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11 0118 989 7570 Get back to the gym T here are certainly plenty of excuses for not going to the gym, but are any of them actually valid? Perhaps you don't have the time, you're bored with the gym or you've suffered an injury and think you'd better avoid the place – sorry, not good enough! For those of you who think you just don't have the time to visit the gym – think again. There's always enough time, it only has to take one hour out of your day three times a week. Rethink the time of day you visit the gym, if you normally go after work why not pop down during your lunch break, or first thing in the morning? As Paul Hurley, Fitness Manager at Pulse 8, explained: " People don't realise that a workout is just as important as a check- up at the doctor's or a visit to the dentist. Treat a trip to the gym the way you would an appointment – that way you're more likely to go." If you're bored with your workout routine something's probably wrong. No one expects you to repeat the same old workout time after time. Variety is the key when it comes to exercise for both your body and mind. The body adapts to exercise very quickly, so if you repeat the same routine for months on end, you'll reach a plateau stage and won't benefit from it any longer – never mind the fact that you'll probably be bored to tears! " Every time I visit the gym I change my workout slightly, whether it's the number of sit- ups I do or the speed of the treadmill, that way it's never the same and I don't get bored," said Paul. " Injury can put people off the gym," Paul explained. " However, a lot of the time exercise can be tailored to help the recovery process." For example, if you have a bad back, inactivity could be making the problem worse; you'd be better off following a programme of rehabilitation- based exercises. But you do need to seek the advice of your GP and a fitness instructor before exercising with or following an injury.