New research gathered in Britain has made some startling discoveries about the general health of its citizens as well as their attitude to fitness. Those who carried out the survey have described the figures as 'worrying'.

Almost half of adults in the UK admitted to getting out of breath when running for a bus, according to a new poll conducted by the British Heart Foundation which surveyed 2,000 people.

Less than half of those who participated in the survey said they could run up to half a mile, while under a third of those who claimed to be able to run a mile also said they had not attempted this in more than a decade.

Elsewhere, less than 30% said they believed that running was only appropriate for those who are already fit and healthy while some two-fifths told the survey they did not feel fit enough to join a gym.

A cardiac nurse from the BHF has since said:

''These statistics are concerning, and paint a worrying picture about the nation's fitness levels. Heart disease can affect anyone at any age, but keeping physically active is one of the best ways to help build a strong and healthy heart so we shouldn't ignore the benefits.''

The organisation has also said that heart and circulatory disease, affects around seven million people in the UK and is responsible for around 155,000 deaths each year.

As a result, the BHF is encouraging people to run the marathon distance of 26.2 miles over the duration of a month in order to stay fit.

''Running a marathon is no easy feat, but with the MyMarathon challenge you decide the place and the pace, so it's a great way for people of all fitness levels to get active and help support our vital research,'' says the BHF cardiac nurse.