Woman Wonders If She Should Correct Fellow Gym-Goer 'Doing An Exercise Wrong' — 'Unless I'm Paying You, Leave Me Alone'
"I'd rather literally break my back than be corrected hope this helps!"
Bojan Milinkov | Shutterstock A woman has sparked a serious discussion regarding gym etiquette after asking others if she should step in to assist a fellow gym-goer with their workout.
While the woman admitted that she did not intend to insult the stranger’s workout routine, she could not help but wonder if she should step in to offer some help — and the majority of people advised her to mind her business.
A woman wondered if she should correct a fellow gym-goer who she noticed was doing a workout ‘wrong.’
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 320,000 times, a woman named Shelbi Tye filmed herself at the gym as she contemplated helping out a fellow gym-goer.
“Okay be honest, is it better to correct a random stranger doing an exercise wrong or leave them alone and let them figure it out because either way feels mean,” she wrote in the text overlay of her video.
The woman adds in her caption that the urge to help was strong, but the urge to mind her own business might overpower it.
Most people believed that unless the woman was a personal trainer helping out a client, then she should stay out of the way.
“Unless I’m paying you, leave me alone,” one TikTok user commented.
“As someone with anxiety, I would cry and never return to the gym if someone corrected me,” another user shared.
“Unless you are a trained physiotherapist I wouldn't, they may be doing modified exercises for their own safety,” another noted.
While there is no definitive research arguing why you shouldn’t correct others’ workout routines at the gym, most gym-goers are trying to focus on their exercise and find it to be rude and intrusive when others approach them just to tell them that they believe they’re doing their own exercises incorrectly.
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You don’t know their full training history, injury status, or the personal goals they have set for themselves. They have their own reasons for doing their workouts the specific way they do, and correcting them can come off as condescending or even harassment.
However, is there an appropriate time to correct people on their workouts? Some people believe so.
Others claimed that if you see someone using gym equipment incorrectly and they are at risk of injuring themselves, you should politely give them a heads up.
According to data from the National Safety Council, males accounted for around 57% of injuries caused by exercise equipment, while females accounted for 43% of injuries.
In 2021, a total of 40,485 exercise equipment-related injuries were fatal.
If you see someone at the gym using heavy equipment incorrectly, you could potentially save their life by stepping in. However, instead of doing it yourself, perhaps discreetly approach one of the gym employees and have them step in as an expert.
Despite the popular opinion, some people said that they would want to be corrected on their form even if they were not at risk for an injury, believing that it would improve their fitness.
“I think I’m able to put our pride away to prioritize my health,” one TikTok user commented.
“I’d like to be corrected! I’d rather be a little embarrassed than injure myself or be putting in work for nothing,” another user shared.
“Being helpful is not rude and y’all need to grow up and get over it,” another wrote.
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It is important to note that even if you would prefer not to be corrected while you’re at the gym, most people who do it have no malicious intent and are simply looking out for you!
However, if you’re one of these people who likes to help, unless you see someone about to drop a 50-pound weight on their head, just focus on your own workout.
There could be an unseen reason other gym-goers are doing workouts differently than how we might do them, and they don’t need the unsolicited advice.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.