Fittest And Laziest City In The UK Revealed In Survey Of Our Exercise Habits

Oxford has been named the UK's fittest city in a new survey of the nation's exercise habits.

Almost three quarters (74%) of residents in the university city workout at the gym at least once per week.

At the opposite end of the scale, Newcastle has been branded as the laziest city in Britain with only a fifth (20%) of Geordies exercising once per week or more.

The survey of 2,000 UK residents was conducted by supplement brand Adapt Nutrition.

Manchester came in as the second fittest city in the UK, with 65% of residents claiming to visit the gym at least once per week.

But Liverpool came in a close third place with 63% of Liverpudlians working out once each week or more.

According to the NHS, adults should complete at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, as well as completing strength exercises on two or more days per week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).

But judging by the survey results, a lot of Brits are falling short of the recommendations.

Although Newcastle was found to be the least fit city, it was closely followed by Southampton, where only 23% of people complete weekly exercise.

Sheffield came in third from the bottom with 28% of people hitting the gym during the week.

Here's a roundup of the results:

The UK’s Top Five Fittest Cities:

Oxford

Manchester

Liverpool

Birmingham

Leeds

The UK’s Least Fit Cities:

Newcastle

Southampton

Sheffield

Glasgow

Wolverhampton

According to The Independent, Adam Dickinson, founder of Adapt Nutrition commented: "What I find particularly interesting from the research is how we’re seeing northern cities taking the lead in the health and fitness stakes.

"I am partly putting this down to the rise in fitness trends and classes such as Cross Fit, a trend which is much bigger in the North West, and is attracting a new wave of fitness fanatics.

"The survey revealed some interesting data surrounding knowledge of sports nutrition, and again, it was northern cities which came out on top. When asked if they knew what a macro-nutrients were, only 13% of residents in London said yes, compared with one in four in Liverpool."

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Fitness and Health Myths You Need to Stop Believing

"I have to spend at least one hour in the gym to see results."(01 of05)

Holland feels that this is one of the most misunderstood aspects of exercise. “This myth actually plays into the No. 1 reason people cite for not exercising, namely lack of time,” he said. “There is now significant research indicating that smaller bouts of exercise done throughout the day can yield big results.” He also explained that even breaking 30 minutes of activity into three separate 10-minute sessions throughout the day can produce the same effect. “Even one- to two-minute, short bursts of exercise have significant value over time,” he added. Photo Credit: ShutterstockClick Here to See More Fitness and Health Myths You Need to Stop Believing

"I’m exercising, so I can eat whatever I want."(02 of05)

“Research has shown that combining healthy eating and diet is the ‘secret’ to losing weight and keeping it off long term,” Holland said. “Burning a few hundred calories through exercise and reducing caloric intake by a few hundred each day will lead to one to two pounds of weight lost per week—a realistic and sustainable goal.”Photo Credit: Shutterstock

"If I eat organic or gluten-free, I’ll lose weight."(03 of05)

“Many food companies have made making healthy food choices increasingly difficult over the past few decades with increasingly bold, and often confusing, marketing tactics,” Holland explained. “Just because a product is advertised as healthy does not necessarily mean it is.” He suggests that you always read labels carefully and choose foods that have the least number of ingredients. Also, aim to buy products made with ingredients that you recognize. “Look for total calories, and try to choose foods that are the least processed and in their most natural state,” he said.Photo Credit: ShutterstockClick Here to See More Fitness and Health Myths You Need to Stop Believing

"I can get great abs with lots of crunches."(04 of05)

Holland debunks this myth in plain and simple terms: “You cannot ‘spot-reduce’ and ‘tell’ your body where to get rid of fat stores by doing exercises that target that region.” He explained that yes, crunches will help to strengthen your abdominal muscles, but ab exercises alone will not result in belly fat reduction. “In order to flatten your stomach, you need to decrease your overall body fat percentage along with the fat layer,” Holland said. “This comes from a combination of healthy eating and doing regular cardiovascular exercise.”Photo Credit: Shutterstock

"Exercise is more important than diet."(05 of05)

When it comes to achieving true health and fitness success, Holland stressed the importance of incorporating both exercise and diet into your daily routine. One isn’t necessarily more important than the other. It’s important to create a balance that includes both. “Trying to achieve weight loss through either diet or exercise alone is extremely difficult, and it’s also one of the main barriers to achieving your health and fitness goals,” Holland said.Click Here to See Fitness and Health Myths You Need to Stop BelievingPhoto Credit: Shutterstock

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