Who has the fittest job in London?

The next time you're on the train going home, bemoaning the fact that your sedentary desk job is leaving you out of shape, remember that a huge number of Londoners actually get fit while they work - and none of them has a job in a gym.

So who's the healthiest staying on their feet all day? Can a gardener or nanny compete on level terms with a nightclub dancer? And what about someone like a traffic warden or waitress - can walking around all day transform their fitness levels?

We asked six women working in the capital whether they thought their job kept them fit - and then put them through a rigorous assessment at a leading London gym to see whether they were as fit as they thought they were ...

The dancer

Natalie Smith, 34, is a podium dancer for the club Twice As Nice. She is single and lives in Cheshunt, Herts.

Natalie says: "I qualified as a ballet teacher when I was 21, but since then I've been a club dancer - I dance on stage or on a podium for two or three hours a night, three times a week. I also do some dancing on TV and teach ballet a couple of times a week.

"I would say that I'm as fit as I was when I left ballet school and don't feel the need to go to a gym. My form of dance is "freestyle", which incorporates jazz, ballet and funk, so it's pretty energetic stuff. Dancing intensely for around 40 minutes at a time is very strenuous yet I never feel puffed."

Blood pressure 10
Lung function 7
Resting pulse rate 10
Nutritional habits 7
Cardiovascular fitness: Rowing machine 9
Leg press 8
Bench press 10
Grip strength 10
Sit-ups 8
Step test 10
TOTAL: 89
Verdict: Excellent.

Hayden says: "Natalie is strong and fit. The nature of her work favoured our test conditions and shows her ability to perform at high levels of intensity and recover quickly.

"She could focus on her hydration, nutrition and body biomechanics. She portrayed the typical characteristics of a dancer - no heel/toe action, inverted feet, a typical ballet stance - and a pelvic girdle tilt that could lead to back, shoulder and knee problems. These can be dealt with, so she can continue her career with the prospect of good health and fitness."

The waitress

Katie Reynolds, 29, is a bar manager and waitress at The Social, an Islington restaurant. She is single and lives in Chalk Farm.

Katie says: "I would say that an eight-hour shift running up and down stairs, backwards and forwards, taking orders and serving customers, keeps you pretty fit.

"Working evening shifts is a good way to eat well but stay slim - I'm given a big meal at around 6.30pm when I arrive for work, then I am constantly running around burning off calories.

"I go to the gym three times a week for relaxation rather than to keep up my fitness levels. I know that I'm aerobically fit and I can lift a crate of beer pretty easily, so I'm strong too. My one vice is that I smoke - and I always have a few drinks after work."

Blood pressure 10
Lung function 6
Resting pulse rate 7
Nutritional habits 2
Cardiovascular fitness: Rowing machine 3
Leg press 5
Bench press 5
Grip strength 4
Sit-ups 8
Step test 6
TOTAL: 56
Verdict: Average. Needs attention now before it is too late.

Hayden says: "Katie did quite well. Most of her results were OK, but the nutrition and cardio-vascular performance knocked her score back. Her working environment - having alcohol easily available - and being a smoker means she has to work extra hard on her health. Fitness-wise, she is a good average, but health-wise she is at risk, due to the combination of alcohol and tobacco in her system."

The nanny

Kylie Tofts, 23, is a daily nanny who looks after two-year-old Milo and Daisy, eight months. She lives in Fulham with her boyfriend, David.

Kylie says: "I work a nine-hour day, which involves plenty of picking up and carrying children, climbing up and down stairs, walking everywhere while pushing a buggy carrying the baby and Milo standing on the board.

"I spend about 30-45 minutes playing football, hide-and-seek and catch (while holding Daisy) and lifting the children onto swings and pushing them. There's more walking and pushing to and from Milo's nursery school in the afternoon.

"I would say that my fitness is at a reasonable level as I don't feel as if I'm struggling to get through the day."

