en Health Promotion Health Promotion پژوهشي Original Article <div><span style="line-height:1;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Background: </b>This cross-sectional study aimed to assess cleaning and disinfection practices in gyms, focusing on the safety of these collective-use environments.<br> <b>Methods:</b> The study was conducted from October to December 2023 in two gyms-one public and one private. The study involved the inspection of high-traffic and frequently-touched exercise equipment, including bars for upper and lower limb training, extension, and flexion chairs, shoulder press machine, hack squat machine, dumbbells, leg press machine, flexor table, Hammer rowing, articulated bench press, and chest fly machine. The fluorescence method, protein test, and visual inspection were used for such analyses.<br> <b>Results:</b> A total of 120 evaluations were performed, encompassing 48 visual inspections (40.0%), 48 protein tests (40.0%), and 24 fluorescence analyses (20.0%). Among the equipment with the highest protein presence were the squat bar, 8kg dumbbell, hack squat machine, and leg press machine. Positive fluorescence results were found on the leg press, 8kg dumbbell, and chest fly machine. Visible dirt was present in 95.8% of the public gym environment and 33.3% (<i>p&nbsp;</i>< 0.001) of the private gym equipment.<br> <b>Conclusion:</b> The cleaning and disinfection practices performed in public and private gyms were inadequate and need improvement to mitigate the risks of cross-contamination among users.</span></span></span></div> Gyms and Institutes, Infection Control, Disinfection, Physical Exercise, Cross Infection, 126 131 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-633-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Daniela Santos Batista danielasantosbatista123@gmail.com 100319475328460015731 100319475328460015731 No Department of Applied Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Bianca Carolina Sobrinho Ananias biancasobrinhoufjf@gmail.com 100319475328460015732 100319475328460015732 No Department of Applied Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Thais Vidal de Oliveira vidal.thais@hotmail.com 100319475328460015733 100319475328460015733 No Department of Applied Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Thiago César Nascimento thiago_ufjf1982@yahoo.com.br 100319475328460015734 100319475328460015734 No Department of Basic Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Vanessa Albuquerque Alvim de Paula vanessaalb2@gmail.com 100319475328460015735 0009-0002-4961-6597 No Department of Applied Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Adriana Cristina de Oliveira adrianacoliveira@gmail.com 100319475328460015736 100319475328460015736 No Department of Basic Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Andre Luiz Silva Alvim andrealvim1@ufjf.br 100319475328460015737 100319475328460015737 Yes Department of Applied Nursing, Nursing School, Universidad Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.