So many of you asked what I planned to do with the dried hibiscus flowers!

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Well, I tried to steep one in a cup of hot water.  Hibiscus tea, anyone?

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It was alright. 🙂 Any other suggestions?

 

Around 9:30, I became SO hungry. I really don’t like eating a mid-morning snack (I’d prefer to eat my calories in the afternoon), but I gave in and had a snack.

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I ate 1/2 of the Eat Natural ‘Yoghurt’ bar that Sam gave me, all the way from England! They need to get these in America!

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The star of lunch was Lundberg California Brown Rice.  I was really excited to try an organic brown rice!

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I paired the rice with baked tofu and steamed broc:

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I really enjoyed the brown rice.  Rice is one of those items that I can really taste a difference from the no-name vs. high quality brands.  It was delish!  It was especially good paired with the tofu, which I marinaded in mustard, garlic, EVOO, pepper, and some other random spices.

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Cell Phones at the Gym?

 

I’ve been wanting to talk about this topic FOREVER, but I always forget to bring it up!  What do you think about cell phones at the gym?

 

It seriously makes me want to reach across the treadmill and throttle someone when they are talking on their phone.  Here’s why:

 

  • One, I can hear your entire conversation, and trust me, I don’t want to! 
  • Two, if you can talk on the phone, you are not working out hard enough.   Period.
  • Three, the gym is my happy place, and your chatter about your sex life, your bills, and your dog is ruining it

Source

 

I’m not bothered by friends talking to each other AT the gym, but something about a cell phone user drives me bonkers!  The Husband says it doesn’t bother him and that I need to chill out. 🙂

 

What do you think — are cell phones OK at the gym or not?  If you’re OK with cell phone usage at the gym, please enlighten me! 🙂

{ 107 comments }

 

  • Megan April 30, 2009, 9:03 am

    I agree completely! When I see people talking on their cell phones at the gym, it makes me think..

    1. they’re obviously not working hard enough
    2. they don’t care about the people around them

    i’ve actually seen someone talking on their phone while running on the treadmill and they eventually dropped it… (and secretly i was thinking that they kind of deserved it haha)

    but yeah, i agree with you completely, i’m a NAY to cell phones at the gym! have a great thursday!

  • iowagirleats April 30, 2009, 9:04 am

    NAY to cell phones at the gym – SO obnoxious! Also nay to coughing uncontrollably at the gym. If you are that sick – stay at home! I was running next to this woman the other day who was running on high speed and coughing her life away the whole time. At the same time – I was watching the news about the swine flu outbreak – ugh it was repulsive…!

  • nibblesandwiggles April 30, 2009, 9:05 am

    NAY – It’s rude and it makes me not be able to concentrate on my workout!

    BTW I used to have an iguana and when we were going out of town for a couple days we would buy a hibiscus plant for her to munch on. Have you tried just eating it plain?

  • Allison April 30, 2009, 9:05 am

    I completely agree! Cell phones at the gym are incredibly annoying, and distracting

  • Kelly April 30, 2009, 9:07 am

    Cell phone at the gym is definitely NOT okay with me. I’m so glad that my University gym has a strict no cell phone policy. I really hate it when people are at the store or on the bus with a cell phone. I don’t need to hear about the drama in other people’s lives.

  • Matt April 30, 2009, 9:07 am

    Nay on the cell phones!

  • D10 April 30, 2009, 9:08 am

    You are at the gym to workout not talk. I guess people don’t realize that you can turn a phone off.

  • Amy April 30, 2009, 9:08 am

    It drives me CRAZY when people are chatting on their phone at the gym!

    I had a lady in the running clinic I lead answer her phone while we were out on a run too.

    Totally rude, and unacceptable!

  • inmytummy April 30, 2009, 9:11 am

    Hate cell phones at the gym. I’ve switched machines to get away from people talking on the phone.

  • Melissa @ For the Love of Health April 30, 2009, 9:11 am

    It’s really stupid that people bring cell phones to the gym!! So silly and pointless. I don’t think these peopel realize how ridiculous they look!

  • Meg C. April 30, 2009, 9:11 am

    totally agree! phones at the gym = inappropriate. do people really think they are THAT important that people need to be able to reach them at all times?

  • Ashley & Bo April 30, 2009, 9:12 am

    I love that rice. Did you get it at Whole Foods?

