spring Break plans might not realize that the gym is frequently a place to catch the common cold and flu.

The gym is very crowded, especially after the holidays, making for a perfect opportunity for viruses to lurk within the equipment, according to some professors of kinesiology at Penn State.

When someone has a virus in his nasal secretions and coughs in his hands or sneezes and then grips on the free weights, bike or stair-climber, he could transmit a virus, said Joe Cannon, professor of physiology and kinesiology.

"The early stages of the flu are the most infectious," Cannon said.

The common cold is not the only disease that can be caught at the gym. "A person could develop sinusitis or bronchitis," University Health Services' Dr. Ed Rosick said.

There are ways to help prevent getting sick, such as spraying the machines with disinfectant, Cannon said.

The Intramural Building gym sprays down every piece of equipment every day after the gym closes, said Josh Eidson, a graduate student who works as a strength coach at the IM Building.

The gym has extra disinfectant and towels for anyone who wants to disinfect machines before use, Eidson said.

Rosick offers other advice: "After using the machines, wash hands before touching the face or eating," he said.

The gym is not responsible for excluding sick people from entering, said Nick Guyton (junior-kinesiology), an employee at the IM Building.

However, it is recommended that when sick, gym-goers should curtail their workout, Rosick said.

Kristine Clark, director of sports nutrition programs at Penn State, agrees.

"How a person feels should be indicative of weather they should be working out," she said.

Both Rosick and Clark concur that when someone is missing class because of sickness, they should not be making a trip to the gym.

Sick people have compromised immune systems, and the intensity of their workout doesn't have to be as great when ill, Clark said.