National Etiquette Week - Day 2

GYM ETIQUETTE

"There are Manners in Everything."

Check out one of our past clients' success. Lisa Orr manages her own etiquette education business, Orr Etiquette, and has been featured on many television talk shows. Below is a segment she filmed on the Canadian talk show, The Social, where she talks about proper gym etiquette that all gym-goers should know.

The Social on Gym Etiquette

10 Rules for Everyone

1. Be mindful of how long you spend using a single piece of equipment. In other words, do not unnecessarily hog equipment.
2. Wipe down and the clean equipment you use.
3. Skip the gym if you are sick.
4. Put equipment back in its proper place. This includes free weights, medicine balls, etc. You should always leave everything better than how you find it.
5. Be mindful of others' workouts and make sure you all have plenty of room to workout in harmony.
6. Try not to chatter or make unnecessary noise.
7. If you must take a phone call, go to a more private place to talk.
8. Use headphones during your workout.
9. Arrive early for group classes.
10. Smell good. Wear deodorant but leave your perfume or cologne at home.

What Professionals Want You To Know

Gym Etiquette for All Types of Establishments

In order to give you the best advice and awareness on practicing good gym etiquette we interviewed the people who see it all. First, we talked with Shae Wilson. 

1. Will you give us a little bit of your background and experience in gym management?

I have been working for the Athens YMCA since November of 1999. My area of expertise has always been in after school programming and camps. I became the CEO two and a half years ago and have had to learn the mechanics of gym management.

2. What are your top rules for gym-goers on practicing excellent gym etiquette?

Clothing--everything must be covered. No shirts off for men, no sports bras for women. Language--no cursing or yelling or throwing weights. Time--everyone must abide by the machine time limits. This alleviates many conflicts.

3. What is the one mistake you see people make when it comes to gym etiquette?

Not understanding their body and misusing equipment. Many people use equipment they are not ready for, lift more than they can handle, or stay on equipment much longer than needed.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new gym-goers, what would it be?

Use the free consultation we offer with our wellness director. Our wellness director is able to help members establish a workout plan and teach members how to properly use equipment.

5. Is there anything we haven't covered that you would like people to know about gym etiquette?

Be courteous. Everyone in the gym is there to reach personal goals.

Gym Etiquette for Group Classes

We talked with Connie Popwell, owner of three Pure Barre establishments, two in Tallahassee and one in Athens, about etiquette in group workout classes. Pure Barre is an exercise program that utilizes small, precise movements and a ballet barre to target all muscle groups. It is taught in a group setting and is taking the world by storm. We asked Connie for her top rules for gym-goers on practicing excellent gym etiquette:

1. Do not talk during class while the teacher is teaching. It is distracting to teachers and fellow classmates.
2. Unless you are an on call doctor, do not bring your cell phone into class and make sure it is silenced even when left in a separate room.
3. Practice good hygiene.
4. Always arrive on time and do not consistently leave early.
5. Most clients already do so; but view group workout classes and gym memberships as privileges and respect the rules of such establishments.

Connie also has some advice for new gym-goers:

Be open to trying something new. Always give yourself at least a month to try something out before you make up your mind about it. 

Spa Etiquette

Many gyms offer spa services to members and spa etiquette is just as important to everyone's well-being as gym etiquette. We kicked back and relaxed with Debbie Howell about her tips on spa etiquette and how we all should behave:

1. How soon should you arrive before a spa appointment?

15 minutes early to get changed into a robe and have an opportunity to settle in and prepare for the experience.

2. Rules for noise?

Always speak in a "spa voice" and be mindful that others are enjoying spa services.

3. What is the etiquette for cancelling a spa appointment?

If you need to cancel your spa service - most require a 24 hour notice depending on the number of services being received a longer cancellation may be necessary.

4. What is the one thing that you wish all spa guests knew?

When going into spa, be mindful of wearing high heels (noise factor). Turn off cell phones and enjoy the complete idea behind having a spa service.

Gym manners

Where we live, early spring already feels like mid-summer. There’s something energizing in the air that makes you want to exercise.

We talked to a lot of people who are intimately acquainted with gyms—both customers and instructors—and gathered a list of tips on how to best behave. In a gym, you’re sharing limited space with a lot of busy people, surrounded by fast-paced activity. To make the experience pleasant for everyone, you really need to consider just a few things: Be clean, be considerate, be aware, and share.

Be clean
• Everyone sweats at the gym. It's inevitable! Just wipe down the equipment.
• A lot of hands and bodies will come in contact with those machines, so pay attention to personal hygiene—and if you’re ill, stay home and rest.

Be considerate
• Stash your personal belongings so they’re out of the way, and keep track of them—don't leave anything behind on a machine.
• Re-rack those weights!
• Dress appropriately, which at the least means making sure you’re covered where it counts.
• Monitor your volume. That means refraining from singing aloud to your iPod, carrying on lengthy and loud phone calls, and, if you’re taking a class, talking over the instructor. (Keep the TVs turned down, too!)

Be aware of your surroundings.
• Respect personal space by not crowding others.
• Keep your iPod volume down low enough to hear overhead speaker announcements or the requests of others wanting to work in or asking you (politely, of course!) to move over.
• Remember that others are focused and working hard, and now is not the time to spontaneously overshare personal information.

Share
• Don’t monopolize the equipment.
• If you aren’t using the machine, don’t use it as a place to rest, text, or talk on your phone.
• If someone is waiting for you to finish your sets, offer to let them work-in (take turns doing sets). And if you’re waiting to use a machine, try not to stare the other person down—it’s acceptable to simply ask, “May I work in?”

None of this is to suggest that you should work out as a horde of silent, self-cleaning robots. The gym is primarily a place to get fit and healthy, but it can also be as a social outlet. There’s nothing wrong with working out with friends, getting chatty, making a date of it—just remember you aren’t the only people in the building. If you really need a cleansing talk with a best friend while working out, consider leaving the gym for a nature hike or neighborhood walk.

Now, go work out!