If you spent the holidays decking your thighs with pounds of turkey, getting back in shape is probably your number one New Year’s resolution. Like many Americans, you might already belong to a gym but can’t find your ID among the credit cards, sales receipts, and “buy-ten-get-one-free” sandwich cards littering your wallet. It’s not easy to stick to a fitness routine, and sometimes it can take a lot of motivation to get back on track.

From complex machines to surly employees, it doesn’t always take much to derail your best-laid fitness plans. With post-holiday stress levels running high, some of that stress is bound to come out at the gym. And while any place that allows people to wear skimpy clothing and sweat to their heart’s content might not seem like a place where the normal rules of etiquette apply, a little post-holiday holiday spirit goes a long way when you work out.

When you start sweatin’ to the oldies (or hip-hop, Britney, or whatever you have loaded into your spanking-new iPod) here are a few tips for being the most courteous gym member around.