It’s commendable that the city government is supporting and promoting exercise culture. This country desperately needs it, and as the OP pointed out, it will take years.
However, a lot of opportunities to educate the public are lost due to lack of professional staff and no policy to approach individual gym-goers to instruct them.
The kids that are manning the info desk are very nice but are neither fully capable to assist, nor are they instructed to offer assistance in the first place. Mostly they just sit at the desk, take tickets as people come in, chat to each other and browse the internet.
I’ve not once seen them walk up to someone who was obviously clueless and at risk of injuring themselves. Seriously, not once.
The people themselves of course don’t ask for help either.
In commercial gyms the situation is similar. Trainers come up to you sometimes, but you can quickly tell if that’s a sales approach (for private PT hours) or if they’re just trying to chat you up, practice English, whatever other reason.
I would say this is a serious problem. Very small percentage of population actually knows what they’re doing at the gym. I’m now not complaining about the bad gym etiquette that annoys me personally, but more importantly about the lack of knowledge that, at best leaves them with no positive exercise effect, and at worst can cause serious injuries.
EDIT: Hmmm… instead of just complaining here, I think I’m going to write them a letter.
