I have always thought that sometimes going to a public place to exercise is probably just one step up from a the back of the tour bus for a 1980's reunion band in the middle of the Summer. The items in this article address some common sense issues, and here are a few more quick tips:
- Get into the habit of keeping a "gym first aid kit" with you. It should include bandages, antibiotic ointment and medical adhesive tape. This does not need to be any fancier than a few items in a plastic baggie.
- Bring your own water. Watch the next three people at your gym use the water fountain, and you will thank me.
- Never sit on the bench in the locker room or the sauna unclothed. Why? Because the guy right before you got there did, too. It sounds like common sense, but I see people who do not follow this advice every day.
- To avoid constantly forgetting to pack things you need, make life easier by just getting two versions of everything you need to get ready after a shower (deodorant, hair product, toothpaste, etc.) and just keep one set of it in your gym bag. This includes shower shoes.
- Do not stand for a nasty facility. Bring dirty conditions to the management's attention immediately or switch facilities immediately. There are too many places that want your business to put up with it.
- Treat everything you touch as if you were in a public restroom at the mall. Act accordingly.
- After you leave the locker room, on the way out the door, use hand sanitizer. Most gyms have it now, and if they don't, carry it in your bag.
