Some tips on being polite at the fitness center

The new year dawned with a lovely layer of snow. Jan. 2 brought with it not only the snow but also frigid temperatures hovering at oh, around zero.

These are not exactly optimal conditions for exercising outdoors. In fact, my own New Year's Day walk didn't last nearly as long as I'd intended, because I kept slipping on the ice beneath the frosting of snow.

The difficult weather, coupled with the always-popular New Year's resolutions to get fit and lose weight, typically lead to crowds at health clubs at this time of year.

And with all those people, it seemed a good idea to talk not about how to get fit, but about how to fit in and be respectful of those sharing the environment.

Sweat-soaked weight benches? Yuck. People shouting back and forth to each other -- but over you? Not polite. And don't even mention the mopes who throw their weight around by throwing the weights around, and then neglect to put them back where they go.

Turns out that good manners are good manners, no matter where you might happen to be.

"No. 1 right there -- talking on your cell phone," said Jolene Noel, fitness program manager at Delnor-Community Health and Wellness Center in Geneva. "It's good etiquette not to talk on your cell phone when people are next to you."

Noel also asks that her 7,200 members abide by the 30-minute time limit on individual pieces of cardio equipment.

"We're getting into the busy season," she pointed out. "There's no signup, but we ask people to observe the limit."

Members can do 30 minutes on say, the treadmill, and then hop on an elliptical machine to finish up their aerobic exercise, she said.

Joann Able, coordinator at the Geneva Park District's Sunset Racquetball and Fitness Center, named the top complaints she hears from Sunset members:

• Return weights to the weight racks.

• Don't let exercising your jaws get in the way of exercising muscles. "People complain that people are socializing while on a machine; they're done with their workout but they're talking to someone, while another person is waiting to get on the machine," she explained. "That -- and putting back the weights -- are two big ones."

Cell phone usage, or misuse, garners a fair number of complaints as well, she said.

Able and Noel both emphasized that it's good manners to wipe down machines after use. Both clubs have cleaning spray and wipes for just that purpose.

In no particular order, here are other ways to be polite and respectful in a health club or fitness center, courtesy of Able and Noel.

• Don't hold personal conversations during fitness classes.

• Don't leave your belongings all over the floor; lock them in a locker or put them in an appropriate storage area.

• As the saying goes, your mother doesn't work at the health club. Put dirty towels in the dirty laundry bins. "And, if you happen to take a towel home by mistake, bring it back," urged Able.

• Do stretching exercises -- which generally entails using quite a bit of flooring real estate -- in the area set aside for that purpose, instead of near equipment where people will be forced to walk over and around you.

• Don't shave in the steam room or sauna area.

• Wear appropriate workout clothing. Some centers also require that footwear be pretty clean and free of street dirt. So know your center's rules when it comes to footwear.

• Don't "save" equipment for a friend.

• Be aware of fragrances, and be sure you're not wearing an overwhelming perfume.

• Allow other members to work on a particular piece of weight training equipment in between your own sets.

• Along with that, be aware of what other people are doing, and if they're waiting for equipment you happen to be using.

Noel said a Delnor membership includes an assessment and orientation. The latter, in particular, helps acclimate new members and teach them how to use equipment. That helps cut down on member confusion. "We really do recommend it and it's almost a requirement," she said.

Not every "do" or "don't" is a nagging one, either.

• Don't be afraid to ask questions, said Noel. "We always encourage people to talk to a fitness staff member. We encourage them to utilize our staff members and ask them questions."

Along with that, she offered another recommendation. People should consult their physicians before embarking on an exercise program.

And now, it's time to get moving. See you at the gym.