Do I have to use my own towel when using fitness equipment in the gym?

At present, there is no unified mandatory regulation in China requiring that you must put your own towel on the equipment when exercising. Whether or not to put it on the equipment and how to put it on are more of a courtesy category established by gym regulations and fitness circles.

Most of the people who frequent the gym have seen similar scenes: The elder brother who practiced five sets of deadlifts in the dog days of summer was soaked in sweat on his back. As soon as he left the bench press, the entire bench surface was as wet as if he had poured half a bottle of room-temperature mineral water on it. The next girl who came to do chest presses stood next to her and could not sit or stand. The stickiness made her feel sticky, not to mention the feeling of exertion. People with mysophobia wanted to go to the front desk to cancel the card on the spot. I once saw two girls quarreling over this at a gymnasium in the city. The first one practiced glute bridge for half an hour without a towel, leaving a large pool of sweat stains on the stool. The second one came over and sat down without paying attention. When she got up, she found that her sweatpants were all wet. She called them back on the spot to demand an explanation. In the end, each of them had a fifty-fifty fight at the front desk. In fact, if the first one had just put down a towel, it wouldn't be such a hassle. What's more, from a hygiene perspective, even if the gym disinfects the entire area after closing every day, public equipment is touched by dozens or hundreds of people a day, and Staphylococcus epidermidis and fungi, pathogenic bacteria that can easily cause skin problems, may remain. Putting a towel on is equivalent to adding a layer of physical protection to areas prone to acne, such as the back and thighs. Many veterans who have practiced for three to five years have two towels in their bags, one to pad the equipment and the other to wipe sweat. It has long been a habit that does not require reminders.

Of course, many people think it is not necessary to put towels as a mandatory requirement. There are a group of friends who practice CrossFit in the gym I often go to. Their training pace is already fast. They will roll kettlebells, jump boxes, climb ropes, and change four or five kinds of equipment in a circuit class of ten minutes. You can't put down a towel for every one, which will delay the rhythm of rest between groups. There are also powerlifters who are doing heavy bench presses and deadlifts. Putting a towel on them will make the contact surface between the body and the equipment slip. The center of gravity will easily swing when coming out of the bar, which will increase the risk of injury. At this time, insisting on putting on a towel is putting the cart before the horse. Most people will also understand that after using up, they can spray twice with the public disinfectant spray that is placed in the strength area of the venue, and use paper towels to wipe away the sweat stains.

In fact, the rules of most gyms are very flexible now. It is rare for staff to chase you and ask for a towel. To put it bluntly, this matter is not an "obligation" that needs to be enforced. It is just a small habit that is convenient for you and does not disgust others. If you really encounter the situation of forgetting to bring a towel when you go out, spending an extra 30 seconds to disinfect the used equipment and wipe the sweat is better than anything else.