Image: iStock.

There are many reasons we can think of for not exercising. Feeling exhausted. Not enough time. Injuries, even. But according to a recent report, the fear of being judged when exercising is enough to put millions of women off getting active altogether.

The research, commissioned by the Commons’ Health Select Committee in the UK, revealed that the fear of being ridiculed for being sweaty or out of breath is the main reason women don’t exercise.

And shockingly, girls as young as 10 are now refusing to participate in PE classes because of body image fears.

According to the report, some women have taken to running in secret on treadmills because they are too ashamed to do it in public.

According to the report, women are now keeping fit by exercising in their sheds. Image via iStock

The fact that women are choosing not to exercise because they feel self-conscious is deeply saddening. How did we get to this point?

According one woman who was interviewed for the report, Julie Creffield, feeling self-conscious while exercising and the lack of clothing options available for larger women, has affected her workout regime hugely.

Related: This mother’s bikini photo has gone viral, and the reason why will make you cheer.

"When I looked online for information, there was lots about weight loss and running but nothing about running just as an overweight person, the psychological aspects of that and how tough it is when you are constantly shouted at, laughed at and clothes in fitness stores don’t fit you... It feels like the whole sport is not geared up for you."

Famous women who love their bodies (post continues after gallery).

Rebel Wilson

The actress said on Twitter; "I'm not trying to be hot. I'm just trying to be a good actress and entertain people." Image via @rebelwilson

Adele"The first thing to do is be happy with yourself and appreciate your body - only then should you try to change things about yourself." Image via Getty

Lady Gaga

After the media focused on her alleged weight gain in September 2012, Gaga hit back at critics by baring her body in photographs, sharing her struggles with an eating disorder, and inviting her fans to join her in a "body revolution"/ Image via @ladygaga

Ashley Judd

After the March 2012 frenzy around Judd's "puffy face" the actress fought back in 'The Daily Beast', calling the media out for making women's bodies "a source of speculation, ridicule, and invalidation, as if they belong to others". Image via @ashley_judd

Christina Aguilera

"I am always in support of someone who is willing and comfortable in their own skin enough to embrace it," the singer said in a recent interview. Image via @xtina

Lena Dunham

At the 2012 New Yorker Festival, the magazine's TV critic, Emily Nussbaum, asked Lena Dunham, producer, creator and star of the hit HBO show 'Girls' why Dunham is naked in so many scenes. Dunham responded; "I realised that what was missing in movies for me was the presence of bodies I understood." She said she plans to live until she is 105 and show her thighs every day. Image via @lenadunham

Alexa Chung

Chung responded to critics who suggested that her slight frame made her a bad role model for young women, saying: "Just because I exist in this shape doesn't mean that I'm, like, advocating it." Image via Twitter @alexa_chung

Stella BoonshoftThe NYU student started the amazing Body Love Blog, where she posted this picture of herself and wrote an open letter to those who feel entitled to shame others for the size or look of their bodies. Image via http://thebodyloveblog.tumblr.com"> Body Love Blog

Beth Ditto

This five-foot-tall, 200-pound singer spoke openly about her weight to 'The Advocate' saying, "I feel sorry ... for people who've had skinny privilege and then have it taken away from them. I have had a lifetime to adjust to seeing how people treat women who aren't their idea of beautiful and therefore aren't their idea of useful, and I had to find ways to become useful to myself." Image via @marybethditto

And it's not isolated to the UK, one of the main reasons Australian women aren't exercising is because of body image fears, and 54 per cent of women in Australia don’t meet the recommended guidelines of 30 minutes of physical activity a day.

We're sure that we don't have to tell you that not getting enough exercise is detrimental to your health. It's common knowledge that physical inactivity has become the greatest health risk factor for women over 30 – posing more of a threat than smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.

RELATED:Is #Fitspo 2015’s most dangerous body image movement?

Research released in May 2014 by the University of Queensland revealed that women who don’t get the recommended amount of exercise are at the greatest risk of heart disease, Australia’s biggest killer.

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