Remember those rules your parents used to give you when you were little, such as:
- Be considerate
- Treat other people the way you would like to be treated
- Share
- Clean up after yourself
- Pick up your things and put them away
- Don’t interrupt other people
As Saralyn Wasserman notes, these rules also apply to the gym — although lately, it appears that not everyone has learned them. Or maybe they’ve just forgotten them. To be generous, we can just surmise that adults tend to get confused in the gym. So, for all of those who are still somewhat bewildered by what constitutes gym etiquette, here are the rules:
- Pick up after yourself – Don’t leave your personal belongings on equipment unless you are using it. Otherwise, people will think they can’t use it. If you need to place your personal items on the floor, keep them close so you don’t take up too much space in frequently densely populated conditions.
- Wipe down your equipment when you’re done – whether you sweat a lot or not. This is just a common consideration. If you don’t like touching other people’s body fluids, don’t leave yours around for them.
- Don’t hog the equipment – Get in — do your thing — and then get out. Don’t use your phone while you’re on the equipment. Making people wait to use the equipment while you’re checking your Instagram account or texting your friends is maddening — and it’s also the height of disrespect towards others. There are other people in the world!
- Ask first: If you’re unsure if a piece of equipment is being used, ask first. If someone says they’re still using the equipment but they’re not currently on it, ask if you can “work in” with them. This means that you both agree to work out in between each others’ sets – and is a reasonable compromise.
- Share: If you’re taking breaks between sets and someone asks if you’re finished with a certain piece of equipment, either complete your workout right then or offer to take turns working in between each other’s sets. People are often waiting from a distance so as not to hover. So recognize that when someone asks if you’re finished, they may have been waiting for that piece of equipment for a long time.
- Respect personal space. Remember, in a gym, the objective is to move around. Don’t crowd out people to the point where they can’t move freely. If it looks like this might be the case, move on to another area of the gym and come back when that area is not as crowded.
- Put everything back where it belongs – Put your weights back on the racks when you’ve finished using them. The same goes for the mats, foam logs, pull-down ropes and triangles, inflated balls, etc. They usually belong in one or two locations and people shouldn’t have to search throughout the gym for these items.
- Don’t interrupt others: Never interrupt someone else’s workout. If you’re trying to be sociable, wait until after they’ve finished.
- Never give unsolicited help. This is extremely disrespectful and indicates that you think the other person doesn’t know what they’re doing and that you’re superior. Women especially don’t like it when men do this to them. So, if you’re trying to flirt with someone – just know that no relationship has ever been successfully started this way – in any gym – at any time in the history of the world!