Meet some common gym etiquette offenders

There are general etiquette rules that should be maintained while at the gym. By following these regulations you can improve the gym experience for everyone.

Are you familiar with any of these gym offenders? Or are you the culprit?

Chatty Patty: You’re on the treadmill with your earbuds in, totally in the groove. Then “Patty” shows up and wants to get chatty. She’s oblivious to the fact that you came to the gym to tune out the world.

Courteous rebuke: Take one bud out of the ear that faces “Patty” and let her know you’re really in the zone. You hope she gets the hint, replace earbud and continue to rock out.

Sweaty Eddie: He’s lifting on the machines and dripping with sweat. After each machine, “Eddie” doesn’t wipe the equipment down. Leaving you with a sweaty machine.

Best approach: Snag a disinfectant wipe and clean up “Eddie’s” mess. Or take a more direct approach. Bring along an extra towel to donate to “Eddie’s” cause, hoping he takes the hint.

Smelly Shelly: ”Shelly” is leaving a cloud of her personal odor as she moves throughout the gym. Regardless of whether this odor has been induced by sweating or spraying on heavy perfume, it’s hard to breathe around her.

Don’t be Shelly: Freshen up that deodorant. No one wants to smell body odor. Second, don’t douse your entire body in cologne before you work out. Everyone deserves to be able to breathe a healthy dose of fresh air.

Pigpen: He walks around, leaving gym equipment scattered about. It could be a barbell sitting out or a gym bag in a main traffic path, etc. If you’re not paying attention, you could seriously injure yourself by tripping on things he’s left on the gym floor.

Alternative: Put every piece of equipment used back where you got it. Leave your gym bag in the locker room or keep it along the wall (and out of the way).

If you know one or a few of these people at your gym, use tact and a big smile to enlighten them.  But most of all, be aware of how your behavior impacts the others around you. Stay safe and enjoy your workout!