If I don't need to smell 'pretty' for the gym, neither do yo
a_stronger_steph
Posts: 434 Member
Rant time!
For the past few weeks I've been taking advantage of the cardio room in my condo. It's pretty small - three treadmills, two ellipticals, two stationary bikes, and a rowing machine, with some space up front for stretching, etc. It's definitely less than 300 square feet, but it does the job.
Anyways, today, 10 minutes into my workout, a guy comes in just REEKING of some sort of cologne or body spray. It literally made my eyes water and my nose feel tight (like I was about to sneeze) as soon as he entered the room. Shortly after he took up on the elliptical next to me, I got a headache from it. I'm not someone who is usually overly sensitive to smells, but in this tiny room, it was just awful.
I managed to keep going for another 10 minutes but couldn't stand it after that, so I had to cut my workout short (GRRRR!!!).
I honestly don't understand why someone would douse themselves in perfume before working out and (presumably!) getting sweaty. And I'm really not a confrontational person so I couldn't exactly say anything about it to him, either.
End rant!
For the past few weeks I've been taking advantage of the cardio room in my condo. It's pretty small - three treadmills, two ellipticals, two stationary bikes, and a rowing machine, with some space up front for stretching, etc. It's definitely less than 300 square feet, but it does the job.
Anyways, today, 10 minutes into my workout, a guy comes in just REEKING of some sort of cologne or body spray. It literally made my eyes water and my nose feel tight (like I was about to sneeze) as soon as he entered the room. Shortly after he took up on the elliptical next to me, I got a headache from it. I'm not someone who is usually overly sensitive to smells, but in this tiny room, it was just awful.
I managed to keep going for another 10 minutes but couldn't stand it after that, so I had to cut my workout short (GRRRR!!!).
I honestly don't understand why someone would douse themselves in perfume before working out and (presumably!) getting sweaty. And I'm really not a confrontational person so I couldn't exactly say anything about it to him, either.
End rant!
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Replies
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Guys do weird things. I think it's a peacock mentality
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I know, yesterday some girl was next to me all perfumed up. It got worse as she started to sweat! I would rather smell B.O. than that!!!0
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We have a similar gym in our apartment complex with the addition of some weight machines and free weights. I can't stand strong perfumes and colognes either -- they make me feel nauseas!
My complaint is that most people don't wipe down the machines after they use them. GROSS. Not only do I not wanna touch the machine after you just sweat all over it, but it's gym etiquette! One girl last night didn't even do it after both another girl and I wiped down ours when we were done. I wanted to say something but I was nice lol.0 -
Where I go to school its like a beauty pageant in the gym. The girls will wear a full face of makeup, matching outfits, and will tease their hair and wear jewelry!!! I don't understand it.0
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That happened to me a couple of weeks ago in the gym and I ended up coughing from it. My gym isn't big but I definitly needed to open the doors and windows to continue!0
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HUGE pet peeve of mine. Makes me gag.0
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lol some people over do it, you need to shower afterwards anyways. I think they just worry that they will start to stink up the place sweating and unknowingly stink up the place by ODing on the fragrance.0
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The joy of running outside at o'dark thirty. Not only do I stink, my ritual includes not brushing my teeth (weird as it seems, having a minty fresh mouth makes it harder for me to get my breathing regulated).0
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I would have said something like "While I appreciate that you didn't want to smell bad while working out I'd appreciate it if you went a little lighter on the cologne next time. I'm having a hard time breathing right now because of it." If he gets nasty, well, ask him if it works out the same time every day and you'll make sure to come at another time.
People can be nasty but I've felt lately that when people are being rude or insensitive it's only enabling them to continue by not saying anything. I've kept quiet when people have been mean or rude or hurt my feelings (family included) for too long, the last year I've been speaking up like never in my life and while I've lost friends over it (and trust me, I DON'T miss the drama) I'm happier as a result. People are getting nastier by the minute, if we don't speak up, our entire society falls into a permanent state of ugly, and I, for one, am sick of it and will do my part to keep manners and common courtesy alive, one little comment at a time.
