To workout, or not to workout

Even the best intentions can be ruined by even better excuses. Here are the top 10 given for not going to the gym and how you can beat them.

I\'m too tired

One of the most frequently used excuses for giving the gym a miss has to be tiredness. It seems that after a stressful day in the office, the last thing we want to do after battling our way home is to bounce off to the gym. Curling up on the sofa with a glass of wine is much more appealing.

I have work commitments

Blame it on work! Yes apparently long working hours and hectic schedules make it harder to squeeze in the gym, and then there is the crucial after-work socialising, of course.

I\'ll go tomorrow

An oldie but a goody, the classic excuse for many who put off going to the gym until the next day - or the day after, or next week, or the following month...

I feel too fat

Feeling \'too fat to exercise\' creates a vicious circle for a lot of people. But who isn\'t put off by the thought of showing up at the gym a little flabby in baggy tracksuit bottoms and facing the lycra-clad, toned beauties?

I haven\'t shaved

Believe it or not avoiding the gym because they haven\'t shaved their legs is the get out excuse for many. When working out, image is everything. And there may just be a few good-looking instructors.

I slept with my personal trainer

Impressively there are those who avoid the gym because they have slept with their fitness instructors and are too embarrassed to face them. You know who you are.

I have exercised already

There are just so many activities that cancel out the need to go to the gym. Housework, sex, walking to the shops, walking up stairs, picking up the remote control...

I haven\'t eaten enough

Some people claim that not having enough food stops them from going to the gym, although we might say it is the opposite scenario that causes the problem!

I have a headache

The very word \'gym\' triggers an illness for some; a headache can be brought on by the mere thought of going there!

My colleagues go there

And finally, the humiliation of pedalling an exercise bike next to your boss is clearly too much for some of us.

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Check out Zest and netdoctor.co.uk for more health tips