10 Nasty habits gym goers must shun (to avoid annoying others)

As gym goers, we all have our own habits--some can't start their work-outs without taking a shower; some hit the treadmill for hours; others prefer to sweat it out at night. But while most habits are arguably good-natured, or at the very least are ones that don't affect other gym goers, there are those that are simply rude, disgusting, or just plain annoying.

I've compiled a list of reminders for gym goers to remember the next time they get their fitness fix, so they could hopefully eliminate these nasty habits and in turn avoid annoying their fellow gym goers. Here they are:

1. Refrain from wearing perfume with a strong scent.
          It is when we sweat that our perfumes are hard at work. Yes, it's important to smell nice wherever we go. But while we think our own scents smell good, let's remember that the person at the treadmill next to you might not. Strong scent are very distracting.
          One time, huffing and puffing from running in a treadmill, a woman with a perfume (I find it hard to call her scent a perfume because it smelled horrendous) starts her exercise at the machine next to mine. I literally couldn't breathe. I had to stop and transfer to another machine.

2. Avoid talking over the phone while inside the gym.
          There's really nothing wrong with taking a phone call while exercising. Important calls are hard to ignore. But it's a different story when you're on the phone for eternity. Again, let's be mindful of our fellow gym goers and know that they are not interested in listening to your conversation with God-knows-who on the other line.
          There was this instance when I would lose my count on a particular exercise I'm doing because of the loud voice of a gym goer who's been on the phone for days! Unlike our eyes, which we could just close to avoid looking at something, we can't really close our ears. (PS: Not a fan of wearing earphones while exercising)

3.  Do not grunt like you're about to climax.
          Lifting heavy weights is no joke so it's hard to avoid grunting. However, doing it repeatedly as if you're the only person in the room is no fun. Please spare your fellow gym goers of unwanted imagery that might wiggle their way into their brains because of the climax-sounding grunts you love to make. (Okay, this reminder does not apply to goodlooking people. Grunt away, please! Ha!)
         
4. Stop staring at other people while they exercise.
          Admittedly, there are good looking (read: hot!) people in the gym, what with all those fitness regimens they do. Sure, glance at them discreetly once in a while. But please refrain from staring at them. This is especially true for celebrities and models who happen to go at the same gym you do.

5. Change your shirt if you start to smell.
          News flash: Once we sweat, there's a good possibility that we might start smelling bad, especially if you didn't shower before exercising. I've had had several experiences where fellow gym goers smell extremely bad even from a distance. Most probably, the shirts they were wearing is to blame. One time, I almost walked over to a guy who smelled like, well, shit and ask him: "Are you wearing a shirt or a rag?" Unfortunately, I got a hold of myself before I could proceed.


6. When drinking directly from the water fountain, make sure your lips don't touch the faucet.
          It seems like basic etiquette but many people tend to forget this still. Let's not transfer bacteria to the next users. A better solution: We should all bring own water bottles.

7. Avoid long conversations inside the locker rooms.
          Like talking over the phone, it's impolite to hold a meeting inside the locker rooms. Locker rooms are for changing clothes and storing things, not for long talks. Again, I'm not saying we should avoid talking inside locker rooms, but let's keep it to a minimum. Say you see someone you haven't seen in a long time. Say hello and arrange to continue talking outside. Again, let's not assume that people in the room want to listen to your chit-chats.
          While we're on the subject of locker rooms, if you can avoid flaunting your not-so-flattering bodies for too long while changing clothes, please do so. Please don't involve us in your exhibitionist fantasies.

8. When in the exercise area, avoid beautifying yourself too much in front of mirror.
          There's a time for exercise and a time to fix ourselves. Sure, it's okay to glance at the mirror in between exercises to check if we still look decent. But lengthy time in front of the mirror, beautifying yourselves to no end in the exercise room is not acceptable. Remember that you're there to exercise. If you don't look just a bit flustered after your workout, you didn't do enough. If you really can't help staring at your beautiful self, please go in the locker room and do your beautification rituals there instead.

9. Avoid taking selfies and/or picture of others.
          I was never a fan of selfies so seeing people do this in the exercise area pisses me to no end. This is perhaps the reason why people spend so much time beautifying themselves in the exercise area. A-nnoying! If you can help it, please avoid taking pictures of your crushes. Or if you really can't help yourselves, at least do it discreetly. Most importantly, be prepared for the consequences if he or she catches you in the act. It might not be criminal, but it's unethical.

10. Don't cut the line and never drop weights.
          There are times when the gym gets busy and a line for the treadmill forms. Again, it's a seemingly basic thing. But there are still people who try to cut the line. Not fun at all. Then there are people who would lift weights that are perhaps too heavy for them. Therefore, what happens is they tend to drop 'em during the last repetition, startling everyone who is unfortunate enough to have been in the room with him.