Workout beats a pint, say bosses

The gym beats the pub for over-worked executives trying to relax at the end of a busy day, a new report shows today.

The gym or sport were the most popular ways to switch off with one in four - 25 per cent - choosing these methods. They were closely followed by outdoor pursuits such as walking or fishing according to the survey of 500 small firms by Alliance & Leicester Business Banking.

The report also showed that people at bigger companies were more likely to go to the gym. Time with the family was also important - and was rated third most popular activity at 23 per cent. There is still a proportion of business owners, however, who like to go to the pub - 22 per cent - or watch TV - 19 per cent. Other favourite activities included reading at 13 per cent, gardening at 3per cent and the cinema or theatre at 2 per cent.

Small business owners in Wales and the Midlands are 50 per cent more likely to spend their free time at the pub than in the South - 27 per cent to 18 per cent. Small firm bosses in the North are also more likely to watch TV than in the South - 22 per cent compared to 17 per cent. And golf proved to be unpopular with only one per cent of small business owners playing it. DIY also had a limited appeal with only three per cent expressing any interest in renovating their homes.