As stated in a previous point gyms are hot sweaty places. This is natural and isn't really a problem, unless there is no source of fresh air of any kind. During the summer, a room thick and heavy with congealed sweat will bake you like some sort of body odour oven, leaving you gasping at cracks in the wall like a cat that's fallen into the washing machine. Many modern gyms have air conditioning, so it's not often a problem. But beware the old school gyms, where any form of 'it's a bit muggy in here' will be met with a cold stare and a harsh word. Oh well, at least the toilet is cool...
8. People Walking On The Treadmill
There are many exercises that are done in the gym that could be done outside. Running, rowing, bouncing the medicine ball up and down... but some exercises when done in a gym just waste time. Walking is one of them. Now of course walking is a good warm up, but it should at least lead into a jog. Many body-builders walk as it allows them to hit that 'fat burning zone', but seriously you could do that outside, for free. You could be helping a neighbour by walking their dog for them, or get a real pump on and carry an elderly ladies shopping home for her - in fact, carry the old lady as well for a total burnout! The point is by walking on a treadmill you are just taking up space that a genuine gym goer could be using. After all, Ser Pounce needs to work off that field mouse...
7. Someone Watching And Waiting...
If you've ever been at the gym when it's fairly busy you will know the true annoyance of having to wait to use a piece of equipment. What is worse however is when you finally get to use the equipment, only to have someone else then wait for you to finish. You've only just completed your first set of three, when you feel it, the eyes, piercing into the back of your head. You stay still, as if stalked by some testosterone tyrannosaur whose vision is based on movement. Suddenly, without warning you start to feel a pang of guilt, as if you personally are being a gym hog, even though you had to wait twenty minutes yourself. So you start to speed up, to compensate for the statue that now stands beside you, urging you on with wordless glances 'faster, faster' it cries, until you abandon your exercise completely, just to rid yourself of this crippling anxiety. Sullen and lost, you go home having done next to nothing of worth. Never mind, who needs health anyway?
I'm a 26 year old Welsh psychology graduate working in PR & Journalism. I enjoy writing, films, TV, games, sport, philosophy, psychology and mixing them all together. I occupy time and cyberspace on twitter @simcolluk
