Often the biggest hurdle to joining a gym (besides the actual exercising) is navigating the precarious world of the locker room. Gyms don’t post “dos and don’ts,” but there are unwritten rules for members to follow—about proper use of the machines, time limits on treadmills, and sharing the free weights. The locker room can be even harder to figure out because, well, everyone’s naked. Fellow gym-goers can get very touchy about breaches of etiquette, but how’s a person to know what the rules are?

Lucky for newcomers to the neighborhood health club, locker rooms are ruled mostly by common sense and courtesy, making it easy to blend in with the most frenzied post-spinning class crowd. Keeping these few tips in mind will ensure that you’ll never attract the ire of a fellow exerciser.