(HealthDay News) -- Public locker rooms and showers may be breeding grounds for fungi, so it's important to protect your feet.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions:

• Kick off your shoes and let your feet breathe while you're at home.
• Put on a clean pair of socks each day, especially when the weather is warm.
• Thoroughly dry your feet after bathing or showering. Wear sandals or flip flops when in a public shower or locker room.
• Throw away old, worn exercise shoes. Never borrow shoes from someone else.
• Inspect pets for hair loss, a potential sign of fungal infection, which could be passed to you or other people. Take your pet to a vet for proper diagnosis.