    So yesterday I was guilty of this for the first time as I was talking to my mom while warming up on the treadmill. It only lasted 2 minutes because I felt so akward since I knew people could hear me. NO Thank you!

  • Bi0nicw0man April 30, 2009, 9:13 am

    Not OK. My gym actually has a no cell phone rule, which includes the dressing room. I love it. People still do it in the dressing room but at least they aren’t nattering away out on the gym floor. I prefer to run without music lately and the last thing I would want to hear is my neighbors gossip.

  • Carrie H April 30, 2009, 9:13 am

    He he … This topic sorda makes me laugh. I almost always take my phone into the gym with me, but I turn the ringer off and NEVER answer it. So, really, I have no idea why I even take it … I guess I don’t want to “miss” something important, but since I never answer it, I’d never know!

    Oh, and one time, I was on the stairmaster and I dropped my phone into the machine. It was crushed, I had to get a new phone and even that didn’t teach me. I think having my phone around is just a security thing to me or something, I dunno.

    But, yeah, it does bother me when other people actually talk on their phones … How can they really be working out and on the phone?! Whatev.

    🙂

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point April 30, 2009, 9:13 am

    ashley – it was a sample but i’m sure you could find it at WF or a similar store.

  • Suzanne April 30, 2009, 9:15 am

    I HATE it went people talk on cell phones at the gym, especially during busy hours (like right after work). There’s usually a wait to get a treadmill or elliptical as it is, and when I see women talking on their phones I just wish they would give the machine to someone who’s actually going to make good use of it!

  • Thinspired April 30, 2009, 9:16 am

    Very creative with the hibiscus tea!
    I really haven’t encountered many people talking on cell phones at the gym. I think it’s pretty rude though and I would never do it unless it was an emergency!

  • sloank April 30, 2009, 9:17 am

    I had my cell phone on me ONCE at the gym, wasn’t even talking just had it on the treadmill… I found it SO incredibly distracting! I did not work out very hard at all. I don’t see too many people at my gym on the phone but I would probably find it very annoying if I was surrounded by it. The gym is my time (and everyone else for that matter) to zone out, de-stress, and WORK IT. A phone totally takes away from that experience!

  • Holly April 30, 2009, 9:19 am

    NAY!!!! In fact, my gym has it posted on the rule board and they’re make you turn it off.

  • ~carolyn~ April 30, 2009, 9:20 am

    Oh wow, I have to comment on this!!! It drives me crazy! One day I was behind a girl on the step mill who was talking on the phone and jotting down things in her organizer. About every minute she would put her feet on the side and hold on and talk. She had it on a very high level and I thought I bet when she gets off the machine, she will tell herself what a great workout she had since she was on level 10!
    My other issues at the gym…since we are going there, people who hold on!!!!! Why does it get to me so much I dont know. There is an man that every time I am at the gym he seems to be on the treadmill next to me (I think we both strive to be near the fan) he pumps the speed to 4.3 and incline to 12 and then proceeds to hold on the whole time and he continues to kick the front of the treadmill because he is obviously going to fast for himself…oh and he now wears weightlifting gloves so he has a better grip to hold on! The other kicker was the woman running 6.0 and holding on and reading the newspaper…I don’t get it.

    My final issue, although I only witnessed this once, a women on the treadmill next to me eating her Starbucks scone and drinking her Venti coffee and reading her magazine!!

    Thank you for letting me use some of your comment space to vent!! I come home and talk about this stuff to my husband and he probably thinks I am crazy!

  • Keegan April 30, 2009, 9:21 am

    Major Nay!!! Nay to the gym, nay while trying to interact with other people (registers, etc), Nay to texting and driving!!

  • Tina April 30, 2009, 9:21 am

    Phones at the gym are a huge no-no!

  • Dori April 30, 2009, 9:21 am

    I get annoyed when I see it. My gym has a rule banning it but sometimes peoole ignore it. Once I had to keep my phone with me on the elliptical b/c I was waiting for a text, but I think that is different. 🙂

  • Andrea (Off Her Cork) April 30, 2009, 9:22 am

    Cell phones out in public drive me crazy no matter where someone is. Why do you need to chit-chat at the gym, or grocery shopping, or where ever else? People can’t “just be” anymore. They always have to be doing something. Not to mention how unsafe it is to be talking on the phone and totally oblivious to your surroundings. Meh. Hate it.

