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Be Courteous As You Renew Your Health Habits

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: Whether you've maintained your regular visits to the gym, or are just embarking on a new membership and a new fitness push, it's important to be respectful of the others you meet at the gym....

Be Courteous As You Renew Your Health Habits

Gym Rats And Newcomers Can Bump Into Each Other In January If you haven't yet embarked on the New Year's renewal of your health habits, you soon will. And all it takes is a brief glimpse of the parking lot for any health club or fitness facility to realize things are very busy in those establishments at this time of year. Whether you've maintained your regular visits to the gym, or are just embarking on a new membership and a new fitness push, it's important to be respectful of the others you meet at the gym.

Many years ago, I started my fitness regimen right after New Year's. Though my wife and I had been members at the local health club for several years, our use of the facility had often waned... so it was like starting over as a new member. If you are in this situation this year, you'll have to learn (or re-learn) proper gym ettiquette, just like I had to during that long-ago January.

The first thing to be aware of is how easy it is to pick up a cold (or worse) at the gym. Your gym will provide some disinfecting wipes; make sure you wipe down your equipment both before you use it and afterward. Even if you aren't sick, make sure you cover your mouth, use tissues, etc. when you sneeze or cough. And be wary of surfaces, especially in the locker room. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, and use paper towells when touching door handles or other common-area surfaces where germs might've been left behind.

Also, be aware of the rules at your gym. Most have a time limit on the use of cardio equipment, such as treadmills and ellipticals. Keep an eye on the clock, and don't exceed the limit. When things are busy, and equipment is limited, be ready to allow other exercisers to "work in" on weightlifting equipment: you do a set, she does a set, etc. Generally, people who are pushing themselves physically are often not at their best interpersonally... so a more-than-usual dose of patience and kindness is called for, and it won't kill you to take personal responsibility for staying out of everyone's way (or even for seeing if they'll match your smile with one of their own).

Meanwhile, you might be one of those regular attendees who notices the annual up-tick at your local gym, and it may be difficult for you to do so without disdain. After all, it's harder to find a parking place, your favorite machines are more likely to be occupied, and there might be uncommon queues for everything from the front-desk registration to the showers. If you're one of the gym rats, try to be patient and kind yourself. Remember what it was like your first week at the gym, when you didn't know anyone and you were unsure of everything from the rules to your own chances of fitness success. Start by accepting that things are just busier in January, and by allocating more time for your daily gym trip so you won't be as stressed-out about the delays. Try to welcome your fellow members, and when possible, even support and encourage them. It's a nice facility, right? And you wouldn't be using it so frequently if you didn't enjoy it, right? So you want the facility to do well in business. You want them to stay open for your future workouts! And that means you want them to have these new customers every year... they depend on it.

One more note: be nice at work, too, with people who might not want to hear every detail about how great your new health kick is going. Eat right, take your supplements, drink your water, continue making your investments in your vitality... but definitely pull up short of judging or criticizing others who are not on your program. This is particularly true if you're a leader... lead by example, not by tyrannical or boastful interactions. Be especially careful with sarcasm, and with kidding. Your colleagues may not think your comments are as cute as you think they are.

Good luck crafting your new body for the new year. You'll be great. And you should also be nice and polite with others as you embark on your vitality campaign. You need the support of your fellow humans, and the healthier your community is, the better you'll like living there. Sure, it's tough to find a parking spot at the gym; but in many ways, remember that the old expression is really true: the more, the merrier!

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Article Tags: health habits, health wealth and happiness, personal responsibility, successful entrepreneurs



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