Yoga Mats, New Breeding Ground for Germs

Here's something yoga practitioners should know about: exercise mats can transmit fungal, bacterial, and viral infections.

According to www.rockymountainnews.com, several dermatologists and podiatrists say that they have noticed an increase in the number of skin infections among yoga practitioners, especially those who use public mats.

"Dirty exercise mats were most likely to blame," says Dr. Ellen Marmur from Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. The link between unclean yoga mats and infections such as jock itch and plantar watch has not been confirmed by research though.

Robert Butera, editor in chief of Yoga Living magazine, advises yoga enthusiasts to practice yoga hygiene. Basically, yoga hygiene is all about using and cleaning your own mat. Longtime yoga enthusiasts do not lend their mats to anyone because they consider it as an intimate part of their practice.

Read more about this news story at www.rockymountainnews.com.