untitled

Don’t take a marathon shower if people are waiting.

Don’t leave hair clogging the drain, and don’t leave empty shampoo

bottles in the stall.

Don’t use more than one locker.

Don’t hog the mirror or the blow-dryer.

Don’t shake baby powder all over the floor.

Close your locker door so the gym doesn’t look as though it’s been

burglarized.

Throw your garbage in those cylindrical and rectangular objects known

as trash cans. Would you really just toss your empty pantyhose package

on the floor if you were at home? Okay, even so — don’t do it at the gym.

Limit the number of towels you use, especially during busy hours, when

the club is likely to run out.

Chapter 18: Health-Club Primer: Getting the Most Out of Your Gym 281

Packing the perfect gym bag

You’ll feel a lot more comfortable at the gym
if you come prepared. Using 17 paper towels
to dry yourself off after a shower is no fun,
although Suzanne has found herself in this situ-
ation repeatedly. Some gyms provide towels,
cosmetics, even workout clothes. Check with
your gym so you don’t overpack.

Here’s a list of gym-bag essentials. A bag with
lots of zipper pockets helps.

Membership card

Water bottle

Small towel to wipe sweat off the machines

Large towel for the shower

Padlock for locker

Gym clothes (shoes, socks, shorts, tights,

sweats, t-shirt, sports bra or jock)

Plastic bag for wet, dirty clothes

Toiletries (soap, shampoo, deodorant, and

foot deodorant for sneakers)

Sweat band, ponytail holder, or whatever

you need to keep sweat from dripping into

your eyes

Shower sandals

Post-workout snack, especially if you have

a long drive home

Basic first-aid kit, including bandages and

antibacterial ointment

These items aren’t vital, but we highly recom-

mend them:

Weight-lifting gloves (see Chapter 26 for

details)

Personal stereo, headphones, and extra

batteries

Reading material for the cardio machines

Heart-rate monitor (see Chapter 6 for

details)