More than one in three people avoid donning their gym clothing and exercising during their working day for fear of returning to the office and looking sweaty in front of their colleagues, a study has revealed.

Research carried out by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) shows that 55 per cent of Brits spend more than half of their working day sitting down or standing still.

The study also found that 48 per cent eat lunch at their desks and 16 per cent feel pressurised to take a shorter break.

These findings were released to mark World Heart Day, which took place on Sunday (September 27th).

Lisa Purcell, project manager for the BHF's Health at Work Programme, said: "Embarrassment shouldn't prevent people from being healthy at work … the payoffs from even simple changes like taking a walk at lunchtime are too great to ignore."

Earlier this month, a piece in the Health and Fitness section of Hello! magazine's website claimed that the best time for people to exercise is in the morning before work, as it energises them for the day ahead.

Posted by Tina Wilson ADNFCR-2569-ID-800086308-ADNFCR

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