Study reveals your gym equipment may have more bacteria than a toilet seat

If you're looking for a good reason to pass on renewing your gym membership, the people at Fitrated may have one for you – germs.

A study of what's lurking on the equipment at the average exercise facility found that free weights tend be more bacteria-ridden than toilet seats.

362 times more, to be specific.

Treadmills and exercise bikes came out better, but not by much.

In conducting their test, researchers swabbed equipment at 3 gyms.

Among the plentiful, and potentially dangerous, sorts of bacteria found were gram-positive cocci and gram-negative rods.

The former can lead to infection, septicemia, and pneumonia, while the latter is not only harmful, but often resistant to antibiotics.

As alarming as it all sounds, Dr. Len Horovitz, a New York City internist, told CBS News, "Bacteria are all around us, not just at gyms. Every surface is populated with bacteria and we need a normal population on our skin."

There are ways other than skipping the gym to fend off the ill effects of the germs.

Experts advise keeping wounds covered, putting a clean towel on benches before sitting down, and making sure gym clothes get washed after each use.