The basics of sharing your workout space - Work It Out

Working out can be tough, but working out in a public place can be tougher.

Sharing machines, bathrooms, weights and a track can lead to uncomfortable or annoying situations - like trying to kick someone off a treadmill or telling someone they missed a spot wiping off their sweat on the stretching mats.

I dropped by our beloved Ralph S. O'Connor Recreation Center to assess the Hopkins workout etiquette level.

After extensive research and evaluation, my notes show that Hopkins students, surprisingly, have quite a bit of common sense - and courtesy - when it comes to showing respect in the workout world.

Still, though, there are a few issues facing the Rec Center and residence hall workout rooms that could be fixed with a little consideration.

One thing that we're struggling with seems to be putting things back. Yes, your mother should have taught you this when you were about four years old. Yet it continues to be a problem.

Bill Harrington, the senior director of the Rec Center, thinks that misplaced equipment is the biggest etiquette issue facing the Rec Center.

And, unfortunately, the Rec Center's having to pay for the problem. "Should I have to pay an employee to pick up after you?" he asked.

Senior Stephen Reilly agrees. Although there are signs posted in the weight room asking people to put back their equipment, "The signs aren't the most well-observed."

Another childhood lesson that is slipping away rapidly: Don't steal. Did you know that the Rec Center faces serious theft problems? Not only are the free magazines snatched on a regular basis, but towel theft runs rampant.

"We lose three to four dozen towels a week," Harrington said. Stealing cheap sweaty towels from the gym? Well, that's just sad, not to mention gross.

Moving on from laziness and theft, we have some blatant violation of rules. The most common rule broken in the Rec Center is the time limit placed on much of the equipment.

"I see people that stay on the machines for an hour, when they know that other people are waiting," sophomore Hannah Holiday said.

The best way to avoid waiting for a machine is to work out outside of the gym's "peak hours" (between four and seven in the afternoon), or to simply work out outside.

Senior Melissa Solis is one of those who prefer the outdoors to the crowded gym. But even though the open air is a bit less crowded, she still faces problems.

Unfortunately, navigating the sidewalks around campus is tougher than you might think. Too often, Solis said, pedestrians don't make way for runners.

"I find myself running on the road and twisting my ankle, or in the brush getting poison ivy," she said.

Running inside can be pretty tough, too. How do you pass through the linked-arm trio of girls walking around the track? Do you wave to that kid who you pass each time you lap him, or just on the first round? Should you tell him that he's running in the wrong direction?

The ultimate question for the track, though, is this: Should you pass on the inside, or the outside? Though the sign suggests that slower runners/walkers stay on the inside of the track, not everyone has the same gauge of speed.

The little old lady might be walking in the dead center lane, thinking that she's keeping a perfect pace, or the sprinter might hog the inside lane to shorten his distance.

And of course, everyone's always wearing their headphones, so they don't hear you coming.

At this point you have to make a judgment call and go for whichever side you feel like has more room to pass. The rule about passing is, by necessity, pretty flexible.

Speaking of flexing, freshman Robby Keefe has some advice about etiquette in the weight room.

"Some guys flex in the mirror a lot. Try not to be that guy," Keefe said.

Though the mirrors can be tempting, he advises you not to take it too far when you check on your muscular progress.

His golden rule for the weight room? "Try not to stand out."

Chances are, you're not that guy. Senior Mike Genualdi stuck up for Hopkins students when it comes to work out etiquette.

"People here are pretty good," he said. "It's not nearly as bad or gross as my gym back home." Genualdi is from New Jersey.

Though you're probably not causing too much ruckus at the Rec Center, Harrington and others would appreciate it if everyone would kindly put their weights and fitness balls back next time they are at the gym.

And also, if you see any towel thieves on the loose, please inform security.