The gym can represent different things for different people. For some, it’s a great place to blow off steam and get away from daily stressors. For others, it may be more of a social place, to work out with a friend or maybe meet new people. But for most, the gym is a place to improve your physical and mental health. Before you hit the gym, there are a few things you should know to make sure everyone can work out in the best way possible.
1. Keep the sweat to yourself. Always make sure to wipe down your equipment after each use. In order to keep our facilities clean, there are Virex stations in our weight rooms and cardio rooms.
2. To prevent a log jam in the pool, always swim on the right side of the lane. We don’t want any collisions, so make sure you alert other swimmers that you’re joining their lane. Besides, sharing lanes is a great way to meet fellow swimmers!
3. It’s all about the shoes. Appropriate athletic footwear must be worn at all times within activity areas. That means no open-toed shoes, street shoes, or shoes that mark the floors.
4. Oh and don’t forget to wear the appropriate clothing, too. By wearing clothing that complies with our policies, you can help us keep our equipment clean. Even though Daffy Duck isn’t wearing pants, you probably should.
5. Everything has a home, including equipment. Make sure you put the equipment in the right place and order after you are done using them (including reracking your weights!).
6. This isn’t valet. Bicycles and mopeds should be parked in designated parking stalls at both the outdoor and indoor facilities. We want to keep our new Near West Fields in the best shape possible, so please keep your bicycles, mopeds, and unauthorized vehicles off the turf.
7. We all love a workout snack. But, please keep your food, open containers, and gum out of activity spaces. Don’t forget to hydrate during your workout!
8. We agree, fitness is more fun with friends. If you have a friend visiting you, make sure you get them a guest pass. All Rec Sports members can purchase up to three guest passes a day, so you and your friends don’t have to miss a workout together.
9. Make sure to give others in your Group Fitness class plenty of space. We want them to get their sweat on… but not on you.
10. Have you been working on your dives? Show us what you got, but only on the 1-meter springboard. Your safety is our priority, so please keep it to just forward dives. (Sorry, that means no gainers.)
11. Move it or lose it. Make sure your personal locks and belongings are removed from daily use lockers before the facility closes. If you would like a permanent locker, we offer a variety of rental locker options. Check out those options here.
12. And most importantly, don’t forget to bring your Wiscard! You can check out equipment, reserve lockers, sign up for classes using your Wiscard at any of our Member Services offices and of course it’s your “golden ticket” to enter our facilities.
Now that you’re an expert on our policies, you won’t have to be “that person” at the gym. If you would like to see all of our policies, check them out here. Thanks for doing your part in making our facilities a great place to PLAY HARD. GET FIT. LIVE WELL.
