Sounding off about gym’s musical assault on the ears

Nov 20 2008

WHEN are the people in charge of the gym at Hamilton Water Palace going to realise that they are running a sports facility and not an Ibiza-type disco.

I am a regular user of this otherwise well-run facility but constantly irritated by ‘background’ music and the volume at which it is played.

I am aware that many people like some sort of soundtrack to their exercise programme, but not everyone wants to work out to the type of thumping dance music more usually heard coming from Lanarkshire’s ‘nedmobiles’

What I also find annoying is that no attempt is made to match the music to the age group of users.

For example, I often find myself working out with a gym full of 50-somethings and yet the music played is absurdly loud and contemporary.

I am aware that not everyone wants to listen to Mantovani’s greatest hits but what’s wrong with playing something from the eighties, seventies or even - perish the thought - the sixties.

Managers should appreciate that if they must have music at this facility, then it should be played for the benefit of the customers - not the staff - and kept at a reasonable volume.

Alternatively, they could turn it off and let us all suffer in silence.

Fed up, Biggar.