Landscapers among the UK’s fittest trade: study

Nearly 75% of tradespeople surveyed described themselves as ‘fit’, while 88% say they find their job to be physically demanding

New research by Citroën has found that landscapers are some of the UK’s fittest tradespeople, walking on average 12,274 steps daily, with 81% walking up to 20,000 steps daily.

Citroën surveyed 1,000 UK tradespeople, from general builders to landscapers, on their fitness levels and how their jobs impacted their exercise habits.

The results included the number of heavy items lifted per day, the number of steps taken, and the number of healthy meals eaten. Points were awarded for the categories to establish the fittest trade, with landscapers coming out on top. 

The research found that 89% of the tradespeople surveyed said eating healthy was important, with tilers, bricklayers and plumbers typically having over two nutritious meals daily.

73% would consider themselves fit, while over 80% say they consider their day-to-day jobs to be a form of fitness. 88% of tradespeople went on to say that they find their job to be physically demanding—a figure that rises to 94% of builders and 100% of roofers. 

The new survey highlighted the importance of fitness for tradespeople. 77% of respondents said they like the level of physical exercise their job gives them, and 65% said they go to the gym at least once a week outside of work.

28% of bricklayers surveyed go to the gym most days, the highest percentage of any trade, while landscapers, bricklayers, and roofers spend more than four hours exercising outside of work per week. 

In the survey, tradespeople were found to travel 143 miles a week for work. Across trades, comfort was a high priority when buying a new van, as nearly a quarter of tradespeople spend between five and six hours sitting in their van waiting, and nearly a third of those surveyed often left feeling stiff as a result. 

Tilers in particular valued cargo capacity when looking for a new van, with 42% highlighting it as a priority. In comparison, 33% of tradespeople said they carry a set of dumbbells in their van daily in case they have a spare moment for exercise.

The top fittest trades:

1. Landscaper – 34 points

2. Plumber – 32 points

3. Carpenter – 25 points

4. Plasterer – 20 points

5. Bricklayer – 19 points

6. General builder – 19 points

7. Electrician – 18 points

8. Painter & Decorator – 13 points