More than half of people working in the sport, leisure and fitness industry feel as though they have no opportunity for professional development, according to a study conducted by Public Health England.

The research, conducted by the governmental body in collaboration with Dr Amit Mistry, revealed that 56 per cent of professionals felt that they weren’t in a position to further their careers.

A substantial number of the 800+ workers who took part in the survey (44 per cent) earned less than £20,000 per year.

Unveiling a snapshot of the report which is due to be released to the public shortly, Dr Mistry told delegates at the Elevate Exhibition in London that as a result people working in the industry had lower perceived wellbeing that the average population.

Justin Varney, national lead for adult health, oversaw the piece or work with Dr Mistry after it emerged that sport was the sector with the third highest suicide rate in the UK.

Dr Mistry also said that survey participants had experienced more discrimination and bullying than NHS workers, but it was felt the NHS had more awareness around the issues than the sport, leisure and fitness sector.

Perhaps the most stark statistic presented was the level of physical activity workers in the sector engaged in.

According to the report, 64 per cent said that their job didn’t involve taking part in physical activity, while more than a quarter (27 per cent) didn’t comply with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) guidelines of taking part in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity outside of the workplace.