The 7 Worst People You Meet at the Gym

Why they're bothering you: If you were the kind of person who wanted some competition during your workout, you'd welcome the company. But today you just need some space.
How to handle it: Think of the space invasion as a compliment. "Some people go to the gym to feel connected and to be around other people, and if they decided to use the machine next to you when there were five other ones they could have picked, it means that something about you seemed safe and inviting," says Lagos. (If that fails, tell yourself it's because you're just so darned good-looking.) And if their presence is distracting you, get back into a rhythm by thinking about an immediate goal for your workout. It could be that you're trying to increase your resistance level today, or last for 5 minutes longer than you did last week. "A short-term goal can be a really grounding focus point," says Susser.