(BlackDoctor.org) — The gym. All you want to do is get in, crank up your music, get your workout on, get out, and carry on with the rest of your day.
Yeah right.
From embarrassing sweat situations to overly talkative workout buddies, sometimes the gym experience can go from inspiring to down right annoying very quickly.
So what are some of the top ways to get out of some of top gym conundrums?
I sometimes get very bloated and gassy when I work out. How do I avoid stinking up the gym?
“Don’t eat a big meal within two to three hours of working out,” says Anish Sheth, MD, a gastroenterologist at Yale and coauthor of What’s Your Poo Telling You? Exercise, especially a cardio workout, stimulates your GI tract. So eat a low-fat, lower-fiber snack (try an energy bar) about an hour before to fuel up without inducing digestion problems, and hit the bathroom pre-gym.
How do I discreetly deal with a wedgie while I’m in the middle of a class?
Move to the back of the class or near a wall to put everything back where it belongs. If you get any strange looks, say “Just need to readjust!” says Doris Pooser, coauthor of Always in Style. “To prevent wedgies in the first place, ditch cotton panties and look for those made with nylon and a stretchy fabric, including elastine or spandex.”
How do I politely silence a chatty exercise buddy?
Next time they’re gabbing instead of jabbing, speak up. Address the problem in the moment, not an hour later in the locker room, and steer clear of accusatory phrasing (“Can you stop talking so much in class?”). “Say, ‘I really get in the zone in here, so I’d rather not talk. Let’s catch up over a smoothie after class, when I can focus on what’s going on with you,'” suggests yoga instructor Ashley Turner, who is also a body-mind psychotherapist in Santa Monica, California. A good friend will respect your workout wishes.
My trainer flirts way too much, and it’s very distracting. How do I tell them to stop?
“What you perceive as flirting may be an attempt to put you at ease,” says Johanna Subotovsky, a trainer at Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City. Say, “I don’t want to be impolite, but I’d really get more out of our sessions if we talked less and exercised more. If he still comes on to you, tell him, ‘I like your training and I see results, but you’re making me uncomfortable.'”
If your trainer persists, then talk to a gym manager and request a new one.
It’s so cold in my gym that my nipples poke out through my top – what should I do?
The right sports bra can help with this. Seek out one with cups that are slightly padded or made of spacer fabric, a special kind of knit that has two layers with a pocket of cushioning between them.
Someone at my gym talks on their cell phone while on the exercise bikes. Not only are the conversations usually very loud, but a lot of information that nobody needs to know is provided.
Ask the manager to post NO CELL PHONE signs or speak to the chatterbox, suggests John Boyd, group fitness director and manager at Chelsea Piers Sports Center in New York City. You can also smile sweetly and say, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s hard to concentrate on my workout. Would you mind talking somewhere else?”
I’m embarrassed by my crotch/underarm sweat marks. What can I do?
According to professor of exercise science Michele Olson, PhD., you should choose tops with wider underarm spaces and looser bottoms with wick-action fabric. Look for a built-in panty patch to absorb moisture. Also, it may help to sprinkle an absorbent, talc-free powder under your arms or into the crotch of your bottoms before you put them on.
If possible, hit a cardio machine near a fan, and angle the breeze toward your upper or lower body, rather than your face.
I really like my instructor and would like to ask them out. How do I do it?
Instead of approaching them right before or after class, try to catch them as they’re leaving the gym, says dating guru Amy Spencer, author of Meeting Your Half-Orange. Ask if they can recommend a good running or biking trail, or something else that will involve the two of you meeting up. “Then say, ‘I’ve never been; can I join you next time?'” she suggests. “It’s a friendly offer that will get you out of the client category.” With luck, it’ll work and you two will be able to spend time together. If not, your pride will still be intact.
An acquaintance keeps trying to talk to me when they’re naked in the gym locker room. Where should I look?”
Make a lot of eye contact, suggests Erich Schuttauf, executive director for the American Association of Nude Recreation. That way, you won’t get distracted. If you just can’t bear all that skin, excuse yourself when they come over by saying, “I’ll leave so you can get dressed/take a shower/etc.”
Should I greet every runner I pass by on my route?
“During a track workout or race, no one expects you to be talkative. But during your regular morning workout, it’s good etiquette to make eye contact, smile, and say hello,” says Vince Digneo, founder and head coach of Tattersols. If you’re out of breath or passing tons of people, a simple smile and friendly nod go along way.