  • Carrie H April 30, 2009, 9:23 am

    I want to clarify … my gym is sorda creepy and sometimes there is no one on staff there at all, so I’m a little paranoid there. That, I think, is also a reason I keep my phone on me. It is so cheap, though, and close to my house …

    But it is dirty, creepy and maybe I should just suck it up and swithch to the Rec Center — way more expensive, but clean and safe! Ha ha.

  • sara April 30, 2009, 9:25 am

    I USE my cell phone at the gym. In fact, I never go without it. This is because I always want to be reachable, in case of emergencies, and sometimes I am eexpecting an important call.
    HOWEVER, I always try to keep my conversation short, saying I will call them back whenever this is possible. I do this out of respect for others and also because the gym is my happy place too and I dont like to be disturbed while Im there.

    TRUST ME- you would NEVER hear me talk about my sex life, dog or bills while on the treadmill!!

  • seesaraheat April 30, 2009, 9:25 am

    It drives me crazy, especially when I can hear their conversation over my iPod! Plus I think, why are they even working out if they can’t put away their phone?

  • Karen April 30, 2009, 9:31 am

    Fortunately, my gym doesn’t allow cell phones outside of the lobby area. But when I was living in an apartment and using its gym regularly, people on their cell phones used to drive me NUTS!

  • Judy April 30, 2009, 9:34 am

    Rude! There needs to be a course on cell phone etiquette. What I hate is to be walking in the mall or on the sidewalk and someone just stops right in the middle of the crowd to answer and talk on the phone. At least move out of the path of circulation, PLEASE!

  • runreadeat April 30, 2009, 9:36 am

    Hmmm. It bothers me when people are talking loudly, be it on the phone or to someone else at the gym. But I will not lie. Sometimes when I am doing a lazy workout to fill the time (like a easy stroll on the treadmill if the weather is bad or a relaxing bike ride) I will text message. Yeah, I know I’m not getting a good workout, but who am I hurting really by texting? Overall I think cell phones should not be allowed, but how do you enforce that?

  • Run Sarah April 30, 2009, 9:36 am

    I don’t use the gym but cell phone would bother mr if the person was speaking really loudly!

  • Gina April 30, 2009, 9:39 am

    Man, I thought I was the only one who got annoyed by cell phones at the gym. I will bring mine if I am waiting for a REALLY important call (this happens every one in a while), but people have regular conversations while they are on the elliptical and it’s just wierd, in my opinion. So, I agree with you!

  • Brittney April 30, 2009, 9:40 am

    I would also have to say nay to cell phones at the gym. I just don’t understand how people feel like they get a quality workout when doing that. It also drives me nuts when people are working out next to each other and end up working out a really slow pace just so they can talk to each other. Again, how can you get a quality workout?!? I don’t know why it annoys me, because it shouldn’t since it doesn’t really concern me, but for some reason I just get really annoyed by it.

  • Amy April 30, 2009, 9:41 am

    I’ve never encountered much cell phone use at my gym, but cell phones in general bug me.

  • Emily April 30, 2009, 9:43 am

    i hate cell phones at the gym! HUGE pet peeve. for all the reasons you mentioned. i hate feeling like im intruding in a personal conversation just by being on the next treadmill! lots of gyms have no cell phone policies, which i appreciate.

  • Valerie April 30, 2009, 9:47 am

    My gym doesn’t allow cell phones! It’s great! The rule was instituted because of some creepy people who actually used their cell phone cameras to take pictures of others as they worked out and in the locker room! Ugh, but it also helps to cut down on noise pollution too. I know they have a difficult time enforcing the rule sometimes, but I think that overall it’s such a great idea. I know most gyms won’t go for the rule, but I feel like if enough people complain, then they will. It’s worth a shot!

  • Audrey W. April 30, 2009, 9:50 am

    that pic is outrageous!..i dont mind them that much because i always have my ipod on blasting away but when people walk around with them and dont watch what they are doing i get very angry! generally i think they look silly/stupid how important are you you cant be without your phone for an hr?

  • monsappetit April 30, 2009, 9:57 am

    hey caitlin! my mom actually swears by hibiscus tea- she is from mexico and it is very popular there. what she does is boil the leaves in water to make a tea, but then pours it in a pitcher to cool down and drinks it like iced tea! It’s refreshing! You could always add some sugar to it to sweeten it up, or try mixing it with other juices.

    have a great afternoon!

