Going to the gym can be intimidating. There are machines and clipboards, different rooms and equipment you’ve never seen. And, of course, there are a lot of people. As a newbie to the gym people are probably the thing that will most unnerve you. They will all, at first, look like they know everything. But everyone had to start somewhere. One of the biggest lessons Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding has learned one thing from speaking with patients: the looks from other gym goers can be a habit breaker. What causes those looks? Believe it or not: gym members number one complaint isn’t newbies, it’s people who don’t follow basic gym etiquette. This series explores different aspects of gym etiquette so you can quit worrying and get to sweating!

Why Does Gym Etiquette Matter?

Many people subscribe to the believe that “rules are for fools” but rules exist for a very important reason: safety. This is especially true at the gym. There are many ways injury and illness can happen at a gym and much of the etiquette in place is to secure the physical and emotional safety of members.

You won’t have much to keep track of no matter if you try a lot of different gyms, travel and use hotel gyms or move. Gym etiquette is fairly standard and most gyms have the exact same expectations.

Basic Gym Etiquette: Room by Room

Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding, NYU Langone Medical Center

Most gyms have a locker room, weight room, cross training room and studio space. Each of these rooms have behavioral expectations and systems in place to keep people safe. To keep things organized we’ve developed posts on etiquette for the

• Locker room
• Cardio room/area
• Nautilus room/area
• Free weight floor
• Cross training room

We’ve also composed a catch all list of general gym etiquette. Follow along with our series and you’ll be working out at the gym like a pro.