7 Don’ts at the Gym Studio

Attending a class at the gym studio can be quite hazardous to your health. Check out the following gym character descriptions and see if any sounds familiar, or maybe you can recognize as having one or two characteristics yourself.

The Possessive Stalker Some students can become very possessive about their so called “spot” in class, when the truth of the matter is, it’s a free world, no one has a right to claim any particular space in the studio, except to follow the “first come first served” rule, which allows the student to stay in a “spot” by virtue of being the first to be there.

So if you arrived a little bit later than usual, and you see a person in your usual “spot”—for example, on the first row, rightmost side of the gym studio, do you feel like rushing over and demanding that they move; or, since you know that will be unacceptable behavior, you sidle over, and by “sheer force of your personality,” convey through invasion of space the silent message, “Move or else…”

Catch yourself when you have thoughts or actions like these, and tell yourself that it would be fun to try another “spot” in the room, and gain a totally new perspective on the class experience.

A challenge for you—try the “spot” near the glass doors entrance and get to show off your funky moves for the clients both in and out of the studio.

The Mirror Hogger Mirrors are very important during a workout, not just for vanity reasons but for safety and motivational reasons as well, i.e., mirrors provide feedback re body alignment or choreography execution. Therefore, it would be quite considerate to allow other students to see their own reflections in the mirror.

So, if you happen to end up in the first row, you definitely have an advantage regarding the mirrors, but you have the added responsibility of constantly adjusting so that others have a chance to see themselves, except, if they have an aversion to their own reflection.

Like there was one time I kept moving so that the student behind me could see herself in the mirror, but she kept going to my back, as if she wanted to be hidden. Well, that’s something else altogether and one you can’t do anything about.

The Reverse Mover or The Still Statue Everyone must remember that a class involves a group of people, meaning the actions of one student can affect the whole class, in the same way that a conked out car can cause traffic for several kilometers on the highway.

Make sure you’re moving in the same direction as the whole class. Yes, there will be times when you can’t pick up the choreography (everybody has their duh moments), but keep on marching and going the same way as the instructor. Avoid becoming a still statue, because the people around you might bump into you inadvertently.

So instead of doing that double step, turn and leap move, why not keep marching towards your left and right at the same time as the whole class, while you’re still assimilating the steps, and then piece by piece substitute the more complicated moves?

Avoid also the tendency to move backwards when you start getting overwhelmed in class, whether by the choreography, the energy of the room, etc. I know it’s instinctive, and hence, quite natural, but fight the impulse to do so, because the rows of people behind you have to adjust their own positions to accommodate you, but most of the time, there’s no space to adjust in, especially if you’re situated midway or near the back of the room.

The Whirling Dervish The complete opposite of the reverse mover or the still statue is the whirling dervish who is so energetic that he is constantly in danger of hitting the people in his immediate vicinity.

My most recent experience with such a person happened about a month ago. While attending class, one such energetic person was flailing his arms about wildly during a turn, unfortunately hit my hand, separated my nail from its fleshy bed, induced a lot of bleeding, and caused me to wait impatiently for the said nail to grow to a normal length.

Of course, it’s perfectly all right to crank up the energy/projection levels, but bear in mind that people need to be reassured that you are aware of your surroundings, and not just moving mindlessly. So do imagine a radius that you rein yourself in, and keep within that radius while you’re doing all your vigorous dancing.

The “May I Keep My Things Near Me” Student Everyone has a personal possession that they want to keep nearby, whether it be a locker key, water bottle, or a mobile phone. But you must remember that the gym studio floor is going to be occupied by shuffling, running and leaping feet, and your things will likely get stepped on, or get damaged, or, heaven forbid, cause an injury (Think of your towel as the proverbial banana peel that people can slip on).

So, instead of putting your possessions on the floor space right in front of you, scout for some space by the sides, like benches, compartments or small ledges that you can put them on. If there’s none, the floors will also do, as long as it’s by the edges of the room.

The Mobile Phone Etiquette Violator Let’s all be reminded that attending a gym class is akin to being in a movie house or theater.

Therefore, it would be quite considerate to put mobile phones on mute mode so as not to disturb the other participants. Besides, you can always use visual (blinking light) or audio (vibrating against the surface) cues to let you know of any important SMS or call.

And please, do step out of the room if you must have a conversation, instead of raising your voice above that of the pounding music and the verbal instructions of the teacher. Subjecting the whole class to listen in on your conversation is impolite, and moreover, an invasion of your privacy by the other students, albeit unwillingly.

The Space Invader And lastly, there is nothing so irritating as the space invader who takes over your space while you get some water or do some short term task.

This situation is different from the possessive stalker, because, in this case, it was already established that you’re attending the class, and that you just left momentarily during the water break or that gap in between tracks to do some errand, but will surely be back anytime soon.

So if you see a coveted spot being vacated, wait for about 10-15 minutes before assuming that the student is not coming back, and taking over the aforementioned spot. And in the unlikely event that the said student still comes back after a quarter of an hour, ideally, you should adjust to give way. That’s ideal, of course, but may be impossible to execute in a crowded class. But as long as you gave that person the requisite period to return, then, I think, it is quite reasonable to move to an empty spot.

So let’s all keep these in mind, so that your safety, and others’ safety will be more assured, and consequently, everyone will have more fun during the class.

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