How to Talk to People at the Gym
It’s perfectly okay to spend an hour or two in a gym full of people and not talk to anyone. With headphones on, monitor your workout closely. But what if you want to talk to someone? Handsome guy? The athlete you are just in awe of?
This is another thing that will vary slightly depending on the culture of your gym. If the atmosphere is relaxed, you can walk in right away and start introducing yourself – especially if you all work with the same trainer who leads the workout, or if your exercises require cooperation or equipment sharing. But in a more traditional situation where everyone is for himself, here are the basic rules.
Look for signs that someone is willing to talk.
Some people just don’t want to talk while exercising. Is always. They come to the gym to do their thing and get out, and you shouldn’t be distracted. Headphones are a universal sign of wanting to be left alone. Some people wear headphones even when they’re not listening to music, just to keep everyone else at bay. Respect this.
But many people enjoy communicating between exercises, or even during them. Follow up:
- Headphones, but only in one ear
- Eye contact, smile, inspection, general recognition that the world outside of their workout exists.
- I’m already talking to everyone
In general, never interfere with anyone while they are doing the exercise, but it is okay if they are clearly resting between sets or walking between sprints on the treadmill.
Don’t corner them
The reason some people are so sensitive about being bothered during exercise is because they never know when their new friend is going to leave. If someone hops onto the treadmill next to me and says hello, that could be the start of a 20 minute conversation. If I don’t like it, I’m stuck.
Yes, one guy tried to hit me from a nearby treadmill. It sucks. I’ve also had people have a perfectly nice conversation when I’m in between sets, but I don’t want to stay here forever, and I still have four sets left before I can drop this squat rack, and people are waiting and I I need to pick up my child from kindergarten in 20 minutes .
If you have something to say, speak quickly and see how the other person responds. Compliment their shoes, ask a quick question, take a quick look at your surroundings (not the person’s body, please) and see how they react. Maybe you will strike up a conversation . Maybe they just think, “Okay, this person seems nice,” and that opens the door for future friendships.