The Swine Flu Free Workout - 4 Ways to Dodge H1N1 At the Gym!

Working out at home may lower your risks of catching swine flu or H1N1, but when that's not always easy to do, there are still a few clever tricks you can try to lower your odds besides the more obvious ways to avoid getting sick. Here are four new, unique and useful ways to steer clear of the swine flu-or any cold or flu virus for that matter-when you're stuck exercising in the gym.

Go when it's super slow. Instead of going at your usual time (and if you have the flexibility to do so), pick a time when there's less people in the gym. That may seem obvious (less people equals less germs, right?), but one celeb trainer I spoke with hinted that picking a time that's the most difficult time to go (extremely early in the morning or late at night) could help keep you safer by weeding out people who may feel sick.

You'll always have diehards that will exercise no matter how they feel, but by going at these two times of the day, you're exercising closer to when most people sleep. Because some sick people (even exercise addicts who aren't smart enough to let the flu stop their workouts) might end up crashing earlier at night, or, sleeping in later when they feel rundown, scheduling your workouts at these key times could help you avoid bumping into them.

Chalk up before you lift. This quirky tip came from a celebrity trainer friend of mine who uses it with their paranoid clientele (who shall remain nameless). As soon as you step into the gym, grab the hand chalk and cover your hands with it. Not only will you have better grip as you exercise, but you'll be less inclined to touch your face (and have a reason not to shake anyone's hand) while covered in it.

If your gym doesn't allow hand chalk (or if you don't have access to it), the same trainer has had clients lightly rub their hands in the dirt (just a dusting so they don't appear grimy) before stepping into the gym. Knowing your hands are dirty can have the same effect to help you remember to keep them away from your eyes, mouth and nose as you work out.

Use dumbbells instead of any bar-related exercises. Certain exercises (especially exercises using a bar) could make you more susceptible to being exposed to any lingering germs left over on gym equipment from the last person that used it. That's because doing lat pulldowns for your back, barbell bench presses for your chest, barbell curls for your arms, lying skull crushers for your triceps, or, performing any bar-based exercise that brings the middle of a bar close to your face leaves you exposed to whatever may have been splattered on it from anyone that used it before you. Switching to dumbbells can help reduce the likelihood that you'll bring anything near your eyes, nose and mouth as you exercise.

Look for the dustiest equipment in the gym. Every gym has a few pieces of equipment that never seem to get any airtime. Those not-so-popular training tools may be less attractive to you, but trying out equipment that fewer people use not only lowers your odds of touching germs that high-traffic equipment most likely has, but it could help you break through a fitness rut at the same time.

How does it do that? Many experts say that muscles adapt to a workout after doing it as few as 5-6 times. After that, your body becomes more and more efficient at doing the same old routine, so it doesn't feel the need to adapt, grow or get stronger. It also begins to use less energy (and calories), which can mean losing less weight (even though you're still putting in the same effort). By using equipment you otherwise avoid at the gym, your muscles are guaranteed to be challenged in a way they're not used to, helping them break free of whatever routine you may be hanging onto a lot longer than necessary.

Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.