7 Ways to Improve Your Gym Etiquette

It’s a new year, and a new opportunity to shape up. But that also comes with a crowded gym. So brush up your gym etiquette and help contribute to a positive gym atmosphere!

1. Cover Up

You’ve worked hard to get your ideal body, and with all of those extra squats and crunches you are looking good! The dedication and determination it takes to eat well, exercise regularly, and get your dream figure most definitely deserves a standing ovation, but maybe not a literal one from all of the folks around you at the gym.

The thing is, you did all of that hard work for you. You work out to be healthy, confident, and strong, not to impress everyone else. Being proud of your body is a wonderful thing, but showing it off by not wearing enough clothes at the gym can be a distraction, and can make others feel uncomfortable.

So next time you find yourself skimping on the gym attire, remind yourself to cover up. You can also keep some extra clothes in your gym bag or car for those hectic days when you may forget.

2. Take Out the Earbuds and Enjoy Some Conversation

Cardio kills, we all know it! Everyone has that power station on Pandora or that certain song that gets us through the leg cramps and shortness of breath that is the torture of calorie burning and cardiovascular wellness.

But what about those times you are stretching, lifting, and doing floor workouts? Those times should be focused and relaxing, not times of blasting Pitbull and Katy Perry so deafeningly loud that all of your gym neighbors can hear, or worse, feel that they can’t approach you.

The gym is actually a really great place to meet people similar to you, but with music in your ears at all times, making new friends can be nearly impossible. Try lessening your earbud time and leaving yourself open for more communication with others. You never know, you could meet Mr. Right!

3. Clean Up

We all see the signs. “Please clean the machines after use,” and “Re-Rack your weights,” but do we always take them seriously?

The answer is no.

Maybe some days you grab a rag and spray bottle to clean off of the machine you were on for the next person, but let’s be honest, some days we just want to get in and out without all of the inconveniences. But then we get disgusted when we sit on a dirty arm press machine or find someone’s weights in our favorite space to do planks, and let’s not forget all of the germs we learned about contracting off of this equipment in high school health classes. Really when you think about it, it’s too much.

How to remedy this sticky situation, you ask? As you can probably guess, the solution is easy – clean up, because even if you are the only one, at least you know your workout space is germ-free.  

4. The Buddy System Does Not Mean ALL of Your Buddies

You have a large social circle –  go you! You and your friends do all kinds of things together, and now you have decided you should hit the gym as a group as well. Group fitness is a wonderful thing, but there are places for it, like Zumba or Yoga classes.

If you are just going to the gym for a workout, taking a friend is great, but when all of your friends are crowded into a small space where only one person can work out at a time, it can get a little stuffy. Gym equipment is typically not spaced that far apart, and when five and six people are crammed like sardines around one thing that only one person can use at a time….let’s just say it is not a positive thing.

If you want to work out with every one of your friends, that’s great, but try enrolling in a group fitness class so others can have some elbow room as well.

5. Be Aware of Others’ Space

Do you ever find yourself going back and forth in the gym? You do a set of leg presses, then go somewhere else to get some kettlebell swings in, then get back to your leg presses. If you answered yes, you are doing “gymfficiency” right!

But what happens when you get back to your leg press machine ready for your second set, and someone has taken it, and not only taken it, but is basically camping out on it for the night? Your workout flow is ruined, right? Having your workout compromised is like going to the freezer for ice cream, but finding that someone has already eaten all of it. It is not what you want to happen.

The only thing to say here is pay attention to others, and do not be a workout killer. Look around and observe others, because you can not only become a more courteous gym member, but also learn some cool new ways to boost your own workouts.

6.  Noises

Ever hear those noises coming out of people when they lift something that is most likely too heavy for them?

Makes you feel uncomfortable, right?

Yeah. Control your grunting — please. 

7.  Own Your Girl Power

Women have really been taking over the gym scene, and they are clearly strong forces to be reckoned with. If you are a woman who knows how to safely lift weights, don’t let the guys in the free weight section scare you away or make you feel like you shouldn’t be working out among them.

Embrace your strong, woman power and pick some things up and put them down! Yes we can!

8.  Please, Please – Stop the Gym Selfies!

Listen, selfies can get carried away as it is, so do we really need to bring them into the gym too?

Maybe not.

First, the gym should be a place to focus on you – not your seflie game.

Second, if you are still looking good enough to post a picture of yourself during or after a workout, you’re not doing it right.

#StopTheGymSelfies 

What really makes you tick at the gym? Tweet us @HerCampusWVWC!