Is It Okay to Talk During a Fitness Class?
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Dear Girls at the Back of My Spin Class Last Night,
I’m so thrilled you decided to try Spinning for the first time. I only recently decided that I’m down with it, after finding a teacher and class I really, really like. And I’m all about people trying new things to get them out of their fitness comfort zones, so kudos on giving indoor cycling a whirl.
While I have your ear, can I say something, you know, girl-to-girl? Fellow gym-goer to fellow gym-goer? Cool, thanks. You know how you talked during the entire warmup, and then whenever we weren’t climbing hills you picked up your conversation right where you left off? Yeah. That. You should stop that. It’s super annoying.
See, the thing is, the class is only 45 minutes long. And the teacher, well, I’m pretty sure he’d like everyone’s attention and focus for each and every one of those 45 minutes. And another thing: the studio is really, really small, and last night there were only like 12 of us in there. So, Girl in the Blue Shirt, when you talked all about how you were out of town last weekend and absolutely waaaaasted the entire time, and how you don’t even know how you made it to work on Monday, oh my God … We all heard you. Every single word.
I thought you might get the hint when the teacher turned up the music, but no, you just talked louder. And then when he made that joke, like, “Well, I guess we should pick up the pace. Some of you seem to be, um, fully recovered,” I don’t think you realized he was talking to you. Because, quite frankly, if you were able to talk that much throughout the class, it either means you have some serious Hulk-like strength going on or something, or you weren’t pushing yourself hard enough.
Look, I think it’s great you guys are fitness buddies. Lord knows I’d love to have someone to drag me to the gym every day. If nothing else, it’d ensure I actually get there, no skipping allowed. But when you take a class—any class, really—it’s not the time to gab like girlfriends. It’s a tad distracting, especially when yours truly is focusing every last ounce of attention on climbing a hill—followed by another, and then another.
So next time—and I truly hope there is a next time; you should try Spinning again!—let’s keep our weekend drinking stories to ourselves. Mmmkay?
Sincerely,
Emily “the ridiculously sweaty girl in the embarrassing padded shorts” Leaman
» Tell us: Do you think it’s okay to gab during a fitness class? Have you ever done it, or scolded anyone who has? Share in the comments.
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