The amount of time Britons spend on the loo is double the time they take to exercise, says a new survey.

It found Britons clock up an average of three hours and nine minutes on their loos every week and only 90 minutes being active.

More than a quarter (26%) exercise for 30 minutes or less each week, the survey showed.

Overall, nearly two-thirds (64%) of Britons sit down for at least six hours a day.

Two thousand adults were polled for the not-for-profit UKactive and it was also revealed that only 12% of people know how much exercise is required to maintain good health.


Adults should do 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise, such as cycling, swimming or brisk walking, the NHS recommends.

The poll also found the greatest barriers to exercise were busy working lives (cited by one in five people), followed by family commitments (cited by 18% of women and 12% of men).

Image: Britons say busy lives prevent them from exercising

Social media can motivate younger people to exercise, although it has less influence on older age groups.

While 28% of all age groups said friends and celebrities positing pictures on Instagram of them exercising did not motivate them to get active, 41% of 18-24-year-old said it had a positive effect.

Steven Ward, chief executive of UKactive, said: "Humans are made to move, but modern living has stripped physical activity out of our lives to the point where we pass more time spending a penny than we do getting sweaty.

"The major health concern here is our lack of exercise, but things like poor diet, lack of exertion and our tendency to play on smartphones in the bathroom are all other factors that are driving this imbalance."

UKactive says a lack of exercise claims 37,000 lives each year and costs the UK £20bn.

Professor Sir Muir Gray, chief knowledge officer to the NHS, said: "Physical inactivity is society's silent killer and even short bouts of being sedentary can lead to deadly diseases.

"People often think exercise is only for young people, but older adults are the people who stand to gain most from the mental, social and physical benefits of being active."

National Fitness Day on 27 September aims to get a million people active with free exercise sessions on offer.