As any gym regular will tell you, January is the worst time at any gym. This is due of course to the influx of people who have made it their New Years Resolution to go to the gym. Suddenly the gym is SUPER packed. Classes are much larger than normal, machines and free weights become hard to come by, and you have to factor in the time needed to find a parking spot and get through the check in line into your gym plans. Even worse, many of the new folks at the gym do not understand basic gym etiquette. I find that weights don’t get put away as often this time of year. You have people who will sit on a piece of equipment without actually using it but rather obsessively doing something on their phone. I’ve even had someone just walk up and take weights that I was using.

Now I’m not saying that it is a bad thing to want to improve your health or start working out. After all, I was once a newbie in the gym. Over the last 9 years, I’ve spent a lot of time at the gym. So here are some tips for those of you who are just joining us on your fitness journey.

1. If you’re really serious about becoming committed to your health and fitness, realize that this will be a lifelong commitment. There is not quick and easy solution to losing weight or getting fit. Even if you achieve your goal, you will have to keep working to maintain those results. It won’t necessarily be as severe as the steps you took to get there, but you can’t just go back to your old habits and expect to keep your progress. As I mentioned I’ve been going to the gym regularly for 9 years now, and there are still times I lose some of the progress I’ve made. Some of it is related to the fact that I’m getting older, and my body just doesn’t bounce back like it used to. I’ve had two children in this time period, which resulted in me having to back off on the intensity of my workouts and even take time off to heal after child birth. My pregnancies also caused some actual physical changes in my body. So it’s taking a bit of time for me to learn how to work with the changes in how my body weights is distributed. I’ve also recently had to take it easy due to some health issues. Two bouts of bronchitis really wreaks havoc on your respiratory and cardiovascular health. The point I’m trying to make it that even after 9 years I have to approach my fitness with the same focus  and commitment that I had when I first started.
2. Please put your free weights back- there is nothing worse than having to go on a treasure hunt to find the right weights. They store them on weight racks for a reason. They’re easy to find and accessible to everyone who wants to use them. Also only take the weights you’re actually going to use. It’s completely acceptable to do a couple of quick reps at the weight rack to determine which dumbbell you actually need. This is far better than taking the 10 pound, 15 pound, 20 pound, 25 pound, and 30 pound dumbbells only to find that you needed the 15 pound dumbbells.
3. If you HAVE to use your phone for a crucial texting or phone conversation, please take it off the floor. Don’t tie up a machine not actually working out. This is probably my least favorite part of this time of year. I understand that things come up, but I’m at the gym to workout and I don’t have all day for you to do one set every 25 minutes. So please don’t be offended if I ask to work in.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have them. I’ve seen far too many people use machines incorrectly or use weight that is TOO heavy. It is possible to hurt yourself very badly if you don’t lift correctly.
5. Please wipe off the equipment when you’re done with it. Especially if your gym provides towels to its members, there is really no excuse for leaving a piece of equipment covered in sweat. While I’m sweaty also, I really don’t want to be exposed to your sweat.