The Chancellor is being urged to introduce tax breaks on gym memberships and home fitness equipment.

Health experts are calling for the expansion of the “Cycle to work” scheme - which offers bikes as tax-free benefits - to a range of activities, in order to boost Britain’s activity levels.

Research has found that sitting for eight hours a day could increase the risk of premature death by up to 60 per cent. The Lancet study found that one hour’s activity daily could offset the potential harm of a day spent at the desk.

But almost one in four adults in England fail to achieve even half an hour of activity a week.

In a letter to Philip Hammond, ahead of the budget, fitness experts and leading figures in the health sector called on the Treasury to introduce perks which might spur workers to take more exercise.