As a spin class instructor and longtime Peloton fanatic, I am speaking with some authority when I say find people with bad group fitness etiquette extremely annoying, and that I know all the rules they should be following.
Now, the last thing I want is to discourage anyone from taking a class, so before I get into the etiquette and safety practices I wish more people knew, let me assure you: Wherever you are on your fitness journey, you should consider yourself welcome in a class, and should never, ever feel—or be made to feel—like you don’t belong.
Unfortunately, when conduct and safety standards are unknown or ignored, people can end up feeling out of place. In order to help you avoid that, I spoke to a fellow instructor and a frequent class-goer (and leaned on my own expertise) to tell you the things we wish everyone knew before coming to class.
If you’re new to a group fitness activity, arrive early
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I don’t just mean you should come early to your first class, although that’s important. Consider yourself a beginner for at least your first five classes, since teachers, playlists, times of day, your own bodily circumstances, and other factors can make each class unique. When you’re starting out, you’re bound to run into workouts or instructions you didn’t encounter in that first class, so err toward considering yourself a novice even a few weeks after you start.
Showing up early allows you to pick a good spot, check out the equipment, get yourself into the zone, and most importantly, tell the instructor you’re new. To me, the greatest horror is when someone comes up to me after class and says, “Thanks! That was my first time and I loved it.” I always give instructions for bike setup and safety at the beginning, but it’s still better for me to know when someone is a newbie—and you may encounter teachers who don’t do a thorough safety rundown or explain everything as they go. I’m happy to adjust a bike or even my playlist, give more detailed instructions, or just watch out for you.
Christina Phipps, a certified instructor who has taught full-body barbell classes for three years, agrees. “I love to help my newer participants feel comfortable before the class, so coming early allows you time to set up properly and I can give you a rundown on how the class works and what to expect,” she says. Trust me: We’d rather help you set up before class than find out afterward that you were lost.
Use your gym’s sign-up feature
I understand the hesitancy to use a sign-up feature if you’re not totally sure you can make it to class and you know there are usually some empty seats for drop-ins. Still, if you can, please sign up in advance. Not only does this guarantee you a seat, but it helps us start on time. If someone who reserved a spot shows up and there’s no equipment for them, the instructor has to spend time figuring out who the drop-in is. This is a time-suck, and awkward for everyone involved.
Having accurate data on who signs up and actually shows up also helps management in its creation and maintenance of classes. Behind the scenes, the gym needs that hard data to understand which classes are popular and successful, and which need retooling. If you like a class being offered at a certain time and want to see it stay at that time, signing up for it in advance can help ensure it does.
Choose your spot in class carefully
If you’re new, I suggest setting up in the middle or back of a class. It’s our job as instructors to make sure you can hear and see us, so if you can’t, speak up about that. But positioning yourself farther back helps you because you can see how other, hopefully more experienced people are moving. If someone is doing something incorrectly or unsafely, the teacher will stop them out of a fear of liability, so don’t worry about copying someone who’s doing it wrong.
It’s also more considerate of your fellow students. Emily Rella, who recently celebrated attending her 600th Soulcycle session and regularly joins other group fitness classes like pilates, says she gets annoyed when newcomers take a front row spot in a class they’ve never tried before. “Regardless of how in-shape or athletic you are, you need to have experience understanding how the specific class or exercise works before being able to lead the class,” she says. “It throws everyone off, including people next to you.”
Don’t just do your own thing
I try to run a fun, adaptable class because I don’t believe forcing people to do things they’re uncomfortable with is a good way to keep them coming back or to help them meet their fitness goals. I make sure everyone knows that if there’s a movement they don’t want to do, they can adapt it, and I suggest different tension levels they can try throughout the class, keeping safety top of mind. I truly don’t care if you don’t feel like doing an all-out sprint on a given day. If being pressured or shamed into pushing yourself works for you, there are plenty of instructors out there who bring that energy.