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Not that I am defending wearing a gallon of cologne but I have my own personal reasons for wanting to at least not stink when I go out in public. There are many negative social stigmas placed on overweight people. IMHO one of the most offensive and humiliating misconceptions is "fat people smell bad". It is because of this that I lather up in Lady Speed Stick and scented lotions. I don't think I've ever worn perfume or a distacting amount of lotion. I know we are at the gym and we are supposed to sweat (and believe me I do) but when I feel gross I get discouraged and want to go home and that's not a good game plan for me.0
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This was the first time I'd worked out past 9pm in that room, so I think I will try to stick to earlier times from now on. The regulars that I see in the mid afternoon are usually great. If I run into him again and he is still overwhelmingly scented, I'll probably have to say something. Because, yeah, he probably doesn't realize how much he is overcompensating. 0
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A girl got on the elliptical next to me a couple weeks ago wearing WAY too much perfume. I got up and moved about 5 ellipticals down. She gave me a funny look but I don't care, I need to breath when I am working out.0
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We have a similar gym in our apartment complex with the addition of some weight machines and free weights. I can't stand strong perfumes and colognes either -- they make me feel nauseas!
My complaint is that most people don't wipe down the machines after they use them. GROSS. Not only do I not wanna touch the machine after you just sweat all over it, but it's gym etiquette! One girl last night didn't even do it after both another girl and I wiped down ours when we were done. I wanted to say something but I was nice lol.
Ugh, yes. This. That happened a lot more when I went to my larger campus gym - even when people were using the weight machines! I remember the very first time I went to the gym, I had no idea about gym etiquette and wiping down machines at ALL. But I saw someone do it before I got off the machine I was on, the lightbulb went on, and I followed suit when I was finished. If only other people could catch on by example, haha.0 -
LOL, oh no, I'm one of those people that wear perfume/body spray at the gym... :blushing: I only wear a little bit, I swear, just to help mask the scent of sweat!! I'm not overly sensitive to smells, though (except stronnnng BO....I'll take cologne lol), but I'll be sure to tone it down! :P0
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Lucky me, I go to a small town gym, and perfumes are not allowed ;-)
But seriously, for those of you who feel it is necessary, remember that some of us other people are allergic to your perfumes. Bad BO is caused by bacteria, and not from a single sweating session. If you are worried about your hygiene, take a shower first, and then put on deodorant, problem solved.0 -
Not that I am defending wearing a gallon of cologne but I have my own personal reasons for wanting to at least not stink when I go out in public. There are many negative social stigmas placed on overweight people. IMHO one of the most offensive and humiliating misconceptions is "fat people smell bad". It is because of this that I lather up in Lady Speed Stick and scented lotions. I don't think I've ever worn perfume or a distacting amount of lotion. I know we are at the gym and we are supposed to sweat (and believe me I do) but when I feel gross I get discouraged and want to go home and that's not a good game plan for me.
Seriously, is this the biggest load of crap? Why do people think that just because we're overweight that means we're slobs? That we don't care about how we look or smell? Seriously, it's ridiculous. It's a stereotype that has to go!
When I used to go to the gym I couldn't get over how badly people smelled. There was one guy who seriously must have eaten a ton of garlic before coming to the gym, once he started sweating the smell was bad enough to fill the whole room. Probably didn't even realize he smelled. I told the workers there more than once, it was so nasty. I'd have to leave whatever room he came into. The joys of working out at home.
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Lucky me, I go to a small town gym, and perfumes are not allowed ;-)
But seriously, for those of you who feel it is necessary, remember that some of us other people are allergic to your perfumes. Bad BO is caused by bacteria, and not from a single sweating session. If you are worried about your hygiene, take a shower first, and then put on deodorant, problem solved.
If only it were that simple. BO is not always caused from bacteria, genetics, disease and diet are also a factor. The mind set that people with BO need to take a shower is the exact reason those people drown themselves in perfume (so as not to be thought of as unclean). It's a vicious cycle. I'm pretty sure Oprah did a whole show on this a few years back.
Luckily, I feel that I am fairly non-stinky by nature but, as I said before, I have issues with "fat people" stigmas. I do have a couple of very close friends who are quite thin and have impeccable hygiene but still have that NASTY BO when they get sweaty. In their case, and that of people like them I have no issue with covering the scent.
