YORK COUNTY, Pa. — In this week's FOX43 FitMinute, Megan Anderson, coach and Fitness Center coordinator at the York JCC is showing us the importance of good gym etiquette.
“It’s important to have great gym etiquette to keep your gym space clean, organized, and safe for everybody,” explained Anderson.
The three major things to remember when in the gym are:
- Wipe down your equipment with disinfectant after use.
- Put away equipment in numerical order if possible after use.
- Place any machine accessory back on the machine or storage unit after use.
“In our facility, personal trainers have a rag and spray bottle with them at all times. They are constantly cleaning after their clients. Our members have access to our paper towels and spray bottles that we have located on the walls throughout the facility. So you would spray your rag first, wipe down what you used, and you are good to move on to your next exercise,” Anderson said.
Putting away dumbbells, kettlebells, or weighted plates in numerical order helps everyone find things quickly. Also, clearing the floor ensures no one may slip or trip over something and hurt themselves.
In addition to the three pointers above, some gyms also have a no weight slamming policy.
“You shouldn’t be slamming the weights whether it’s cable machines or free weights. If something is really heavy you have the opportunity to use our crash pads or our platforms that do absorb the shock so it's not so loud," Anderson said.
Lastly, depending on how busy the gym gets, time can be an issue. This could apply to using a cardio machine or free weights.
Anderson recommends that during peak prime time gym hours, members limit their use time to 30 minutes max to give others a chance to use the machine or weights.
Patience is key here, but if you are on a time crunch, she also recommends asking the staff to show a comparable exercise to try in the meantime.
You just got better!