  • Island Girl Eats April 30, 2009, 9:58 am

    NAY! Is your life that busy that you can’t leave your cell phone in the locker room for 45 minutes? I don’t even talk on mine while driving – I would end up rear ending someone if I did!

  • susanah April 30, 2009, 10:04 am

    hey.me n my fam just eat the flower like dat.The ones we get here are dried but its kinda like dried prunes-not texture vise but taste-sweetish but a lil tangy.They’re preserved.Not sure if its similar 2 urs.U can try a small nibble.

  • Moran April 30, 2009, 10:05 am

    I need my cellphone at the gym. But I would NOT use it while working out. Its mostly just in case somebody needs to talk to me ASAP. And then I pause the machine

  • Colleen April 30, 2009, 10:06 am

    I don’t belong to a gym, but it drives me BONKERS when I’m in the bathroom at work and someone is in the next stall chatting it up! I’m sure I would feel exactly the same way about someone at the gym. In fact, I don’t think there are a lot of public places that are appropriate for cell phone usage…in moderation of course!

  • L. Elizabeth April 30, 2009, 10:07 am

    I FEEL THE SAME! I am guilty of throwing some dirty looks at those people. Totally piss me off. My favorite was when I am in the Cardio Cinema, working out and watching a movie on this huge screen, and this dude brings in his cell phone and chats it up? Um…NO! I think sometimes I get too neurotic about this stuff, but I can’t help how I feel!

    Love the post!

    PS- If you are in the mood for a giveaway, I have one going on right now – http://lovejackson.blogspot.com/2009/04/glee-gum-giveaway.html

  • Sarah April 30, 2009, 10:08 am

    Okay, I may be the lone voice of dissension here, but I have to say that I started talking on my cell phone at the gym during college. I was so busy with classes, homework, and the student newspaper that I only had a limited amount of time to talk to my 7 member family + my 2 best friends far away. I was also two time zones away from my family so there were limited times that we both could talk. The concept of “free time” was not really in existence Monday through Friday for me, and when I had free time I would use it to work out AND multitask by talking with my family. It was a vital time of connection for me when otherwise I would have had to choose between talking with my family (good for my heart in one way) or working out (good for my heart in another way.) The best solution was to do both at the same time.

    I find it really easy to talk on the elliptical or stationary bike, and my family has gotten used to deciphering my gasps of statements. They say that you should work out to the intensity level where carrying on a conversation is difficult but not impossible. I don’t talk about the most heartrenching of conversation topics, and I try to keep my voice down, but asking my 4 siblings how school is going and getting the phone passed around while I work out is thoroughly enjoyable for me.

  • Julia April 30, 2009, 10:08 am

    I think they are ok… once I was expecting an important call, so I had to have it with me. But I think its silly when people are jabbering away on the cardio machines. Because a) whats so important about your new shoes that you HAVE to tell some one NOW and not in 45 minutes? b) you’re doing a really half-assed effort, so you might as well stop and just talk, c) I just don’t see the point…?
    But it also frustrates me when friends are talking together AT the gym, but hardly working out at ALL, but taking up a LOT of space for the two of them. Gah, move over, I’m here to sweat! haha.

  • Jordan April 30, 2009, 10:10 am

    My gym prohibits using them while working out. You have to go to the locker rooms if you want to use them. So needless to say, I’ve never experienced chattering at the gym, but I can imagine I’d be pretty annoyed.

  • Holly April 30, 2009, 10:12 am

    Hmmm, I guess I would NEVER talk on the cell phone at the gym – and can’t imagine really why other people would want to (like, long conversations). I have a bit of a potty mouth and throw out too many sexual innuendos (think 8th grade boy jokes) to have others listen to my convo. 😉

  • Brandi April 30, 2009, 10:13 am

    I’ve never tried dried hibiscus flowers, but they’re beautiful!

    I don’t like when people are talking on their cell phones at the gym either, but I don’t run into it too much since we really only go to do BodyPump.

  • Christina April 30, 2009, 10:13 am

    Yay I’m glad you liked that rice! I have an unopened bag of it from WF that I haven’t tried yet.

    As for the cell phone topic, I totally agree that people aren’t working hard enough if they’re on it. Kind of gross but I sweat way too much to talk on the phone, it would be drenched!

