Things You Must Never Do in the Gym And What You Can Do Instead
Gyms and other fitness facilities are places where a lot of people gather and share their passion for a healthy and active lifestyle. Naturally, when many people gather somewhere, some ground rules are set so that everyone can do their work peacefully. Yet, there is always someone who does not follow these unspoken rules and becomes a nuisance for everyone around them.
Now, unless your gym uses gym management software to control the numbers of gym members attending the gym at a single time and send notifications on gym practices, you may need to constantly reiterate your gym timings and rules to have your gym members follow them.
Gym etiquettes are necessary to follow because they make the gym experience better for yourself and others. Some of these practices are important for you to stay protected from potential harm to your health.
In this blog, we will be discussing 10 things that you must never do in the gym and what you should do instead.
Let’s start…
#01: Exercising too close to the entrance
Or the water cooler, or near the locker room door. Basically, don’t exercise where a lot of people may walk or go. This blocks their way and wastes their time as they wait for you to finish your workout.
Even if you are stoping to allow them to pass, it will constantly hinder your workout and break your focus.
Instead, find a place with enough space around for you to workout without getting hindered by anyone else. Or if you want to be more comfortable, workout at home with the live sessions feature of gym management software.
#02: Not cleaning the equipment after use
It is gross, unhygienic, and incredibly rude to make someone else clean your mess. Perspiration attracts a lot of germs and bacteria that are harmful. Gyms normally have wipes and cleaning sprays to clean the equipment.
Use these wipes after finishing your workout so that the next person can use that equipment too.
#03: Hogging the equipment
Using the mat, dumbbells, foam rollers, and a bunch of other equipment in a busy gym will only make you look rude and obnoxious. Everyone present in the gym needs equipment to exercise and one person using too many types of equipment will naturally cause them to become impatient.
So, when the gym is busy and crowded, stick to exercises that use limited equipment. You can do your complex workout when the gym is relatively emptier. Or if you absolutely need that many types of equipment, allow someone to work in between your sets.
#04: Leaving the equipment behind
A lot of people have a habit of leaving the equipment right where they worked out while other people search for them on the racks or where they are supposed to be. In the gym, unlike your home, no one is willing to clean up after you.
Leaving the equipment behind in your workout space can also be dangerous for others who are walking or training around you, not to mention that it is rude too. Anyone can trip and fall over it. Moreover, the person who wants to use that equipment after you will have to either search for the equipment or use another from the rack.
Make sure that you always put the plates, dumbbells, mat, and other equipment that you use in their designated places. This allows for others to find the equipment quickly without having to find them across the facility.
#05: Offering unsolicited advice or compliment
You see a person doing the squats wrong and you think, oh, maybe you should help them out a little. Or you see a person is balancing with a great posture and you wish to compliment them for it.
In both cases, your intention is good but you may not know if the other person wants your advice and compliment. Your advice may or may not offend the other person or if it is unintentionally wrong, it could do more harm than help.
Similarly, if you compliment a person on their shape but the person is simply trying to stay fit, your encouragement may seem irrelevant to that person.
In the former case, if you feel like the person may harm themselves by doing the exercise wrong, let your gym instructor know so that they can help them correctly.
#06: Using your phone during workout
Gyms are spaces to focus on working out and making yourself fit and healthy. Yet, many people would use their phones in between working out. Surfing the internet, checking out social media, and texting during exercising wastes your precious time.
Moreover, if you are someone who is doing high-intensity exercises, the duration of rest can affect your workout results. Longer rest can decrease the efficacy of such a workout even if it is effective.
Using your phone does not only distract you but while at it if you are hogging the equipment, you will be wasting the time of other members, who are waiting for you to finish your workout, as well.
If you are having longer breaks, just let the one waiting to exercise work in between while you take a rest.
The only time you should be using your phone in the gym is to pick up emergency calls and changing your music.
