It’s tempting to wear a small, classy piece of jewelry to the gym to spice up your appearance, but you really shouldn’t. No matter how sentimental your jewelry is to you, a sweaty workout is not the best location for you to display it.
Workouts and exercise equipment can cause damage to the ring, the gem, or your skin if you aren’t careful, and losing a sentimental piece of jewelry is far worse than keeping it safe and out of the way during your routine. If you’re searching for all the right reasons not to bring your jewelry with you to the gym, consider what could go wrong during your visit.
Sweat and the precious metals that plate your jewelry don’t mix well—while you sweat and burn off calories, your jewelry may begin to wear down by degrees. This danger is especially prevalent with rings. Because of how tight rings are around our fingers, the friction alone is enough to rub the metal’s shine right off.
All types of jewelry can catch on equipment, clothing, or your hair. If it does catch, it can result in damage or loss. You may break a prong that secures your wedding ring’s gemstone, snap a chain, or lose an earring backing. While you can repair some damage, there are some jewelry pieces that you can’t replace.
When working with any type of equipment at the gym, jewelry that can catch on it or affect your grip poses a danger to your health. The risk of injury is one of the most important reasons not to bring your jewelry with you to the gym. You may hurt yourself in the same instance that you break part of your jewelry—especially with earrings. If your earrings or piercings ever catch on clothing or a piece of equipment during an intense workout, you could tear your skin and give yourself a large scar.
With rings, the sweat that erodes the quality of the metal also affects your skin. The metal may rub off on your skin and cause discoloration and irritation—sometimes with severe blisters. If you do wear your ring while working out, take it off to let it and your finger dry afterward.
If you aren’t comfortable leaving your jewelry behind during a workout, consider buying yourself a protective, secure wedding ring holder for the gym. A LoveLocker allows you to keep your jewelry—including your wedding ring—safe and close by on a lanyard or safely tucked away in your gym bag without keeping it loose.