  • Kimberly April 30, 2009, 10:16 am

    Talking on the phone at the gym is about as rude as talking on the phone at a restaurant or as you’re checking out at the grocery store. Whatever happened to common courtesy??

  • Susan April 30, 2009, 10:41 am

    Even worse than cell phones at the gym are bluetooths at the gym! It makes people look like they’re talking to themselves!

  • Quinn April 30, 2009, 10:43 am

    Cannot stand it! Save it for later!

  • haya April 30, 2009, 10:43 am

    actually, you’re supposed to be able to carry on a conversation when doing cardio if you want to be in the fat burning zone.

    that said, i never go to the gym and if i did, i wouldn’t use my cell phone there and i would probably hate people who did!

    hibiscus tea is really yummy when cooled and mixed half with lemonade. i do that with starbuck’s passion tea and it’s awesome.

  • Amy April 30, 2009, 10:43 am

    I completely agree with you. It annoys me when people talk on their cell phones at the gym. Then the fact that it annoys me gets rid of my relaxed working out feeling. I really think it’s rude. I wouldn’t blast a stereo instead of listening to my ipod so why should I have to listen to someone else’s conversation?

  • Amanda April 30, 2009, 10:46 am

    I say NO to cell phones at the gym! I agree – why are you there if you’re just going to talk on the phone the whole time? You should be breathless! I don’t necessarily think that it is rude, it just annoys me!! I leave my phone in the car whenever I go to the gym.

  • Jess April 30, 2009, 10:49 am

    Count me in as one who is anti-talking on a cell phone at the gym. However, I almost always have my cell phone with me – I guess just in case someone important calls (yeah, like that ever happens!).

    Another pet peeve – people who wear inappropriate attire at the gym like flip flops or khaki pants. No lie, there was a woman at my old gym that used to jog on the treadmill in flip flops. How she didn’t fall on her face is beyond me…

  • Trish April 30, 2009, 10:52 am

    Cell phones are a total no! Seriously, can the conversation not wait?!?! Beside the fact, how can you get a good workout when you’re talking?

  • Laura April 30, 2009, 10:53 am

    Drives me nuts – we have signs up that cellphones aren’t allowed on the gym floor but the locker room is still fare game for being able to chat away.

  • HangryPants April 30, 2009, 10:57 am

    Giant NAY!!!!!

  • Leila April 30, 2009, 10:59 am

    It’s totally true about the cellphones at the gym thing. when I see people sporting them, I remind myself that I’m here to work hard. Kind of use it to motivate me to work harder/smarter. Also, I don’t think people realize that they could actually seriously injure themselves if using their cellphone at the gym. They aren’t really paying attention and they could drop a weight or twist something if on a machine.

  • Carly April 30, 2009, 11:00 am

    It’s one thing to talk on your cell phone in the gym, and quite another to talk on your cell while actually working out. That drives me nutes!!!

  • Rachel in Seattle April 30, 2009, 11:05 am

    Hey!

    I’ve been reading your blog for a a few weeks and I have finally plucked up the courage to comment!

    You really should really try eating some of the hibiscus flowers plain! I bought a tropical dried fruit mix at Trader Joe’s with them in it and was really skeptical, but they are sooo yummy!

    Happy Thursday! 🙂

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point April 30, 2009, 11:07 am

    ok rachel you’ve convinced me!! i’ll try it 🙂 thanks for reading and commenting!

  • megan April 30, 2009, 11:08 am

    I honestly don’t care about cell phones in the gym. I never use mine (leave it in my gym bag in the locker room), but I don’t care if somebody else does. How hard they are working out is none of my business – good for them for even getting to the gym even for an easy workout. As long as they’re not shouting, I just tune them out and read or listen to music. I view it the same as if they went to the gym with a friend and talked on machines next to each other.

  • Esther April 30, 2009, 11:14 am

    Those dried hibiscus flowers from Trader Joes should be eaten plain…they taste almost like a dried cranberry, but not as tart. yummy!

  • nieves April 30, 2009, 11:21 am

    ok, you got me– I answered my phone on the elliptical ONCE and it was my mom and there was noone around and I kept it short, ok??

    People mostly don’t yak on the phone at my gym– they are too busy trying to pick each other up! (I go to a heavily gay male gym.)

    My bigger pet peeve, not only in the gym but everywhere, is when people (usually douchey looking dudes) leave their friggin’ BlueTooths in ALL THE TIME. Like it is some kind of bling so everyone knows how important they are. Gross.

    Also, funny story about hibiscus flowers: I was in movie once where the scene was in a cafe and I had to eat something. It was a nonsense art-school project, so of course they pick something pretty that is super difficult to eat, aka hibiscus flowers! I had never eaten one before, and on take one, I picked up the first one my hand found and tried to eat it but it was so tough that I nearly choked to death! The whole crew laughed at me and we did the take a bunch more times, with varying levels of ladylike eating on my part, and when I saw the final cut of the film OF COURSE the director chose the shot where I am choking on a hibiscus flower, eyes streaming! Oy. I have to say I haven’t rushed to eat them since then.

    Happy almost weekend!

  • *Erica* April 30, 2009, 11:21 am

    Hmmmm…I’m on the fence on this one! I would LOVE to just zone out and focus on my workout at the gym but with a husband and 3 kids at home, I MUST have my phone on me at all times…in case of emergencies. But as far as just gabbing just to gab, talking about your day or the latest gossip or whatever, I would never do that. I like to be as focused as I can be! Plus, how can you hold your phone while running or whatever, getting all sweaty and slippery…gross!

  • Christy April 30, 2009, 11:22 am

    No way, talking on a cell phone at the gym is ridiculous! Once during Spin class a girl got off her bike to answer her phone that was blinking in her bag. Unless it’s an emergency, the gym is NOT a place to catch up on gossip with friends.

    As a side note, how do you feel about perfumes/colognes at the gym? This guy got on the elliptical next to me this morning and reeked of cologne (or smelly deodorant) and it was so bad I had to get off. I could TASTE it in my mouth and it made me so nauseous. I was angry because it ruined my groove. I think when you are in a public place you need to be a little more considerate.

  • Angie (Losing It and Loving It) April 30, 2009, 11:26 am

    Those hibiscus flowers are so pretty. Never heard of or seen them before.

    As for the cell phone at the gym, our fitness center has signs that say no cell phones beyond the front door and it seems to work as I have never seen anyone with cell phone talking. It would drive me nuts so you’re not alone.

  • Niki April 30, 2009, 11:33 am

    I don’t mind cell phones at the gym too much. It is annoying if someone is having an entire conversation while you are trying to concentrate though. I would only bring mine if I was expecting an important call or something to that extent. And I probably would walk out for a minute to have my convo!

  • Lauryn April 30, 2009, 11:43 am

    hi caitlin! love your blog — you’re so clever to try to make hibiscus tea! just wanted to say hello and to tell you i tried out your waffle stuffing and LOVED it (i blogged about it today), what a fantastic idea!

    oh and cell phones in the gym? definitely a no no if you ask me!

  • K from ksgoodeats April 30, 2009, 11:49 am

    I wish they sold those bars here!! They sound fantastic!

    Cells at the gym should be a NO! People talk loud enough as it is, I don’t want to hear about all of their business!

  • Zesty Cook April 30, 2009, 11:53 am

    I say leave your cell phone in the car or in your gym bag. Go sweat it up and have fun 🙂

  • Gwen April 30, 2009, 11:53 am

    The worst is when a loud cell phone starts ringing during a yoga class. I was in two yoga classes in a row where the same phone started ringing loudly and both times no one got up to turn it off. Of course the person must have been embarrassed (because no one owned up to it being their’s during the class and turned it off) but they obviously weren’t embarrassed enough to make sure it was on silent so it didn’t happen a second time… geez.

  • Andrea of Care to Eat April 30, 2009, 11:54 am

    Seriously – who brings a cell phone to the gym? Rude people and teenage girls who don’t know better. My biggest beef with it is that they are obviously not working out hard enough – it bugs me when I see people half-assing it at the gym without a cell phone in their hands!

  • Janelle April 30, 2009, 12:04 pm

    When I was in Australia, I had champagne with hibiscus in it – it was fantastic, and so pretty to look at!

  • Fitnessista April 30, 2009, 12:09 pm

    i TOTALLY agree! if you can talk on the phone while you’re working out, go home and talk there because you’re not really working out anyway. it makes me sooooooo angry!!! texting too! grrrr

  • megan April 30, 2009, 12:20 pm

    i think it’s interesting how a lot of people seem annoyed by the fact that other people aren’t working out as hard as they are. sometimes i go to the gym for an easy day. i walk slowly on the treadmill or around the track. i go pretty slow on the elliptical while watching tv or whatever. i’d hate to think that someone would judge me for how hard I’m working or if I was able to carry on a conversation with a friend beside me.

