5 excuses every man makes to avoid going to the gym

The accidental workout

The gym isn't just a place that people visit to workout - it's a state of mind. If you're as dedicated to personal fitness as we are at JOE, everywhere is the gym. Some days, we're so active pacing up and down the office or across the road to get a Frappuccino that we've already performed a tough cardio session without realising! Sometimes gym just happens.

The rest day

You were in WH Smith one lunchtime, reading not buying, and you spotted a story on the cover of a fitness magazine that reads 'Why resting is just as important as working out'. You didn't bother reading it (security were approaching), but you really, really took the sentiment to heart. You were going to go to the gym, but today is a rest day. And we all know how important they are...

Body dysmorphia

Body dysmorphia is a serious anxiety disorder that causes a person to have a distorted view of how they look. Sadly for a lot of blokes it can work the other way around. They can wake up of a morning, gut hanging over their trousers like an overdue food baby, and look in the mirror to see a muscular Adonis. By standing at an angle, breathing in and squinting, they fool themselves into thinking the gym isn't necessary today, when clearly that isn't true...

Wardrobe malfunction

Right - you're definitely going to go today. No matter what. Except...whilst you were packing your gym bag you realised that your favourite shorts were in the wash. Now you could pack your other shorts, but they aren't enhanced with climadry™ bum-pertening technology, nor do they have that mesh that cradles your balls so nicely. How can you possibly perform to your optimum levels without the correct equipment?

Wear and tear

One of the main disadvantages to being a finely-tuned athlete is the ever present risk of injury. Each muscle is honed to such perfection that it doesn't take much to strain or pull a vital fibre. As such, some days you'd love nothing more than a heavy gym session, but the slightest hint a niggle stops you in your tracks. Better safe than sorry and all that - you wouldn't see a professional training with an injury...