BRITONS spend twice as long on the toilet every week as they do exercising, a poll suggests.

Adults clock up an average of three hours and nine minutes on their loos every week - but spend just 90 minutes being active.

In fact, more than a quarter (26 per cent) of people exercise for 30 minutes or less each week, the survey showed.

And overall, almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of Britons sit down for at least six hours a day.

The poll of 2,000 adults for the not-for-profit body UKactive, also revealed that only 12 per cent of people know how much exercise is needed for good health.

The NHS recommends that adults do 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise, such as cycling, swimming or brisk walking.

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

But it seems that social media can motivate younger people to exercise, although it has less influence on older age groups.

While 28 per cent of all age groups said seeing friends or celebrities post exercise shots or videos on Instagram had no impact on their motivation to exercise, 41 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds 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 inbalance."

According to UKactive, a lack of exercise claims 37,000 lives each year and costs the UK £20 billion.

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 September 27 aims to get a million people moving, with free exercise sessions available.

Read more: