Greeks get most of their exercise through housework and walking rather than any concerted effort to keep fit, medical research has shown.

Most Greek women (98 percent) devote 28 hours per week to housework, while 60 percent of men spend five hours on household chores, according to research conducted by the University of Athens Medical School on 28,030 adults.

The study also showed that 93.6 percent of men walk 6.5 hours per week with 95.8 percent of women walking five hours a week.

Gardening is a popular pastime with 47.4 percent of men and 61.6 percent of women reporting an active interest. But only 37 percent of men and 29.4 percent of women claimed to pursue an active hobby like aerobics, swimming or tennis.