What would you suggest is the best way to deal with the people at the gym who come to work out early in the morning, but don’t feel it is necessary to clean their teeth or put on deodorant before they work out, then proceed to grunt and puff beside me? Yuck! Gross breath and pits!!!
Quit the gym and buy a treadmill.
If that’s not an option, I like to be passive-aggressive about it. The second he starts smelling up your space or making noises, sigh loudly, make a big show out of stopping your machine, gag a few times, and wave your hand in front of your nose while making a disgusted face. Act theatrically peeved about gathering up your stuff, glare at him, and walk to the same type of machine that’s near enough so he can see you but not close enough that you can smell him. Hopefully, the smelly bastard will get the hint.
Unfortunately, at my gym, I do this about 13 times a day and end up spending more time switching machines and shuffling my crap around than I actually spend working out.