#07: Playing songs or singing out loudly
Playing motivational songs run an extra mile on the treadmill, or do that extra set of push up works great. However, playing those songs without your headphones on may not be as great.
You have to agree that everyone has different choices in music. What you find motivational, others may find it distracting. The same goes with singing out loud. While people may like the song in itself, it may not be the song that they want to hear during a workout.
It is always better to listen to your songs using a pair of headphones so that you don’t distract or disturb other members of your gym facility. And while you are at it, you can sing along in your head instead of singing out loud because, with headphones on, you never know if you do sound melodious or not.
#08: Making any other loud noise
Grunting loudly, slamming your feet on the treadmill, or slamming the weights shows your lack of form while exercising. Exercising includes certain techniques that help you breathe easily or land softly on your feet.
While you may feel like it is normal to grunt while lifting heavy weights, your instructor will tell you how you can breathe more naturally so that it is easier to lift your weights.
Similarly, slamming your feet while using the treadmill may lead to injury. Ask your personal trainer to show you the right way to do it that minimizes or avoids the risk of injury.
The first two may be distracting for others and harmful to yourself, but slamming a heavy barbell on the ground may give other members a scare and as a result, they might end up getting injured instead. Think of it as someone suddenly making a loud booming noise when you are practicing your weights. With the involuntary jerk of your body, the weight may fall on your feet injuring you quite seriously.
So, no matter how heavy your barbell is, endure a little more to place it more softly on the ground.
#09: Talking to others while exercising
This includes hitting on fellow gym members as well. People are there to exercise and do not appreciate unwelcomed conversations or advances. Moreover, it wastes your time that you dedicate to your fitness as well as others’.
Sure, gyms can be a place to get into a community of like-minded people, but they will also expect you to be just as dedicated to exercising as they are. If you distract them from their workout with your chatter, they will not appreciate it.
Gyms and similar fitness facilities are also safe spaces for everyone to exercise peacefully, as a member you must respect that with how you behave with your fellow members.
If you genuinely wish to converse with someone, you can wait till they are finished with their workout.
#10: Comparing yourself with others
Or spying on others’ workouts simply to achieve a similar form or shape is a big no-no.
First of all, your progress is your own, comparing it with someone else will only give you dissatisfaction. If you wish to know your progress, compare it with you a few days or even months back.
This allows you to know how much you have gotten better after starting your workout. It will not only keep you motivated to exercise more but also make you feel more satisfied and happy with yourself.
And second, spying on someone or clicking their picture to copy their workout is never an answer to reach your goal. If you liked someone’s workout, you can ask their trainer to teach you too. Most often, they will be happy to help you out.
If you try to do it on your own, it can be harmful to your body without the personal trainers to guide you up on the right posture and techniques to do so. Not to mention, copying someone else’s workout plan without their permission is rude since the other person paid extra money to learn and practice the workout that you are doing for free.
While you are at it, here are a few things to keep in mind while choosing a personal fitness trainer.
Conclusion
Gyms and other fitness facilities work as a community to help each other achieve a better version of themselves through exercising. As every community does, fitness facilities also have a set of unspoken rules that everyone must follow.
These rules help you work out better and in peace so that you and others around you enjoy what they do to stay fit. We discussed 10 things that you must never do in a gym, these 10 things were:
● Exercising too close to the entrance
● Not cleaning the equipment after use
● Hogging the equipment
● Leaving the equipment behind
● Offering unsolicited advice or compliment
● Using your phone during workout
● Playing songs or singing out loudly
● Making any other loud noise
● Talking to others while exercising
● Comparing yourself with others
That wraps up our list of 10 things you must never do in the gym and what you can do instead. Keep them in mind while joining a gym or any other fitness facility and if you are still trying to find a suitable gym near you, then try using the VFitnessClub gym listing portal. It has a list of popular gyms and fitness centers near you with activities that you like and amenities that you will love.
What habit of your fellow gym members irritate you most while working out? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to check out our blog for more topics like this.
