India, July 18 -- Going to the gym regularly is a healthy habit, but being in a shared space means one needs to follow certain steps to maintain general hygiene. That includes wiping down gym equipment before and after use.

Apart from the obvious benefit of not leaving the equipment covered in sweat, the habit also helps prevent skin infections such as ringworm, according to Dr Kunal Sood. Taking to Instagram on July 17, he explained how it spreads via shared workout equipment and what preventive measures can be taken against it.

Despite how the condition is named, ringworm is not literally a worm, but rather, a fungal infection. As per Dr Sood, it can spread through direct skin contact, shared towels, locker room floors, or contaminate...