I know a number of you out there in the Moebius community hit the gym occasionally; and many of us try to be as healthy as we can in as many ways as we can. So if you do hit the gym already, or are thinking of doing it, here are some pointers on gym etiquette:
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Spend
enough time at the gym and you’re bound to develop some pet peeves.
It’s a communal space, shared by people with idiosyncrasies that can
drive others up a wall — humming while running, staring while lifting or
loud-talking while doing anything.
Teaching fitness classes at a
gym has given me a front-row seat to some colorful behavior that local
trainers and gym managers tell me is pretty common. While there is no
way to avoid annoying somebody at some point, there are basic rules of
gym etiquette to keep people from throwing you the side-eye.
● Focus on your workout, not everyone else’s:
Look, I get it. You read fitness mags, have a few exercise apps on your
smartphone and are at the gym so much that all the cleaning people know
your name. But unless you’re a certified trainer, no one needs your
advice on their form.
This kind of gym-splaining happens way too
often to women. Some dude will think it’s his duty to explain the fine
points of a squat or, worse yet, try to physically correct your posture.
It’s intimidating enough to exercise in front of a bunch of chiseled
people without a stranger singling you out for a lesson.
If you
are genuinely concerned that someone might injure himself, tap a trainer
on the shoulder and politely say, “Hey, I think that person over there
could use some help.” Most trainers are happy to help, especially if it
means a potential new client.
“If someone is in
immediate danger, help them out. But otherwise, look for a trainer on
the floor,” said Devin Maier, a personal trainer at Balance Gym in the District.
Focusing on your workout also means not staring at people as they are
doing theirs. You can learn a lot from checking out someone else’s
routine, but don’t ogle. And if you really want to try the circuit that
the guy next to you is doing, ask him about it when it looks like he’s
done.
● Keep it clean: If you’re a sweat monster, like I
am, bring wipes to clean off the machines, mats and weights. Most gyms
come equipped with spray bottles and paper towels; some even have
disinfecting wipes. Use them.
Slipping and busting your behind on
someone’s treadmill sweat trail is no fun. Janitors can be in only so
many places at once. They need your cooperation to keep the gym from
becoming a petri dish.
If
you like to shave or wash your hair in the locker room shower, take a
paper towel and scoop up the bits of hair in the drain. Sure, it’s icky,
but it’s ickier when somebody else has to step in it. And if you need
to freshen your makeup at the sink, clean up the film of foundation or
blush powder around the edges.
● Keep grunts to a minimum:
Yes, that last set of curls is killing you. So much so that you’re
gritting your teeth, breaking into a sweat and grunting like you’re
Conan the Barbarian — but you’re not, so keep it down.
It is natural to grunt when exerting effort; some trainers will even tell you that it enhances performance. One study of college tennis players found that their serve and forehand velocity increased when they grunted.
Still,
that loud exhalation can be distracting to everyone else. Besides, you
can forcefully expel air without making a whole lot of noise. Try it.
“If it sounds like someone is passing a kidney stone and it’s
distracting to other people, then you need to tone it down,” Maier said.
“We’re all for people exerting themselves within reason, but we don’t
want someone to bust a blood vessel.”
And another thing: There is
no need to drop the weights after completing that oh-so-difficult set.
It’s distracting and dangerous, Alexx Griffin, regional group fitness
director at Vida, said in an e-mail.
“Please
do not drop weights from overhead or let [them] drop from waist level
to the ground,” he wrote. Instead, “maintain control of weights at all
times,” and safely lower them to a resting position.
● Don’t hog several machines or weights at once:
Rotating from one machine to the next as part of a circuit can be a
great way to break up the monotony of your workout. But be mindful that
other people want to use the leg press or Smith machine.
Don’t
take long breaks in between each set, because someone will swoop in to
take one of the machines. And swoopers, ask whether the person is still
using the leg press before you start your set. The frustration of having
to wait and wait for a machine is no excuse for rudeness.
“I’m
all for people doing circuit training, but if you are going to
monopolize multiple pieces of equipment, you should probably come in
during off-peak hours,” Maier said. “If you’re going to the gym at 6
p.m. at night, don’t do it. You’re going to upset people, and everyone
has got to share.”
All the same advice applies to the use of
weights. It’s splendid that you are trying to increase the amount of
weight you can lift. You know what’s not splendid? People waiting 20
minutes for the pair of 10-, 15- and 20-pound dumbbells that you say
you’re “almost” done using. Not all gyms come fully stocked with
multiple weights of the same size, so keep that in mind when you pick up
the last pair of 15-pound dumbbells.
And “return all equipment to its proper location after use so that
it’s readily available for other members and keeps the gym floor free of
clutter,” Griffin said.
● Confine your stuff to one area:
There is no reason for anyone to have their belongings — water bottle,
sweatshirt, keys, phone, wallet — strewn about. This goes for the locker
room, weight room and class studio. None of these places are your
house, so you have no right to throw your stuff everywhere. Not cool.
There
is limited space in the gym that has to be shared by everyone, so it
does no one any good to have maneuver around all of your things. Get a
locker. If you don’t feel safe parting from your wallet or cellphone,
then neatly place them somewhere that’s not in the way.
When
you’re in the locker room, don’t leave your toiletries in the shower
stall. Same goes for your sweaty clothes and worn undies. No one needs
to see all that. No one. Ever.
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