Obviously there are always people who go overboard and yes, it's annoying but I know when dealing with a public place I'm going to encounter all different types of people with issues and needs separate from my own. I think there can be a happy medium if we all just try to increase our own levels of tolerance and respect.0 -
I can't get over the girls with caked on make up at the gym. Isn't the gym supposed to be a place to work out? I would much rather workout with no makeup on than makup, eyeliner, and mascara dripping down my face while I'm working out. I don't know about other people but I'm not one to "half-*kitten*" things, I'm there to sweat and workout.0
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Ok, I'll try telling my allergies to be more tolerant and respectful.
Seriously, I taught Bikram yoga for six eight years, and still do hot yoga regularly, I literally have had hands on experience with more than my share of sweaty people. Yes, the factors you brought up can have an influence, but it is pretty rare for a person with goid hygeine to smell bad simply because they start to sweat. If anything, regular sweating helps to carry toxins out of their body - just wash it off afterwards. And this has nothing to do with thinking fat people stink, I am a fattie and I smell great without perfume.Lucky me, I go to a small town gym, and perfumes are not allowed ;-)
But seriously, for those of you who feel it is necessary, remember that some of us other people are allergic to your perfumes. Bad BO is caused by bacteria, and not from a single sweating session. If you are worried about your hygiene, take a shower first, and then put on deodorant, problem solved.
If only it were that simple. BO is not always caused from bacteria, genetics, disease and diet are also a factor. The mind set that people with BO need to take a shower is the exact reason those people drown themselves in perfume (so as not to be thought of as unclean). It's a vicious cycle. I'm pretty sure Oprah did a whole show on this a few years back.
Luckily, I feel that I am fairly non-stinky by nature but, as I said before, I have issues with "fat people" stigmas. I do have a couple of very close friends who are quite thin and have impeccable hygiene but still have that NASTY BO when they get sweaty. In their case, and that of people like them I have no issue with covering the scent.
Obviously there are always people who go overboard and yes, it's annoying but I know when dealing with a public place I'm going to encounter all different types of people with issues and needs separate from my own. I think there can be a happy medium if we all just try to increase our own levels of tolerance and respect.0 -
I learned about wiping the machines in gym class in high school; we had a weight room and used to do a unit there every year lol. But even at our gym there is a SIGN in front of the cleaner and paper towels that says: "Cleaner for wiping down machines."
Another thing: there's a water cooler in there, which is great for a drink after a work out. But people leave their plastic cups on the table... RIGHT NEXT TO THE GARBAGE. How hard is it to take one step over and toss it in the trash? I always clean up other people's cups because the people who maintain the gym shouldn't have to pick up after people who feel entitled to be inconsiderate.0 -
I HATE that!!
There are a couple of cougars (and a few strippers) that work out at my gym that I'm pretty sure are there to try to find prey.. hahahhaha
Luckily its a big gym, so if they stay long I can relocate, I just go take a potty break and then come back to a different machine. But most of the time they don't stay on a machine long enough to get sweaty, so I can usually just tough it out... but like I said, its a big gym.
Hopefully that guy works out at a regular, predictable, time so you can avoid him in the future
Good luck!0 -
Even though I do agree with you. The American population has rated the gym as the best place to get a date. so with that said they are going to continue to do it. I have a friend that works out everyday and I must say at least once a week he meets someone else.0
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Im a germophobe as well as a Class A jerk at times....
I carry a can of Lysol with me at ALL times at the gym... the folks at my local Ballys are pretty good about wiping off the handle on gym eqpt but often forget you were on other parts of the body.... so before and after my workouts, I wpie off the seat and handles with the wet wipe thing the gym provides and then I spray down the machine with my lysol...
the thing is, I expect body odor at the gym so that doesnt bother me... but perfume/cologne/aftershave pisses me of to no avail....When someone near me has on too much, I accidentally-on purpose let them see me spraying their path as the are not quite out of earshot/line of sight....0 -
Im a germophobe as well as a Class A jerk at times....
