It's a new year! 2010! A decade into a new century! A new year is a fresh start, but also a time to reflect, regroup, and reassess what we want from the year to come.
It is also a chance to rewind our iPods for a trip down memory lane. Eurythmics, anyone? Little Richard? INXS? Or any one-hit wonder that you secretly still love.
One thing that does NOT fade like a one-hit wonder is the importance of gym etiquette. Yet every year in January, the gym gets crowded with new members or old members who have resolved to actually show up. And so often, they exhibit poor gym behavior.
I love that they are showing up and trying to get healthier, but I don't love their loud cell phone jabbering while on the treadmill next to me. I don't like the sweat they leave all over a flat bench and never bother to towel off. I get annoyed at the weights they leave all over the floor, in the same way they probably leave their socks and underwear all over the floor at home.
So here's a few basics of gym etiquette -- a reminder for gym regulars and a roadmap to gym newbies. If your gym is full of newbies, feel free to print this out and post it in the locker room. And for New Year's, I leave you with my Decades Mix.
Gym Etiquette 101
- Leave your cell phone in your gym bag. The people exercising around you don't need to hear about your business deals, your children, your politics, or your dating disasters.
- The towel is not a fashion accessory. It is there for you to wipe your sweat from whatever machine you just used. Make use of its absorbent powers. (see that towel on my Spinning bike, and the extra underneath? It's a must!)
- The weight racks are not just gym furniture. They are where those weights go when you're done using them. So do your dumbbell curls and then put the weights back where you got them.
- Grunting and screaming does not impress anyone, especially Badass babes who might just be lifting heavier weights than you and not uttering a peep. The gym is not a birthing suite. So keep it to yourself, Caveman.
- The benches and machines are not chaise lounges. If you aren't actually using them to work those muscles, get up and walk away. Someone else is probably waiting to use it.
- Barbells are not meant to be thrown onto the floor. They are meant to be lifted, curled, pressed, and lowered with precision -- and quiet. No banging, especially since those who toss and bang are often the same ones who grunt.
OK, now that we got those reminders out of the way, here are some tunes through time. Enjoy!
Shannon's Decades Mix
- Sing Sing Sing, Benny Goodman Orchestra
- Please Love Me, BB King
- Boom Boom, John Lee Hooker
- Five to One, The Doors
- All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix
- She's a Lady, Tom Jones
- London Calling, The Clash
- Devil Inside, INXS
- Into the Groove, Madonna
- It Takes Two, Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
- Knock Me Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang, Dr. Dre with Snoop Dog
- Free Your Mind, En Vogue
- Hate to Say I Told You So, The Hives
- Lose Yourself, Eminem
- Killing in the Name, Rage Against the Machine
- Boys Wanna Be Her, Peaches
- Umbrella, Rihanna
- Hot N Cold, Katy Perry
- Poker Face, Lady Gaga
- Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z with Alicia Keys
Coming up: My newest healthy power breakfast faves!
