What is the basic etiquette for any gym in Manila?
- Shower and wear clean clothes
- Use a towel and wipe down the equipment
- Put equipment away after using
- Stretch and warm up in the right area
Let’s face it: the gym can be a very intimidating place. But before you make the mistake of grunting loudly every time you lift or drop the weights, you should know that gyms in Manila and other places adhere to a strict code of conduct that everybody should follow. These rules aren’t just for newcomers either; in fact, many “veterans” at the gym still don’t seem to be aware of what they are doing or just completely disregard others.
Your gym isn’t going to hand you a printout of their basic etiquettes when you join. Rather, you are simply expected to behave like a decent human being and clean up after yourself. The problem is, common sense doesn’t always come easy for a lot of people in a fitness facility. Whether this is your first or 500th time at the gym, here are a few basic etiquette rules you should follow:
Shower and Wear Clean Clothes
It might seem counterintuitive to shower before you go to the gym, but this basic rule of etiquette is here in case it has been a while since you have last showered. Other people at the gym should not be able to smell you coming, so make sure that you keep yourself clean and fresh.
In addition to this, if you are the kind of person who stuffs their used and sweaty gym clothes in their bags and lets them sit there and marinate until the next workout, it is best if you stop doing this altogether. After just a few rounds of doing this, you will end up with a stench that might be unbearable for most of the other gym goers.
While you might be able to use your gym shorts for two workouts in a row, your shirts that are most likely drenched in sweat should go directly into the hamper.
Use a Towel and Wipe Down the Equipment
When sharing gym equipment with others, cleanliness should be a given. You have probably seen some gym goers that don’t use towels and/or leaves big, sweaty puddles on the equipment before moving on. It will not be a pleasant experience to use these particular pieces of equipment, so avoid doing this to other people too.
Use a towel and wipe down all of the surfaces your skin has touched once you are done with the equipment; bring your own towel to do this if your gym does not provide one. Many gyms should have spray bottles filled with disinfectant or wipes throughout the facility that you can use to spray and wipe down the equipment. If you are not sure about this, don’t be afraid to ask the staff.
This etiquette guideline is also pretty big because dirty equipment exposes you to all kinds of unwanted bacteria, some of which might cause MRSA or staph infections.
Put Equipment Away After Using
The best thing to go about this would be to treat all of the equipment at the gym as if they were your own. In other words, put the stuff back where they belong!
Don’t wait until the end of your workout either; clean up as you go through your exercises. If you are not sure where a particular equipment goes, again, don’t be afraid to ask the staff. If you are using and lifting a bar, put the weights back where they belong, preferably in order. This is just a common courtesy to the person who will be using them next.
Stretch and Warm Up in the Right Area
Stretching and warming up is a crucial part of any workout. Just make sure that when you do stretch and warm up, you are not blocking anybody or generally being a nuisance. You might be surprised at just how many people set up to warm up and stretch while all of their belongings are strewn about; some of them even have the nerve to get mad when you have to step over them to get around the gym.
Most gyms make it fairly clear where you can and cannot stretch or warm-up—look for the areas where the foam rollers and yoga mats are in place. If you are not sure, just look for an area where you won’t be in anybody’s way.
Key Takeaway
If every rule in gyms in Manila could be summarized into three simple guidelines, they would be: stay cool, always be aware of your surroundings, and take care of the equipment as if they were your own. Simple and easy right?
Basic etiquette rules and guidelines are meant to keep you and others at your gym safe, get the most out of your visit, and help you feel more comfortable and confident. It’s okay if you have been going to the gym for a long time and find that you have done many of these things in the past. People learn and people get better; that’s exactly what the gym is for.