I carry a can of Lysol with me at ALL times at the gym... the folks at my local Ballys are pretty good about wiping off the handle on gym eqpt but often forget you were on other parts of the body.... so before and after my workouts, I wpie off the seat and handles with the wet wipe thing the gym provides and then I spray down the machine with my lysol...
the thing is, I expect body odor at the gym so that doesnt bother me... but perfume/cologne/aftershave pisses me of to no avail....When someone near me has on too much, I accidentally-on purpose let them see me spraying their path as the are not quite out of earshot/line of sight....
lol oh my goodness! I agree with you about wiping the machine, though. If I use a bike or weight machine I always clean the seat (butt part and back rest) as well as the handles.
I don't even put on deodorant right before I go to the gym -- I use Dove, which has an antiperspirant in it. I don't think it's that healthy to STOP yourself from sweating when you're working out, since it's how you cool down. Plus when I sweat I feel like I'm working hard. I expect people to be a little stinky when they're working out; it doesn't bother me because I'm sure I smell after a good burn, too lol.
It's funny someone mentioned picking people up at the gym -- my friend says he doesn't look for girls at the gym because he doesn't think that sweaty girls are attractive. Kind of the opposite of what seems to be a trend, I guess! :P0 -
I dont see why people drown themselves in prefume anyways,my brother does this and smells like he bathed in the stuff.Ugh a lil goes a long way.0
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Almost every gym I've ever worked for has had a "No Perfume/Cologne Policy" because there are too many people with allergies and asthma that it can cause serious problems for if someone comes in with ANY on, much less a gallon like the OP had to deal with. Some of the gyms posted signs about it because it can be a serious issue and if someone dies from an asthma attack the gym is responsible for the law suit for not providing a safe exercise environment. When I was a gym manager, I would literally tell people that I don't care if you think you stink or not, if your perfume makes my nose tickle, you will be kicked out of the gym. And if it happens more then once, you will be permanently banned. Period. Same thing with coming in reeking of smoke. Granted, I would joke about it in the initial sign-up session and say something like "I don't care if you smell like a chain-smoking stripper at home, but you aren't going to risk my members lives by smelling like that in my gym!" with a smile on my face, but if necessary, I enforced it too.
Maybe you could mention to your complex about putting a sign up in the workout room about perfumes/colognes not being allowed due to the risks of others with asthma/allergies?0 -
Wow, some ppl are weird. Hell I don't even shower before I go to the gym. I workout first thing in the morning and hell yesterday I forgot to put deo. on and I still didn't smell. LOL. I hate when ppl wear strong smellin perfumes. I am sensitive to strong smellin scents so I can totally understand. Hopefully if you workout tomorrow he wont be there!!0
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Ok, I'll try telling my allergies to be more tolerant and respectful.
Seriously, I taught Bikram yoga for six eight years, and still do hot yoga regularly, I literally have had hands on experience with more than my share of sweaty people. Yes, the factors you brought up can have an influence, but it is pretty rare for a person with goid hygeine to smell bad simply because they start to sweat. If anything, regular sweating helps to carry toxins out of their body - just wash it off afterwards. And this has nothing to do with thinking fat people stink, I am a fattie and I smell great without perfume.I have allergies too and I find that simply wiping down the machines or moving away from a person who has "over done it" to be more than effective. I see no reason to chastise people who wear a small/respectable amount of fragrance. I think a lot people find strong body odor to be just as distracting. If your allergies are so severe I guess it's fortunate for you that you found a gym that better suits your needs.
When I was pregnant my body scent changed temporarily and trust me, it wasn't from lack of showering. My doctor confirmed that hormones and diet (along with genetics) have a huge impact on one's scent. I guess we are going to have to just agree to disagree on some of this.0 -
My students spray this junk all over themselves all throughout the day. It literally makes me sick. They have no cencept of how bad they smell, and the effect it has on other people.0
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I know, yesterday some girl was next to me all perfumed up. It got worse as she started to sweat! I would rather smell B.O. than that!!!
I too have had several experiences like this, and I have asthma, so it doesnt make it any easier doing my cardio.
As for the BO, its good to let the body sweat without an antipersprant or deoderant, so what better place to not even wear that?0
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