Photo credit: Brooke Morrill, Photo Director, @brookemorrill
We’ve all been to the gym at some point or another. For some it’s a chore, and for others it’s the best part of the day. Either way, you need to know the proper etiquette when you set foot in any gym.
In every gym there’s always going to be multiple personalities. We have all heard the grunters, waited patiently for the texters, and watched the mirror admirers. If you’re one of these people I’m sorry, the gym isn’t the place for you. Don’t grunt in public, text when people aren’t waiting for you, and leave the mirror flexing in your bathroom mirror.
The number one rule is you need to be aware of those at the gym who don’t want to be disturbed. A workout can be a sacred time of the day for some people. You don’t want to bother someone who has headphones in. Also not every girl/ guy at the gym wants to be hit on. Respect peoples’ personal space and their workout time.
The second rule involves wiping up what you leave behind. Just because your mom isn’t at the gym with you, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wipe up your sweat on the bench. No one wants to walk up and sit in your pool of sweat. No one wants a side of germs and infectious skin diseases with their workout.
Third, respect someone’s territory. If someone puts a towel down don’t take the bench or machine. Don’t more the towel just because they left to get a drink. There is a fine line to this rule though. People can’t hog two places in the gym. If no one is using another machine then it is fine to jump between two. Don’t be the gym hog, and don’t take someone else’s spot.
I went around and found out some of the gym pet peeves. Freshman Nicole Lynne said, “I hate when guys adjust their junk right in front of me. Go to the bathroom or get a clue and buy a pair of compression shorts.” Girls don’t want to see this, and there’s a time and place for this to happen. Senior Boyd Bell also said, “get off your phone and get off the machine. I don’t have time for someone to text people while I wait.” Boyd is a baseball player at UVU, and the gym for him isn’t just leisure. It’s also his passion and almost a job.
For some people gym time is barely squeezed into their daily routine. Don’t let your distractions slow other people down. Be really cautious of people around you, and have some respect for the others and the gym.
There’s plenty of dos and don’ts of the gym. Hopefully this information can help keep you from being “that guy” at the gym.
