Center Stage Magazine August-September | Page 28

We all have habits in our daily lives, good or bad, that we may not be aware of. Sometimes we float through our days without realizing that our own personal mundane and routine habits can sometimes be considered rude, or even downright inappropriate. And these habits don’t magically disappear when we hit the gym. UK Health Firm Nuffield Health, states, “out of 2000 people, 74 percent of people polled said they had noticed that their fellow gym-goers and gym buddies committed a gym faux pas.” You know the person who spends hours on the treadmill, talking loudly to their mom or girlfriend with their loudspeakers on, or the vein-popping hulk growling in terrifying vengeance at the amount of weight he just threw down. Or, how about the disgusting drencher that didn’t wipe down his mat or weights – leaving them smelly and sticky, just for you. Fantastic isn’t? You may take part in some of these behaviors yourself. But whether or not you can admit to experiencing or carrying out of these habits, being properly educated about gym etiquette is important. Your Gym Etiquette: The Things You Should Always Do and Shouldn’t Do By Isaac Christopherson When it’s been a long, stressful day at work and school, the only thing on your mind after the block is heading to the fitness center to run blissfully on the treadmill for hours. But as soon as you arrive, you find your excitement turning to disappointment as you wait ten, fifteen, maybe twenty minutes for the intimidating gym goers to finish using the machine or equipment that you want to use. And when you pick up a dumbbell, your hands touch not only the cold metal, but also a layer of disgusting sweat. Annoying, right? What should we do when we stumble across these irritating moments at the gym? With the help of a few frequent gym goers, here are a few tips on how to display etiquette at the gym.