Generational change in the gym: That's why the behavior of younger people stresses me

Our author has been going to the gym for 20 years. A paradigm shift in hygiene is now looming among younger people – much to our author's dismay.

When it comes to hygiene, a paradigm shift is looming in some gyms—much to the chagrin of our author. YAY Images/imago

I still touch doors of public buildings with my bare hands, without putting my sleeve between them. The same goes for handrails on trains . But I've long since gotten used to people wiping everything down first and bravely wearing COVID-19 masks , even outdoors in the summer. Nothing surprises me anymore.

I'm also moving with the times. Especially at the gym. I've been with the same chain for 20 years. Now, a change in their hygiene rules has thrown me into a dilemma. The rules are unwritten. The change is happening gradually.

I learned a long time ago that the equipment should be cleaned after use. I adopted this from the others without giving it much thought. When I'm done on the treadmill, I stagger over to the paper towel dispenser, tear off a piece, spray it with disinfectant, and wipe my sweat off the handlebars. It's part of the tedious routine that's essential to me at the gym. It works best on autopilot.

The subversives let their sweat on the handles

Recently, however, I've noticed a growing number of people who no longer clean their devices after use, but only before. They leave their sweat on them. These are primarily younger people.

The problem is obvious: If I continue wiping the handles as I've been trained to do, I'll be touching the sweat of the newbies. An unpleasant prospect, though not a threatening one. On the other hand, once I'm finished, the device will be cleaned twice, first by me, then again by the subversives. Completely stupid.

To avoid touching their sweat , I'd have to clean the handles beforehand. But I can't bring myself to leave my sweat on them afterward. It's not appropriate. It would also feel like a betrayal of the guys I grew up with in the gym.

I could become a cleaning freak, wiping before and after. But that seems completely excessive to me. It contradicts my self-image as a resilient East Berliner who keeps calm among hygienists. So, this whole thing is tearing me apart.

We older folks had a good policy: We wipe away the sweat when we're done. We leave the equipment in a tidy state. We think of others while doing so. The new folks, however, are now thinking of themselves. They don't trust the previous users. And after them, the deluge.

If everyone only thought about themselves, we would have no problem

If everyone just thought about themselves, we wouldn't have a problem: Everyone would wipe themselves beforehand. It would probably be the best thing. But as long as people still follow the old rule, it's complicated. Because they're not just thinking about themselves. Which I actually think is great.

Now, on the treadmill, I always check the majority ratios. They're unclear. About a third clean before, a third after. The others either wipe before and after, or not at all. They're the minority. The future probably belongs to those who think of themselves first. As soon as they're clearly in the majority, I'll join them. It will break my heart a little, but in cases like this, only staunch opportunism helps. You have to move with the times, especially in the gym.