Weds. Sports Conditioning & Thurs. Plycore:

Ok. My Weds. & Thurs. classes were about the same as last week, so I will not give a breakdown of the exercises because you can see them elsewhere on this blog. So, I am going to make this post about the one thing that was different about these classes: the smell! It is unfortunate that there is a person in our classes who does not practice proper hygiene. I am not writing this to try to embarrass anyone (I doubt that anyone from my gym even knows that I keep this blog). I am writing because it is a real problem that has been going on for a while, and I am really not sure how much more I can take. I am usually the type of person, who likes to confront problems head on rather than leave things unspoken, but in this case, it just does not feel right. I just can't bring myself to go up to a person and tell them that they stink, and this person does in fact--stink. It is to the point that I have almost been nauseous. At first, I thought that the person might have some sort of medical condition, but as time has gone by, I am pretty sure that they are re-wearing gym clothes without washing them. I have noticed that the smell is worse on days that their clothes appear more wrinkled and nearly non-existent when the clothes look like they are fresh from the drawer. All of the regulars from the morning classes are aware of this problem, and we know to avoid the culprit. However the person often comes in late, and if class has started, you'll smell their presence before you know that they are there. We have complained to the gyms staff, but nothing has been done about it to my knowledge. I am really afraid that one day, I am just going to snap and say something. In fact, Thursday was almost that day.



Weds. class was bad, but it takes place in a open gym, so unless the person is right beside you, you are alright until you have to run the stairs! Once you hit the stairs, the smell is motivation to leave nothing in the tank and hit those stairs with a purpose. So Weds. passed for me with just a mild amount of aggravation because, I knew that it could be much worse, and much worse it got on Thursday! A large part of Plycore class takes place in a small aerobic studio, and the olfactory offender, true to form, came in late and took the spot right beside me. One of the first exercises we did were arm extensions. Honestly, the air was so ripe that I had to leave the class and exercise in the hallway outside the room. I felt sick for the rest of the class, and by the time we started running the stairs, I was in a nasty mood. I couldn't enjoy my workout, and I was so upset that following class I had to speak with one of the staff members. Personally, I need to be in these workout classes. They really help me push myself, but this person's lack of hygiene is pushing me. I hope that the staff will say something either directly to the person or to the class as a whole.

Here is an article about Gym Etiquette