In January, every gym in the country is overrun with enthusiastic newcomers keen to shed the excess poundage gained over the festive season.
While you may think that the only thing you need to concentrate on is keeping perfect form, the gym is a minefield of social etiquette.
Chances are that you’ve either committed one of these major cardinal sins and been silently raging at someone else’s indiscretions…
1) Leaving sweat all over the gym equipment
Never, ever go to the gym without a towel. While you may think it’s no big deal, we can’t think of anything more unpleasant than being covered in your sweat while trudging our way through an arm work-out. This one is the worst.
2) Turning up dressed for a night out
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best but there’s a world of different between splurging on some stylish Nike sportswear and turning up to the gym in a catsuit (yes, this actually happened). If you think a face full of make-up and a salon-worthy do is necessary for your spinning class, you’re totally missing the point.
3) Making an exhibition of yourself in the locker room
We love to see people being confident about their bodies but PLEASE don’t spend twenty minutes drying the crevices of your body while standing naked in our personal space. We just don’t know where to look.
4) Sounding like you’re giving birth while doing weights
Yes, we get it, you’re lifting very heavy things… now please kindly shut up and stop distracting us from our super-motivational Beyoncé playlist.
5) Using the gym to have a catch-up with your mates
If you go to the gym to have a stroll on the treadmill while loudly discussing Coronation Street with your mates, please discontinue the gym membership and just go for a coffee instead. You’ll save yourself a load of money and save us from tearing out our hair while we wait for the machines.
6) Staring at any woman who dares to enter the weights section
This one goes out to the lads – please stop staring us down every time we go to do our weights. We’re just as entitled to be there as you are and would preferably like to work out without you staring at our ass. Thanks.
7) Stalking us on machines
We know it’s not that big a deal but there are ten elliptical machines free, do you really have to jump on the one next to us?
8) Lying on a workout mat to spend fifteen minutes texting
Just WHHHYYYY?
9) Hogging equipment
No, it is not ok to put your sweaty towel on one machine to keep it free while you use another. It’s just NOT OK.
10) Humble bragging
To the super-fit, toned people posing in front of the mirror while moaning about how out of shape you are? You’re on our sh*t list.
