Not fit for purpose! Estate agency is UK's least active profession

This may not be a great way to start the week but a survey suggests that estate agents are Britain’s least active - and most unfit - professionals.

Analysis by healthcare firm AXA PPP shows that estate agents are engaged in some form of physical exercise for a mere 42 minutes a day. 

This contrasts with farmers - perhaps unsurprisingly the most active profession - who recorded two hours and 44 minutes of exercise per day. Even apparently desk-bound IT workers managed one hour and 58 minutes.

Having looked at 18 professional groups, AXA PPP says the all-UK workforce average for physical exercise is one hour and 23 minutes per day, with men squeezing in a quarter of an hour more activity a day than women - one hour 31 against one hour 16, respectively on average. 

As with so many of these surveys, much comes down to definition. For example, three quarters of all those questioned from the 18 categories claimed their commute counted as physical activity. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 48 per cent of those surveyed say the main benefit of working-out is to control their weight. But the reasons for exercising appear to be more than just physical – over two-fifths of those surveyed say it’s for stress-relief and 40 per cent claim it improves their mental health. 

Of those not working out on a regular basis, a third blame a lack of time and a quarter claim they’re too tired after work; 22 per cent use the weather as an excuse.

Some 37 per cent claimed walking the dog counted as serious exercise - and 24 per cent said the same about having sex. 

Here’s the full list of professions measured by the survey:

1. Agriculture / farming – 2 hours 44 minutes;
2. IT – 1 hour 58 minutes;
3. Hospitality – 1 hour 40 minutes;
4. Construction – 1 hour 26 minute;
5. Law – 1 hour 25 minutes;
6. Healthcare – 1 hour 23 minutes;
7. Manufacturing – 1 hour 22 minutes;
8. Retail – 1 hour 22 minutes;
9. Marketing / advertising / PR – 1 hour 21 minutes
10. Finance – 1 hour 20 minutes;
11. Education – 1 hour 17 minutes;
12. Transport – 1 hour 16 minutes;
13. Recruitment – 1 hour 13 minutes;
14. Charity – 1 hour 12 minutes;
15. Arts & recreation – 1 hour 7 minutes;
16. Media & journalism – 1 hour 7 minutes;
17. Public sector – 1 hour;
18. Property / estate agents – 42 minutes.