Managing Food Allergies at the Gym and Yoga Studio
Food allergy management is not reserved for the kitchen, dining room, cafeteria, and restaurants. Food allergies follow you everywhere, from airplanes to offices, to places you would least expect—like yoga studios.
My favorite yoga teacher, who has a peanut-allergic son and maintains a peanut-free house, uses the yoga studio as her place to eat all the peanuts she can’t at home. I only learned about her son’s allergy because I spotted her spooning peanut butter right out of the jar and directly into her mouth before class one day. As a regular, there’s a good chance of her assisting me, and it is not unusual for her to lie right on top of students during a seated forward fold.
Since we may be getting “intimate,” I knew I would have to tell her about my allergy. I explained that I was allergic to peanuts and would appreciate it if she either washed her hands or not assist me that day. Since she’s an allergy mom and understands the struggle, she was embarrassed that she had never thought of this as an issue when teaching.
Yoga studios aren't the only place I’ve encountered my food allergies. They have shown up in locker rooms, the swimming pool, and on a marathon race course. I bet I’m not the only one who has spotted an allergen during a workout!
As someone with many food allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, and sunflower seeds, to name a few), I’ve gotten pretty good at managing them in public workout spaces. Below are my top tips!
Your auto-injector is your number one workout buddy.
Having your epinephrine auto-injector with you at all times is a best practice no matter where you are or what you are doing. This is especially true for the gym. The last thing you want is someone scrambling to your locker—perhaps not knowing or forgetting the lock combo—and then rummaging through your things to find your auto-injector. Keeping it in a small bag with you is a convenient way to carry it from machine to machine. Activities in extreme temperatures, like hot yoga, may require an exception to this rule.
Have a water bottle that stands out.
Just like the yoga studio was my teacher’s go-to place for snacking on peanut butter, the swimming pool is where my husband eats peanut M&Ms. Besides not kissing, we do not share water bottles when he eats peanuts!
While unlikely, you might share the same water bottle as someone else at the gym, and you don’t want to accidentally sip from the wrong spout! When it comes to your water bottle, make sure it stands out and that you always know where it is. If you bring along a bag for your epinephrine auto-injector, you can pop your water bottle in there! Or add stickers, a name label, or tie a ribbon around your bottle to ensure it’s unique.
Clean what you can.
Wiping down surfaces at the gym is always a good practice—food allergies or not.
Sometimes this isn’t always an option—take bouldering, for instance. I recall one time watching people shell pistachios and then going right back to the climbing wall. In these cases, you just have to use your best judgment.
Specialty equipment at a yoga or boxing studio can also have questionable cleanliness. In these cases, it is best to bring your own mat, props, and gloves. If you’re there for the first time, or can't bring your equipment, it’s a good idea to ask how they clean their equipment or request a newly-cleaned item. You may want to wipe it down yourself just in case 😁.
Let someone know about your allergy.
When working out alone, it helps if someone knows about your food allergies. Before any yoga class, I always say something to the instructor because I’ve experienced teachers lathering students with essential oils.
Don't be embarrassed by saying something. I used to be, but really who is it harming? Nobody!
Managing food allergies means you have to be a little more diligent when engaging in extracurricular activities, even ones that aren't food related. Taking simple precautions to mitigate risk is all part of life with food allergies and shouldn't stop you from hitting the gym!
What tricks do you use when navigating public workout spaces? I’d love to know!
Kortney Kwong Hing is the allergy girl behind the blog Allergy Girl Eats. She has multiple food allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, sunflower seeds and more), but does not let them stand in the way of enjoying food and exploring the globe. On the blog Kortney shares stories of life as an allergic adult, tips on managing everyday life with food allergies, and a few favorite allergy-friendly recipes.
Kortney is also one of the co-founders of Allergy Travels, a website and online community that shares travel insights and inspiration for those managing allergies.