Why can’t people put their phones down at the gym?

[Icanseeasquirrel]

I’m quite new to gym stuff. Had a few weeks at an old school gym with a PT until I gained some confidence and now have joined a big chain gym.
first gym was very focussed. People just working out and getting on with it.
New place gets busy sometimes with people waiting for certain machines. I have a plan and work it around when the machines are free and do free weights in between.

But why the hell do people go to the gym and just sit and scroll? I was in the weights area today and there were six people in there including me. Five sitting on the machines and staring at phones. I get they they might need to sort their music or their training plan but they just sit and sit.

A woman sat down next to me on the rower. Just sat and scrolled for a few minutes then picked up the bar - and tried to row while holding and looking at her phone! Failed at this so did about five pulls then picked it up again. And repeat.

Pick up your heads people FFS. It’s fascinating as a social change. All the humans staring at little devices all the time.
Oh and rower women was scrolling TikTok videos before someone says she was working or something.

They are phone zombies like most people now. People can’t put their phone down anywhere so a gym is no different- look around you on public transport, cinema, cafes and restaurants even when dining with others, parents at the school gate staring at their phones rather than greeting their child, walking down the street, kids walking to school starting at their phones - you name it we are a nation of phone zombies.

And you wonder why so many parents can’t be bothered to monitor what their kids are accessing on their smart phones, or don’t want to back stricter SM controls for under 16’s 🤷‍♀️

They're addicts.

Because it distracts me from how tired I am, which helps me to work out longer/harder. Theres actual studies that distractions help with fitness training, although its usually music. I dont see how it affects you?

I once ended up (I was there first and there was no other free machine that I was using) sitting next to someone who just sat on her phone talking loudly. So annoying

Because the gym is one of the most boring places on earth to be?

To directly answer your question, it's because we cannot be alone with our own thoughts and are addicted to the scroll!

It's an addiction. Even when you take into account that some people go to the gym who do so just to be out of the house, or to kid themselves about the level of exercise they are doing.

I think you are missing the point. A lot of people have access to their training routines on their gym apps. Some may be phone addicts but many many gym-goers on their phones are actually checking rep numbers and what exercise comes next. Don’t be so quick to judge next time. I hope your training goes well and you enjoy your workouts.

My programme is on my phone, so i pick it up often to double check weight % , reps and sometimes even the movement if its not one i typically do!

I think some use it for something to do as part of their rest between sets. It feels a bit awkward during the rest time, especially in a busy gym.

I'd imagine some people watch shows on the cardio machines cos they are a bit boring! A long time a go i went to a gym that had a cinema room with various CV machines, its was bloody brilliant!

Gym, indoors = boring.
Gym attracts folks who like to post all about what they do online.
Some folk are addicted.

I used to go to gym in 1990's - everyone chatted and interacted as they excercised.
I went back for a trial about 3 years ago - everyone had headphones on and ignored everyone.

I do physiotherapy at a facility that has a gym. We can come early and use the machines if we want to. Yesterday I was on a table having my foot pulled around and opposite me was a guy on a bike on TWO phones, one in each hand. Double addiction!

I had the same moan this morning. I was on a piece of equipment for 9 minutes and a woman on the leg adductor/abductor machine spent all that time on her phone not doing anything.

I was so tempted to ask her if she was going to be long but thought that might be unreasonable

I use my phone between sets to look at my plan, update my progress and to read my library book.

I am constantly looking at my heart rate on my phone app at the gym because I do intervals. But I mainly keep it in the holder on the cardio machine but I will constantly be looking at the app.

This! A lot of people use apps with their gym program on and I check my next move, what weight it was, if I am doing it right. It also counts down my rest time.

I read a book on my Kindle app while doing cardio…

My rests are often 4 minutes between sets so if I am there alone I will often have a quick play on my phone to stop me shortening my rest!

I go on my phone in between sets. I also use it while doing cardio, because it’s boring.

I use mine a bit to check my plan, update how many sets I’ve done (can never remember is it 2, 3?) and change songs depending on what I am doing. Also use it to time my planks.

I go on it between sets. I have 2 minute rests between sets. I also watch videos of some of the exercises I'm doing to check my form. And yes I have an app to record sets and reps

Totally agree, op. I see it all the time and it irritates me because it doubles the time they use a machine someone might want. It affects others who might be waiting for a machine. I am not talking about those using it for gym purposes, but those who are selfish.

This is why I prefer just doing cardio. I can put on a tv show, pop in my headphones, and workout for the duration of the distracting entertainment.

I always have a narrative running in my head, but it is hard to keep it off the worst thoughts during exercise. I end up rehashing mortifying moments, going into a general anxiety spiral, or sometimes even ruminating on historical abuse. I need the distraction.

At my gym most of us have an app which connects to the equipment and logs our workouts. There’s also a one-minute rest time programmed between reps, so I’ll change music tracks or similar in this time and sometimes make notes about how the exercise went/how I felt as I’m recovering from some surgery and rebuilding strength.

I also follow some PTs and watch their videos as I’m exercising to help me with techniques, so it’s all gym related and I think a lot of people are the same.

See I think it should be ok to ask if they’ll be long. They know they’re scrolling, you know they’re scrolling - and they know you know - so surely they’ll either get off, or get on with exercising. Either is a result.

But it always feels really awkward to say anything so I usually don’t (and get annoyed with them in my head!)

I always ask how many sets someone has left if they’ve been on something for a while. I don’t think it’s rude to ask.
It helps me decide what to do instead.

I left a private gym because they allowed phones in the pool area, the changing rooms alwqys people on their phones and when I went to a class where people had set up to film themselves and then did a 360 around the room at the start, dabbing the sweat selfie at the end, I’d had enough. The changing rooms was the most unpleasant experience, so I made sure I put that as my reason for leaving on my notice email.