Are you a fitness fanatic or an avid sports player? While regular exercise plays a fundamental role in staying active and healthy — making us feel good both physically and emotionally — exercising often puts us at a higher risk of acquiring an athlete’s foot infection. In fact, that’s where the name comes from, as athletes generally have a much higher risk of getting the foot fungus.

Luckily it’s surprisingly easy to prevent athlete’s foot if you follow a few simple tips. Take a look at our list of tips to prevent athlete’s foot when playing sports or exercising.

Prevent athlete's foot at the gym

Gym locker rooms and changing rooms are a hotspot for the fungal foot infection. Humid, warm, communal areas like locker rooms and showers are breeding grounds for the fungus. To avoid catching a foot infection from the gym try these tips:

Tip #1: Wear flip-flops, sandals, or waterproof shoes when walking around in communal areas.

Tip #2: Always pack a spare pair of socks in your gym bag that you can change into following a sweaty gym session. Bring a change of shoes, so you don’t have to wear the same sweaty gym shoes home. Keeping your feet in the same pair of sweaty sneakers creates an optimum warm, damp environment for the fungal infection to develop and thrive.

Tip #3: Wash towels and sportswear immediately after use. Dirty towels or towels that have been in contact with the floor are an easy way for the fungus to spread to your feet or other body parts.

How to prevent Athlete's foot at the swimming pool

As you may have guessed, communal swimming pools are a major source of the fungal foot infection. Damp, warm floors make it very easy to catch athlete’s foot when you’re walking around barefoot before or after swimming.

Tip #4: As with gyms, make sure to wear flip flops or similar shoes when walking around to stop your feet from potentially coming into contact with the fungus.

Tip #5: When you’re done swimming, make sure to wash your feet thoroughly with warm water and mild soap. Pay special attention to the areas between your toes. Dry your feet with a clean towel and ensure there’s no moisture left between your toes before putting on a clean pair of socks.

Preventing athlete's foot on the playing field

If you play team sports or simply prefer to exercise outdoors you may be wondering if you’re still at risk of an athlete’s foot infection.

Even if you’re not visiting any communal showers or locker rooms, you could be at risk of an athlete’s foot infection just from having sweaty feet, sharing sports equipment, or wearing the same pair of sweaty sneakers.

When playing sports outdoors, try to keep these tips in mind to prevent athlete's foot:

Tip #6: If you’re outdoors and don’t have access to a bathroom to wash your feet, change your shoes and wear flip flops to help air your feet so they don’t remain damp and sweaty for too long.

Tip #7: Apply some foot powder to your feet. Specialty athlete’s foot powder like Silka Ⓡ Powder Miconazole can help prevent smelly feet, foot fungus growth, and excess foot sweat by absorbing any excess moisture and and targeting fungus with antifungal ingredients. If you don’t like the mess of powders to help control wetness, try Silka Ⓡ Liquid Powder. Easy to apply, the cream dries as a powder within seconds, with a texture that allows it to easily cover the crevices of your feet.

Tip #8: Remember to wash your feet thoroughly when you get home with warm water and mild soap before putting on clean socks — preferably those made from breathable, natural fibers like cotton.

For more athlete’s foot prevention tips and tricks, take a look at our blog.

How to get rid of athlete's foot fast

If your feet are itchy, burning, peeling, and red, you could already be suffering from an athlete’s foot fungal infection.

Sometimes even if you do your best to prevent athlete’s foot, taking into account every foot care tip, you could still end up with the infection. You can even get athlete's foot from sharing personal items such as towels or sheets with someone in your household who has the infection.
Luckily enough, athlete’s foot is easy to treat if you select the right product and adhere to a consistent treatment plan.

For an effective fungus fighting treatment, try Silka Ⓡ Antifungal Cream. With terbinafine as its active ingredient, the cream should be applied once a day at the same time, generally before bed. The active ingredient then goes to work immediately, with only a 7-day treatment period.

For a step-by-step guide to using Silka Ⓡ Antifungal Cream, check out our blog post on the topic.

Remember if you are diabetic, suffer from recurring athlete’s foot, or if your infection persists for several weeks, seek medical attention from your health provider so they can rule out underlying conditions and provide you with individualized advice.