Gym rats, newbies need to share

No pain, no gain? Try snagging your favorite piece of equipment at the gym these days.

Right now, gyms are packed with regular members returning more frequently and a slew of newcomers making good on their get-fit, weight-loss resolutions. More than a million new warm bodies flock to fitness centers each January, representing a 12 percent increase in membership, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.

Unfortunately for the gyms, most of these “resolutionaries” will disappear by March. But for the irritated regulars, that’s exercise music to their ears.

So what’s a gym rat to do until the larger crowds and longer waits subside?

Don’t let it bother you, said Kip Matthews, an Athens psychologist who says a sense of entitlement about using your favorite piece of equipment at a designated time is unhealthy.

“The newcomer doesn’t know your routine, and perhaps you just need to change it up for a while,” he said.

That’s what fitness experts recommend, too. Mondays and Tuesdays are among the busiest days, so arrive at a different time and try new pieces of equipment. Consider taking a class, running or playing basketball.

When Jennifer Uboh joined Workout Anytime last January, the Hiram educator had little experience using the equipment but received help from fellow members and trainers. She now works out four to five days a week on the treadmill, stationary bike and climber and also does some light weights.

Changing one’s lifestyle and going to the gym requires a big commitment, so newcomers should be welcomed, said Donald Loft, an Atlanta corporate attorney who has worked out five days a week for the past 18 years at City Club of Buckhead.

“It’s a little bit of self-righteousness on the part of the gym rats to look down on the newcomers,” he said. “Everybody has a first day at the gym, and theirs just happens to be in January.”

COPING WITH CROWDS IN YOUR GYM

Some serious strategies:

> Change your routine. The most popular machines are the ellipticals and treadmills. At peak times, look for rowing machines, climber or group cycling bikes, which are almost always open. You can also check out new classes or book time with a personal trainer.

> Adjust your time. If you can, change the time you go to the gym. Monday and Tuesday nights are notoriously busy at any gym. If you go at lunch or midafternoon, you shouldn’t have to wait for a machine.

> Mix it up. If you’re lifting weights and having trouble finding a free machine, reach for resistance bands or tubes and medicine balls. You can do tons of great moves with these and your own body weight.

> Supplement at home. You can always exercise at home using your own body weight or a simple set of dumbbells, a stability ball and maybe some resistance tubes or bands.

Source: Janet Lee, deputy editor of Shape magazine

Some not-so-serious …

Larry Winget, an in-your-face personal development coach and author of “People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It,” offers a light-hearted approach to dealing with newcomers at the gym:

> Be patient. In a few more weeks the resolutionaires will decide it’s easier to watch “The Biggest Loser” on television than it is to become one.

> Find new activities. For a few weeks, consider running in your neighborhood, riding a bicycle or playing golf. By choosing some other activities, you don’t have to mix among them.

> Don’t be too nice. If the new people at the gym go home and say, “Those people aren’t very friendly,” then they won’t want to come back.

> Stay focused. When you go to the gym, go there to work out. You know your routine, stick to it. When others see how focused you are, they will step aside.

> Adjust your schedule. Ask the front desk people for the best time to come in when the “outsiders” aren’t there cluttering up your area. Chances are, you can avoid them if you know their timing.