Calgary Journal Online

It’s go-time — that time in your workout where nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter what time it is, or the exam you have to write afterwards. All that matters now is asking, ‘How hard can I push myself?’

Sweat, spit, blood and tears are all things associated with a tough workout. But how far do we push our gym etiquette? Whether you spit your gum out on the  water fountain or spit on track while pushing through those last 10 metres, you are guilty of crossing the gym etiquette line. I see it every time I go to the gym: gum neatly placed in the water fountain. It is a disgusting reminder that people are too lazy to go to the garbage before the start of their workout.

With so many people entering the gym every day, Mount Royal Recreation staff are finding it hard to keep up with gym users’ bad habits.

Photo: James Paton/Calgary Journal

I approached one person who spat on the track and asked him why he decided to do so.

“It’s a nasty habit I have when I run. Fluid builds up and I naturally just spit,” Jacob Rudser said. “Since there are no real garbage cans up here, I don’t have a place to spit.”

The placement of garbage cans on the upper level of the gym might help with the spitting problem, but I have the sneaky suspicion it won’t stop it all together.

Another issue that has arisen is people not putting away weights or putting them back incorrectly.

“We have always had a problem with gum and spitting, but recently we are (also) having to remind people to put their weights away,” said Shelly Stranaghan, a fitness centre co-ordinator at Mount Royal University Recreation.

Stranaghan said that she is tired of having to clean up after disorderly customers.

“My staff are finding it hard to keep up with having to clean up after others,” Stranaghan said.

I might sound like a broken record, but putting your weights away after using them, wiping down equipment and only spitting  outside goes a long way to keeping the gym a cleaner place.

“One of the things that I notice every day is that people are wearing inappropriate clothing for exercise,” said Niki Buchanan, group fitness co-ordinator at Mount Royal University.

Buchanan suggested that people wear clean athletic shoes and clothing that lets you move naturally. Some of the gym regulations include: wearing  appropriate footwear (closed shoes worn at all times while training) and guys must wear a T-shirt or vest.

I’m not the only one who has seen gym etiquette fall by the wayside.

Jennifer Hollingsworth, a regular at World Health Club, said she finds it hard to work out when she is constantly bombarded with low-cut shirts, jeans and even boots.

“It’s pretty disgusting to see gum in the water fountain but I personally hate the way people come into the gym with jeans on,” Hollingsworth said.

With more and more people heading to the gym, we all have a responsibility to make the gym a safe and clean environment for us to work out in.