But those of us who get down the gym are getting busy in the bedroom…

Research released today reveals the best benefits of getting down to the gym. Nearly half of the respondents (44%) said they look and feel sexier after a workout and for 15% of the nation the biggest carrot of all is that it boosts their libido!

The not so good news is that nearly half of all Brits (43%) blame the demands of the workplace for stopping them going to the gym to look after their own personal health and appearance, adding to the government’s current health and obesity crisis

A further 33% use the family as an excuse for skipping the gym. This trend is further indication that we are increasingly turning into a stressed out and obese nation of ‘gym flunkies’.

Conducted by LA Fitness, the survey of over 2,000 people also worryingly reveals when we are feeling low, and the stresses of modern life are really getting to us, a huge 58% are even less likely to go the gym, ignoring the fact it could be just the remedy we need.

When we do get to the gym, almost two thirds of us (63%) proclaim that we love the feeling of wellbeing we get after a workout – with even a fifth of us going so far as to say we love the endorphin rush post workout suggesting we have the potential to be a nation of gym junkies if only work and family matters didn’t get in our way.

Mo Shapiro, an independent psychologist and author who has years of experience examining the link between healthy minds and bodies, analysed the results and commented; “For many people, the commitment needed to look after their health and wellbeing has deep rooted psychological implications. This provokes the person to think about issues such as the need to take accountability of their own health and well-being, the commitments required to achieve this, and the consequences of investing time, effort and money needed to take action, or conversely the guilt of not taking action!

“In many cases the main psychological barrier is believing we do not having enough time, such as being too caught up with work or family commitments, which in effect dissolves our responsibility from taking action. This conflict of interests can lead to stress which can in turn lead to negative effects in the both the boardroom and bedroom.

“To increase the chance of turning a New Year’s Fitness Resolution into a habit that will have a lasting and positive impact on a person’s health and wellbeing, people need to make a psychological commitment and explore the following areas and solutions:

“By saying I am too busy with work or family commitments, I’m really saying I am not worth it … and I need to make my wellbeing a priority.

Focusing too much on work and family and not enough on myself is a false economy – I am very good at looking after other people – but simply not myself. If I was my own best friend I know I would advise myself to invest in my health and go to the gym.

I need to work out what motivates me to go to the gym – and what my personal ‘gain’ factors are, such as the increased fitness and change of body shape, or reducing my personal ‘pain’ factors such as tiredness and poor concentration levels.”

Another huge advantage for gym goers is the quality of sleep regular exercise generates – one in three people say they sleep much better after exercising, and 1 in 10 admit that the benefit they love most about working out is they can eat as much as they like.

Not surprisingly it would seem that men have different motivations for attending the gym. 14 times as many men as women admitted their gym use was motivated by the ability to eye up other gym goers. The survey also revealed:

·52% use the gym for health and fitness improvement

·28% use the gym for weight loss

·16% of people use the gym to relax and escape

·8% of people would rather go to the pub than to the gym

·12% would rather spend time with their friends than go to the gym

Ros Saunderson, Fitness Co-ordinator at LA Fitness, comments, “People who have taken the decision to join a gym are on the first steps towards achieving a healthier lifestyle and we are committed to helping them achieve this by providing quality advice, tailored programmes and cash incentives to motivate people to attend and help turn initial New Year enthusiasm into a life changing habit.”

LA Fitness is offering a positive incentive to help new members achieve their New Years resolutions in 2007. Those new members who go to the gym twice a week for eight consecutive weeks will be rewarded with a refund of one month’s membership.

To find out more about how LA Fitness can help you improve your health, simply log on to www.lafitness.com or call 08700 675 747.