Cleanliness and consideration keys to gym etiquette
Biggest Winner contestants took a dive into gym culture – some with no previous exposure to public fitness etiquette.
While members of the Observer-Reporter team said they are thrilled with their experiences and formed a bond with each other and with their trainer, the intensity of their morning workouts at the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center is a stark contrast to some at the gym who just want to strike up a conversation with people working out.
“I want to go up to them and say, ‘What are you doing? This person is trying to breathe. They can’t talk to you,” said team member Carole DeAngelo. “Go pick up a weight or something, and we can go work out together.
“We’re trying not to die. We’re dragging our limbs around,” she added, flopping her right leg onto the floor as she sat in her office at the O-R.
Contestant Larry Butka joked that his pet peeve was his team member and competition, Jessica Tennant.
“Jessica’s working too hard,” he said with a laugh. “She’s pushing me too much.”
He said he is grateful for the opportunity.
“When you’re in a position like I am, like all of us, we’re just happy to be working out,” he said.
Tennant said she has learned to avoid doing things that can be irritating to others, like forgetting to clean up the workout space after use, getting in the way of runners on the track and leaving children in the child care center too long.
A little common sense and courtesy can go a long way to making a trip to the gym a pleasant one.
“We’re here in an enclosed space with a lot of people working out, so we just need to be considerate of others,” said Wellness Center exercise physiologist and personal trainer Joseph Cavarretta.
Part of his job is teaching newcomers to the gym that personal fitness goes hand in hand with etiquette. In training sessions, Cavarretta takes a leadership role in helping clients pick up after themselves, and instills in them etiquette requirements.
“One thing that we do teach our clients is cleanliness, wiping down their equipment, just so that they can take responsibility for that on their own later on,” he said.
It is important for patrons to pay attention to posted guidelines, he said.
The fitness area etiquette list was updated in the fall, partially on recommendations from the housekeeping team.
The facility maintenance team, led by supervisor Matthew Prescott, works to maintain equipment and keep things clean.
“We were just asking people for a little help getting people to put the towels away,” he said.
Dirty towels belong in the bins. Updating the list improved this aspect of cleanliness at the gym, and helped Prescott’s team to work efficiently.
Wellness center members might recognize the maintenance team. The workers are often on the gym floor talking to clients.
Their duties include general cleaning and upkeep, sanitizing equipment and repairs.
One tactic the team encourages is working into a set while using equipment. The center’s newest etiquette list includes ways to do this and how to ask the person who made it to the equipment first.
Executive director Debbie Roytas said the rules improve efficiency at the center.
“You could have a lot of staff here just cleaning up after people all day long,” she said.
A tactic they use to encourage people to be considerate is to avoid having a list of “don’ts.”
“We try not to have signs up there that say, ‘Don’t use your cellphone. Don’t do this. Don’t do that.’ Everyone is responsible for cleaning up after themselves,” she said. “This is a public space. You’re sharing this place with others. You need to be respectful of each other, the space, and be nice.”
DeAngelo wishes being respectful included Starbucks delivery.
“No one brings me a Starbucks no matter how much I beg,” she said.