Blood pressure 5
Lung function 6
Resting pulse rate 4
Nutritional habits 5
Cardiovascular fitness: Rowing machine 8
Leg press 10
Bench press 10
Grip strength 10
Sit-ups 10
Step test 8
TOTAL: 76
Verdict: Good - and can improve.

Hayden says: "Kylie scored very well overall and has a good level of fitness. She gave a 100 per cent effort in every test and showed determination, factors that are often tested when working with youngsters. Perhaps the demands of children keep her on her toes all day. Fitting in a conventional fitness regime would improve her levels considerably, though."

The parking warden

Denice Tulloch, 23, is a parking enforcement officer who works in the City of London.

She is single and lives in Hackney. Denice says: "I've been doing this job for seven months and I am constantly walking, covering five or six miles a day. I go to the gym twice a week, which helps my stamina levels, and I do modern dance, which keeps me supple. I have plenty of energy and never feel tired after my work."

Blood pressure 5
Lung function 10
Resting pulse rate 4
Nutritional habits 3
Cardiovascular fitness: Rowing machine 3
Leg press 8
Bench press 8
Grip strength 9
Sit-ups 9
Step test 5
TOTAL: 64
Verdict: Average. Needs attention before it is too late.

Hayden says: "Denice has excellent strength and flexibility but her fitness levels have dropped, while poor nutrition has crept up and affected her total score.

"Although her work demands that she is on her feet most of the day, it is very paced and her body has adapted to a slow, continual walk - not an effective form of fitness. She has a perfect opportunity to improve within her working hours by power-walking for 40 minutes twice a day to supplement her gym routine. This would dramatically affect her fitness and overall health."

The firefighter

Lara Roberts, 33, is married to Ian, who is also a firefighter. They live with their six-year-old daughter, Jessica, in Godstone, Surrey.

Lara says: "I've been in the fire service for 12 years and I'd say that I'm pretty fit; I can run faster than a lot of the men, but I'm not sure that I'm as strong as them.

"Activity on 'shouts' tends to be in short bursts of around half an hour. Our patch has lots of tower blocks, so there's plenty of running up and down flights of stairs, often with full breathing apparatus, which weighs 20kg. It's a stressful, dangerous and incredibly exciting job, which is perfect for someone who wants to keep really fit."

Blood pressure 10
Lung function 10
Resting pulse rate 10
Nutritional habits 7
Cardiovascular fitness: Rowing machine 10
Leg press 10
Chest press 10
Grip strength 10
Sit-ups 9
Step test 10
TOTAL: 96
Verdict: Excellent.

Hayden says: "You would expect a firefighter to be fit, but Lara scored brilliantly on all aspects of our tests. She has some knee problems stemming from either the hip or the ankle, and this has slightly affected the alignment of her shoulder. But with some work to correct this, she will continue to be one of the strongest and fittest firefighters in London."

The gardener

Julie Willis, 31, works for The Corporation of London as a craft gardener in the Golders Hill area of Hampstead Heath. She is single and lives in Friern Barnet.

Julie says: "I'm working outdoors all the time, all year round. The area I work in covers 40 acres, so there's plenty of digging London's heavy clay soil, planting, carrying bags of compost, walking and sweeping, sometimes for three hours at a time. Then there's sawing, mulching and driving a tractor.

"It's a very strenuous job and makes you strong, although I'm not sure how good my aerobic fitness would be.

"Being outdoors in all weathers really keeps you fit and alert, both physically and mentally."

Blood pressure 10
Lung function 8
Resting pulse rate 5
Nutritional habits 6
Cardiovascular fitness: Rowing machine 6
Leg press 9
Bench press 9
Grip strength 10
Sit-ups 10
Step test 10
TOTAL: 83
Verdict: Great - and can improve.

Hayden says: "I can imagine that Julie's job is physically challenging. She eats relatively well throughout the day, sleeps well and enjoys her work. Overall, her lifestyle habits are excellent. She put 100 per cent effort into everything she did and was not afraid to push her limits."

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How our expert measured their physical strength