That said, you do have to listen. I have had people show up to class wearing their own headphones, tuning out my music, cues, and class entirely. Other times, I’ve had people just ignore me for 45 minutes. I respect that you know what you want to do and how you want to work out, but gently request that if you’re not going to participate at all, you wait until the classroom is empty, or use the equipment in the regular gym. Doing your own thing throws off everyone around you, and it’s incredibly awkward. Instructors have to go through certification courses to be up at the front giving directions, so it can’t hurt to listen to what they have to say.
Phipps, whose classes deal with heavy weights and who is adamant about safety, puts it like this: “If you’re coming to class, try to actually participate in what the class is doing and not freestyle your workout. If you walk into my class and proceed to ignore my instructions, feel free to walk right out back to the weight lifting deck.”
Cut the chatter (and put down your phone)
This should go without saying, but please don’t talk throughout the class. A little chitchat is fine, but yapping over the instructor the entire time is simply rude. It prevents other participants from focusing and hearing the instructions, and prevents instructors from being able to hear if someone is yelling for help (which is already hard enough with music blasting in a dark room).
Rella says people talking the whole way through a class is a major pet peeve of hers, as is when the class is designed to be in a dim room and people have their personal devices on full brightness.
I get it: You might have to respond to a text from your sitter or a work Slack, and I feel bad that the state of the working world is such that you can’t take 45 minutes to unplug and focus on your fitness. But don’t spend the whole class answering emails or texting. I know that sounds obvious, but you’d be shocked by how many people do it. In addition to being rude to those around you, it’s a safety issue: You get distracted by the phone or the Apple Watch, miss a cue, look up, and realize everyone is sprinting or doing a lift or pose. You rush to do it but struggle to catch up, potentially injuring yourself in the process. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Speak up if you’re confused
You can be the most accomplished gym-goer in the world, but if you make one wrong movement, get distracted, or encounter something new, you can get injured—and that’s not what any instructor wants. I started attending spin classes 10 years ago, and during one of those early classes, I got really hurt because I didn’t communicate to my instructor when something felt off.
Know your limits, don’t come to class if you’re already injured and the class could exacerbate it (which is another rule that sounds obvious but is not followed), and speak up about any and everything you’re confused about. The benefit of a group fitness class is you have access to someone who is trained to help you execute all the movements safely and effectively, which isn’t always the case when you’re working out alone at the gym. Take advantage of it!
If a movement feels wrong, stop doing it. The teacher may notice and ask what’s up, and you can get real-time help. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that or the class is packed, go up to them afterward. Either way, don’t try to push through or you may regret it. “If something hurts or it doesn’t feel right, listen to my safety cues for adjustments and if it still doesn’t feel right, stop [the movement] and ask me for help after class,” Phipps advises.
Fitness classes are supposed to be “fun”
Some people take fitness pretty seriously and that, on its own, is awesome. But don’t come to class and treat it like its a life or death scenario. That will only stress you (and everyone else) out.
Don’t be mean to other people. If I see you making fun of someone, you’re out. I don’t care that you’re having a bad day. You have to go. You’re in class because it’s supposed to be a fun, communal alternative to grinding away by yourself in the gym. Don’t forget that, or let yourself get too in your head.
Yes, in a group class, people are looking at you, but generally just to see if their form looks like yours—and most people are way too focused on listening to cues and executing exercises to really pay you much mind, especially if it’s dark. You’re not there to impress them and certainly not there to beat them. You’re there for yourself.
“Have fun with it and allow yourself to laugh,” suggests Phipps. “These classes are hard when you first start, but try not to expect perfection. Just let the high energy in the classroom carry you through.” If a class isn’t providing that energy, find another one. I’ve taken a lot of awful classes in my life. I simply didn’t go back. Only attend a class if it’s benefitting your fitness routine in some way.
Rella adds: “Go in with an open mind and an outgoing attitude. Some people will want to be in and out, and others will hang around the studio and chat after or before class, but your best friends you haven’t met yet could be standing right next to you. Worst case? You hate it and you’re out of there in an hour, max.”