What general rules of courtesy come into play, when a runner
takes to the treadmill in an indoor setting, such as a gym or fitness center?
Certainly, this is an entirely different world that the outdoor track, the
scenic trail, the neighborhood jaunt, or the roadside run.
Here are a dozen
basic etiquette tips for those using treadmills at the gym.
Many of these may sound like common-sense practices, but it’s
amazing how uncommon they may be. Several will apply to the use of all sorts of
fitness center equipment as well.
1. Wear appropriate
attire. Wet swimsuits, skimpy clothes, pajamas, and yesterday’s stinky gym
wear have no place on the gym treadmill. Decency plays a large role in public
politeness. Also, participants should choose clean, soft-soled athletic footwear
to protect the equipment.
2. Place-holding is a
gym no-no. You can’t exactly hang a towel or gym bag over a treadmill handrail
and expect to save it, while you dash off to lift some weights, work out on the
elliptical, or hit the mat for some pre-run stretches. When you show up to
claim a treadmill, you should be ready to run (or walk).
3. Don’t share your
sounds. Music is like a universal language to runners, but that doesn’t
mean we all like the same stuff. Isn’t that what headphones are for? The same
rule goes for treadmill-mounted TVs.
Grunting and groaning (and singing along to your own tunes) are
out of place in such crowded quarters as well.
Along similar lines, it’s considered considerate to tread
lightly, if possible, when using a gym treadmill. Not only does this practice
help to preserve the equipment, it also keeps the clomping and stomping noise
down. Occasionally, a machine will grow noisy with repeated use. When this
happens, it should be reported to gym staff.
4. Keep your spit, snot,
and sweat to yourself. Sure, runners tend to spit and blow snot on the
trail and road shoulders, but that’s definitely a no-no at the gym. Got an
issue? Take a tissue, and then take it with you when you leave the treadmill. And
if the gym does not provide towels, it’s a good idea to bring your own for
longer runs, so you can wipe off excessive sweat mid-workout, rather than
splashing all around.
5, Run like the wind,
but break wind somewhere else. It’s OK to pour on the power, while running
on a gym treadmill, but please keep your own natural gases to yourself. Even
fitness centers with adequate ventilation cannot keep this problem at bay. That’s
what bathrooms are for, folks.
6. Respect others’ workout
privacy. It’s easy to succumb to peer pressure, essentially racing the
treadmill runners on either side at the gym. Although there’s pretty much an
unwritten rule about chatting during equipment workouts, the temptation to
glance over and take up the challenge to meet or exceed others’ paces or distances
(or both) is strong. Discretion is the key, if one wants to play this game.
Constant and obvious monitoring tends to make people uncomfortable during their
workouts. More than one treadmill user has tossed a towel over his or her
console for precisely this reason.
The same principle applies to privacy of TV viewing or
reading material selected by treadmill neighbors.
7. Honor personal space.
Whether waiting for access to the equipment or working out adjacent to others,
it’s important to keep a proper distance. Sometimes one has to walk right next
to a machine while someone is using it, and that’s OK. Hovering is not.
During the least crowded gym hours, the most courteous
participants will refrain from choosing treadmills immediately adjacent to
others, if possible, unless they know one another. This unwritten buffer rule
exercises common courtesy.
8. What if you need to
rest mid-run? Plenty of treadmill users adjust their paces frequently
during their workouts. Lots of folks even pause, stopping the treadmill for
stretching or time-outs. This is perfectly acceptable, as long as users do not go
beyond the equipment time limits. It is, however, considered poor form to stand
on a treadmill to take phone calls, send text messages, surf the internet, or
socialize with a neighbor – especially when others are eager to use the
machines.
9. Observe treadmill
time limits. If the treadmill max is 30 minutes (or 60 minutes), then you
need to end your run at that point. Many gyms pre-set equipment for automatic
cool-downs or switch-offs at certain times. Once that happens, participants may
re-start or select other machines, if vacancies exist. During peak hours,
though, other athletes may be waiting for their turns.
10. Take your trash.
No one wants to step up onto a treadmill and find someone else’s water bottle,
paper towel, tissue, or chewing gym in the cup holder.
11. Wipe it down when you’re
done. Maybe sweat does a body good, but no one wants to share someone else’s.
And we all know how body fluids can spread diseases. Most gyms provide paper
towels and disinfectant spray. Others offer wet wipes, or at least towels. Considerate
exercisers wipe off the handrails, the sidebars, the control console, the TV
remote, and every other surface they’ve touched. It’s not necessary to wipe off
the treadmill belt, though.
While cleaning up, clued-in athletes also re-set the incline
on the treadmill, if it has not automatically returned to zero.
Extra-careful folks also clean off the treadmill console (and
handlebars) before they start using the equipment, just in case the previous
person overlooked this step.
12. Know and follow the
gym rules. Operating hours, guest policies, minimum age requirements, cell
phone restrictions, and other instructions count. In some fitness centers,
users are expected to reserve machines in advance.
These basic gym etiquette rules may not apply to runners
employing treadmills in the privacy of their own homes, unless perhaps they
share the equipment with others.