  • Meredith (Pursuing Balance) April 30, 2009, 12:26 pm

    Totally agree with you!

  • Claire April 30, 2009, 12:26 pm

    I don’t like “conversations” on the phone at the gym, but if it’s a quick, “Hey, I’m at the gym can I call you back?” or even answering a quick questing where the call lasts 1-2 minutes it’s okay with me.

  • NYgirl@heart April 30, 2009, 12:38 pm

    Nay. I leave mine in the car. I personally don’t even like to talk to people period while I’m working out–I usually wave and then will say hi to them later.
    There is a no cell phone rule at my gym too but people break it all the time. Annoying.

  • Katie April 30, 2009, 12:56 pm

    I teach cycle classes at our college Rec center, and kinesiology majors are required to take some group exercise classes, so obviously, they don’t really want to be there. So I get these students who text while I am teaching, answer phone calls, I have never had one carry on a conversation, but I would most definitely kick them out if that happened. So nay to cell phones at the gym, especially if you are taking a class! Your text can wait to be answered in 30 minutes!

  • Sarah April 30, 2009, 1:09 pm

    cell phone usage sucks, but what was definitely worse was when two guys decided to get by either side of me on the treadmills and then SHOUT to each other about the game on tv. sooo distracting.

    and ps. there were open treadmills side by side: NO reason to have me in the middle. argh.

  • Holly April 30, 2009, 1:26 pm

    Nooo, no, no. Cell phone usage at the gym is incredibly rude and disrespectful to the people around you. You wouldn’t use your cell in an elevator would you?

  • Danielle April 30, 2009, 1:27 pm

    Nay!
    I don’t mind if someone answers and says I’ll call you back or talks for a minute, but a full on conversation is rude!
    i don’t even bring my cell phone into the gym with me!

  • Michelle April 30, 2009, 1:36 pm

    Definitely NAY! I hate having to listen to peoples’ cell phone conversations when I am trying to work out!

  • Emily April 30, 2009, 1:42 pm

    I am guilty of taking my phone into the gym but it’s on silent when I do. It’s for emergency purposes only.

    For instances, if for some God awful reason I overworked myself and passed out, they would be able to go through my phone and contact my mom or dad.

    Also, if the phone rings once I won’t answer but if someone constantly calls me back to back I know it’s a call I need to answer BUT I get off my machine and walk to a secluded area to talk.

    But that’s just my two cents! lol

  • Julie April 30, 2009, 2:33 pm

    i hate when people are on there cellphones at the gym because like you said they are not working hard enough and you can here there conversations,I also hate when people cougj uncontrolably like iowagirleats, if you are that sick have some respect and stay home

  • Bec April 30, 2009, 2:36 pm

    I hate cell phones at the gym, if you are talking and texting then you are not working out!

  • Mrs. LC April 30, 2009, 3:21 pm

    1.) The dried hibiscus are so pretty!
    2.) I don’t have a gym membership now but when I was at UCF I hated hearing girls talk on their cell phones while at the gym. I don’t care who hooked up with who, how drunk you’re planning on getting that night, or anything else. No cell phones at gym.

  • jenngirl April 30, 2009, 3:33 pm

    I definitely agree with YOU about cell phones at the gym…you’re there to workout, and don’t we all need at LEAST 30 minutes away from the darn things?

    I started leaving mine at my apartment when I go to the gym, and it’s made my workouts SO much better, since I’m not constantly checking for emails, calls or text during my workout 🙂

  • curlytop April 30, 2009, 3:42 pm

    I say Nay big time.

    But even worse? Talking while your merchandise is being rung up at the cash register. I think it is so rude when people don’t even acknowledge the salesperson because they are too busy telling who knows who on the other end about their horrific night…

    NOT COOL!

    Anywayz.

    Have a good day sweetie!

    With Love,

    Emily

  • emily April 30, 2009, 3:53 pm

    You don’t need to DO anything with them; they are Delish and chewy! I have a serious obsession with those things; I even took a bag to school for my students to try and they Loved them (background – my students are not adventerous eaters, most of them didn’t know what Yogurt was until they saw me eating it!)!

