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Gym Etiquette

How to maintain your gym popularity

Gyms and a health clubs are truly wonderful places - they really are. They provide some fantastic facilities and new and interesting ways to keep fit and healthy. Gyms are filled with other people too which can help you to stay motivated as other people in the gym are there to stay fit and healthy too.

But if you're a regular gym user then you'll know thee are the odd, few people who seem to ruin it for everyone, but mostly you. It's like they purposely seek to ruin and disrupt your workout at every possible turn. You know who we mean, the member who spends too much time sat down gossiping on the only piece of equipment you have come to use today. The one who slams the weights, so you can see and hear how much they've been lifting.

The one that answers their mobile phone on the treadmill and wants you to hear every word. The one that leaves a puddle of sweat on the piece of equipment you have been waiting for all night and the one who leaves the equipment out so you can't find it!

There are some unwritten rules that everyone should follow when going to the gym. These guidelines are simple and yet there are some who neglect them. For safety purposes and to have a harmonious relationship with your fellow gym users we have come up with this definitive ‘Do's and Don'ts' list to working out at the gym.

Don'ts

  • Do not leave equipment covered in your sweat - wipe it down with a towel/tissue. People would rather not use their own towel to wipe off another person's sweat
  • Do not sit on equipment you are not using (especially if it's busy)
  • Do not hog equipment by spending unnecessary time chatting too long between or after sets (especially if you are using equipment that there is only one of)
  • Do not train too close to other equipment you are not using or block others access to equipment or walkways (especially if it's busy)
  • Do not interrupt people mid-set by talking to them or asking a question. Wait until they have finished the set.
  • Do not have your mobile phone on. It is very distracting having phones going off in a gym.

Do's

  • Wear clean and appropriate gym clothes. It is important to keep yourself clean at all times. As you will be sweating a lot, make sure to bring a towel
  • Put the equipment back in its proper places. This can help avoid certain accidents such as tripping over weights that are not placed on the right places
  • Keep your voice down. Bear in mind that other people want to concentrate on what they are doing
  • Do be mindful of the space around you and if you are restricting other's movement to certain areas or equipment
  • Do ensure you maintain your personal hygiene. It's not nice for others to smell your two week old training top that you've been sweating in every day
  • Do ask if people are finished with equipment once they have got up. Try not to assume they have
  • Do ask people to move if they are crowding you or restricting your access to other equipment
  • Do be polite as much as possible
  • Do train in the right areas when the gym is busy. If you can free up equipment by doing the same exercise elsewhere then do so
  • Do use common sense and sensible judgement with most situations
  • Do try and be flexible with others who may not know better
  • Respect other people's personal space.
  • Be friendly to the staff and other people in the gym.

As you can see, these aren't particularly difficult concepts to grasp, it's basically thinking of others and been courteous to those around you, a rule that most of us abide by in our day-to-day lives anyway.

So whether you are thinking of joining a gym or have been a member for 20 years, bare these simple guidelines in mind and your gym experience will be as enjoyable for the person next to you as it is for you.