The latest research from HAFOS (the Health and Fitness Omnibus Survey) – carried out by Leisure-net Solutions and supported by SIBEC – was revealed at the annual SIBEC UK forum, held at The De Vere Belfry in Warwickshire.

The bi-annual survey, which questioned a sample of more than 1000 consumers, focused on the role of GPs and health trainers in promoting the health agenda.

The findings revealed that most people do not visit their local doctors' surgery very often – only 15 per cent visit four times or more in a year, with 47 per cent not visiting at all in the previous 12 months. People will only visit when they are ill, so most will not get general health advice from their GP or nurse and for those who do, it’s arguably too late.

Most people (78 per cent) who have visited their surgery lately said that exercise was not raised as an issue. However, most people (71 per cent) who are advised to do more exercise by their GP or nurse are motivated to start, or continue, exercising and two thirds of the sample said that they would use a health club or leisure centre if advised to do so by their GP or nurse.

The majority of respondents had not heard about the government initiative to use health trainers to promote and support people to lead more healthy lives, but more than two thirds said that advice from such a source would be helpful.

Nearly half of the sample said the best place to get such advice would be at a leisure centre and/or health club

Mike Hill, managing director of Leisure-net Solutions, said: “This research shows how important and powerful the impact of health trainers could be if they are trained properly and used effectively.

"It appears that people would feel most comfortable getting advice from them in leisure centres and health clubs, and this may reach far more people than working through GPs and other health professionals.

"There is a big opportunity for the sector here if leisure centres and health clubs can convince their local PCTs and GPs to work hand in hand with them.”