  • MaryBe April 30, 2009, 4:06 pm

    I have never given this any thought! I have never seen anyone at my gym talking on one. Maybe because I take mostly water aerobic classes heheh

  • ari April 30, 2009, 4:10 pm

    cell phones at the gym don’t exactly bother me, i just think it’s stupid when people talk on the phone while exercising. clearly you’re not working hard enough, so to me it seems like a waste of time. 🙂

  • Dayna (HopefulRunner) April 30, 2009, 4:16 pm

    Caitlin, I am totally with you on this one! I hate, hate, hate it when people are in the gym talking on their cell phones and “working out” at the same time. Hang up your phone and work! It drives me nuts. There is this girl that sits in the stretching area and checks herself out and talks on the phone for at least a half hour every day and I just laugh…like, have you even broken a sweat or do you just enjoy looking at yourself? Can’t you do that at home?

  • jenn April 30, 2009, 4:16 pm

    totally rude! a woman last week was on her cell the entire time i was doing cardio which was 45 minutes. just ridiculous.

  • Laura in Pgh April 30, 2009, 5:34 pm

    This seems to be a popular topic! I completely agree with you and am soooo annoyed when people talk on the phone while working out near me at the gym … why even bother coming as how can they be working out that hard? when i am running i can’t even speak!

  • Anonymous April 30, 2009, 5:35 pm

    thank you for bringing this up…

    IT IS NEVER OK to chat while sweating. except they are never sweating bc they chatting away abt BS. drives my nuts! seriously, i wish i could chuck the phones across the room and tell ’em to start movin their ass.

  • Michelle April 30, 2009, 6:07 pm

    I think the cell phones at the gym are ridiculous honestly. You’re there to work out. I think that people have become so attached to them, that they don’t know what to do with out them. No cell phones.

  • Hillary April 30, 2009, 6:27 pm

    I hate, hate, hate cell phones at the gym!! I’ve even switched machines because it is soooo annoying! I wish that people could just take a break and give themselves the time the workout deserves – if they are taking the time to exercise they should take it as an hour or so a day to clear their minds and dedicate it completely to themselves. duh? because I do everyone else should too 🙂

  • Anonymous April 30, 2009, 9:58 pm

    I actually don’t really mind. I am usually so focused on what I am doing that I don’t notice what people are doing on the cardio machines next to me.

    The weight machines are different, if you are holding up the line of people because you’re texting or chatting, that is just rude. But if someone wants chill out on the treadmill/stair-master/elliptical and catch up with friends, meh!

    That girl in the picture isn’t hurting anyone. ANY exercise is better then no exercise right?

    As for the coughing, I actually do that, but I have a lung issue that makes me cough when I do cardio. I ALWAYS clean the machine before and after and use my own towel to cover my mouth when I cough while running.

    -Jessica

  • Jessica May 1, 2009, 2:14 am

    I actually don’t think I’ve ever seen someone talking on a cell phone at my gym. It’s not that busy of a gym, though.

    I’m not sure it would bother me, unless I was in a fitness class or something. I’ve never really seen the gym as a ‘quiet’ place and there are places where phones annoy me far more. Like at the movies.

  • keri May 1, 2009, 5:37 am

    Cell phones at the gym are a definite no-no! I’m not even sure why people bring their phones with them out of the locker room – I always just left mine in my locker.

    But then again, I guess I’m even more easily annoyed than you – I don’t even like it when people talk to each other at the gym! Anything that disrupts my happy little sound bubble makes my workout more tense and less relaxing.

  • Amy May 1, 2009, 6:53 am

    “Two, if you can talk on the phone, you are not working out hard enough. Period.”

    AMEN!!!

  • April May 1, 2009, 1:57 pm

    Cell phone use at the gym doesn’t really bother me since I have my ipod on the whole time. I don’t do it myself. It is possible to give up the cell phone for an hour or so! What really, really annoys me is people that use their phone in the bathroom. While they’re doing their business! People at work, at the bar, etc do it all the time! Gross!

    • Lori March 2, 2012, 12:15 pm

      Who cares if they are on the cell phone at the Gym. Mind your own business. 99% of the time people are wearing headphones anyway.
      Gee whiz people its the way of the world. If someone is talking to you or waiting to help you and your on the phone, That is rude. But just while your working out? Its their business!

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