Landscapers Among the UK’s Fittest Trades, with 73% of Tradespeople Describing Themselves as Physically Fit

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

Citroën surveyed 1000 UK tradespeople, from general builders to landscapers, on their fitness levels and how their job impacted their exercising habits, including the number of heavy items lifted per day, as well as the number of steps and 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 that eating healthy was important to them, with tilers, bricklayers and plumbers typically having over two healthy meals a day.

73% would consider themselves to be 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, with 77% of respondents saying they like the level of physical exercise their job gives them, and 65% say they go to the gym at least once a week outside of work. 28% of bricklayers surveyed go to gym most days, the highest of any trade, whilst landscapers, bricklayers and roofers spent more than four hours exercising outside of work per week. 

The research comes as part of Citroën’s partnership with England Athletics, the development body for grassroots running and athletics in the UK, as well as its official charity partner, the Personal Best Foundation, to encourage physical activity for children and young people across the country.

In the survey, tradespeople were found to typically travel 143 miles a week for work. The Citroën ë-Berlingo delivers up to 213 miles of range (WLTP combined cycle) and is able to charge from 0-80% in just 30 minutes using a 100kW DC rapid charger. Ë-Berlingo can also fitted with a new bi-directional on-board charger as an option, supporting Vehicle-to-Load capability.

Across trades, comfort was high priority when looking at buying a new van as nearly a quarter of tradespeople spend between five and six hours sat in their van waiting, with nearly a third of those surveyed often left feeling stiff as a result. Comfort is a priority for Citroën and even its van range is committed to providing comfort to all passengers through Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® seats. Tilers in particular valued cargo capacity when looking for a new van, with 42% highlighting it as a priority, while 33% of all tradespeople told Citroën they carry a set of dumbbells in their van with them day to day in case they have a spare moment for exercise. Available with two or three seats and in two lengths (M – 4.40m, and XL – 4.75m) for all versions, Berlingo van has a total capacity of up to 4.40m3 and a payload of 982kg (759kg for the electric version).

Greg Taylor, Managing Director, Citroën UK, said: “This latest research from Citroën highlights how fit tradespeople are, and how much they value a healthy lifestyle. Citroën has always been a partner of tradespeople, providing a range of accessible and comfortable models that are suited to every drivers need.”

Citroën is committed to providing practical and accessible solutions in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) sector, offering four vehicles under £30,000*. Prices for ë-Berlingo start from just £26,455 inclusive of the Government PiVG**. Citroën ë-Berlingo van is manufactured at Ellesmere Port, the UK’s first electric vehicle-only (EV) volume manufacturing plant. Citroën, alongside its sister Stellantis brands, is the only brand to manufacture volume light commercial vehicles in the UK.

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* Basic Manufacturers Recommended Retail Price (MRRP)

** The Government PiVG is worked out at 35% of the Base Vehicle Price (incl. VAT) and including any discounts applied up to a maximum of £2,500

*** Commissioned survey conducted by OnePoll of 1000 UK tradespeople, September 2025