Gym Etiquette

I usually turn up in my gym gear with a full change of clothes in my sports bag (don't forget underwear!) and yes, I prefer to shower there before coming home although obviously you don't have to - but when you pay for the facilities you might as well use them!

Personally I do use a towel during my workouts and carry a bottle of water too. I don't tend to use the pool very much ditto the sauna/steam room because I'm too busy with weights or doing a class but I'm sure somebody else can advise you on that.

If you discuss your aims at your induction and say that you'd like to go down a couple of dress sizes, they should be able to tailor make your workout with that in mind.

Have fun!

I tend to take a fresh t-shirt to go home in as my gym's showers are a bit grim (plus have open backed cubicles and I'd rather not be watched soaping my bollocks). Up to you really on that one.

I would have thought it basic common courtesy to take a towel for any machine - the last thing the next user wants is to plant themselves on someone's crotch sweat.

I always have a small towel to use on the machines - wiping me down and also the machines in case someone has sweated all over them.

As CBH says, remember a change of underwear for the gym.

Have fun!

At my old gym they provided paper towels and spray to clean the equipment after someone had used it.

I'd make a point of finding the most paranoid looking gym freak and make sure I used half a tonne of spray after them ?

ah, sums it up nicely ?

My gym has paper dispenser thing for you to wipe your machine down with (or your crotch sweat as well if you like!) but I do tend to take a small towel if I'm organised enough. I also always always always take a water bottle - the gym has water machines and I re-fill my bottle if I run out.

I turn up in my kit but shower and do my hair/makeup etc. at the gym if I have time - if I don't, I just drive home as a sweat-monster and hope I don't see anyone I know.

Another one who doesn't use the steam room etc. so can't advise on that, sorry.

I take my gym kit and change there, then go home in my kit unless I'm wearing my teeny shorts, in which case I change back. I never shower at the gym unless I've been swimming as I might as well then. This is because I only live 5 minutes away and it's a lot easier to just shower at home.

In the gym I always take a towel, I think it's just good manners, though it's amazing the amount of people who don't.

When I lived at my previous house (no shower), I used to shower, dress in a change of clothes I'd taken and go home. Here, I just leave and shower at home.

You need to be in your gym kit for your induction as you'll be having a go on the machines.

I take a towel around with me - my gym has signs up saying to wipe down machines after use.

No idea about the swimming stuff, I'm too scared to give that a go - doesn't help that I wear glasses and can't see where I want to be without them (and I'm scared I'd go back into the wrong changing rooms ?)

Thanks everyone, sorry I did a typo - I meant to say that they would give me a towel on my induction to use on the machines.

It has a shared changing room which I've never seen before so not sure how that works except you must have individual showers and cubicles. Good point about showering there to make full use of the facilities - I'd not thought of it like that.

Thanks again.

If it's a shared changing room there won't necessarily be individual cubicles for changing in - it might just be a communal room for changing in with individual showers.

No way???!! So you'd have to get out of the shower and get dressed in a communal space??? ?

Can't speak for the ladies but yes, I believe that's the norm. You have to show your bits to other girls. Hnnnnngnngngngnngnnn.

That's what happens in the gym I use. There are a few cubicles, but most just get changed in the communal area.

Yes - quite normal in gyms. There might be 1 or 2 changing cubicles but in all the gyms I've been a member of it's usually communal.

Bring a big towel! I'm used to it now but there are a couple of ladies at my gym who walk round completely starkers - took me a while to get used to it. Mind you, they have fabulous bodies.

Ahhh.....no when I said it was a shared changing room I meant it was shared with men and women? So in this case I'd be hoping that the showers are private individual ones AND that it's got cubicles to get dressed in or else I've think I've made a mistake ?

No ? - the girls and the boys have separate areas.