Half of the adult population in the UK fail to take part in any sport or active recreation, according to a major new study.

Sport England, the organisation responsible for opening opportunities for people in sport, spoke to 363,724 people including a minimum of 1,000 in every local authority area, to ascertain exactly how active British adults are.

The results are more than a little disturbing, with just 21 per cent of all respondents meeting the recommended target of 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport or active recreation at least three times a week.

A measly 6.3 per cent are exercising every day, while 0.6 per cent have failed to do any moderate intensity sport or active recreation in the last month.

Derek Mapp, chair of Sport England, said: "The power of sport is immense, not just improving the health of the nation and helping to build communities, but because it is fun and makes us feel better both physically and mentally. We need to use these results to ensure that we reach out to more of those currently missing out on sport and its benefits."

Regional analysis reveals that those in the south-east are the most active, with 22.6 per cent of all adults in the area hitting the recommended target. The wooden spoon goes to the West Midlands, where only 19.3 per cent of adults meet the target.

The most popular recreational activity among British adults is unsurprisingly walking, with 20 per cent of adults taking a recreational walk for at least 30 minutes within the last four weeks. A further 13.8 per cent swim at least once a month while 10.5 per cent head down to their local gym.

A quarter of the adult population are also members of a sports club of some variety, representing a significant increase from 2002 when just 17 per cent were taking part in structured exercise of this nature.

The survey has also exposed concerns of a gender divide, with just 18.3 per cent of women regularly participating in sport and active recreation in comparison to 23.7 per cent of men.

And interestingly, three of the Olympic Boroughs – Greenwich, Waltham Forest and Newham – possess some of the lowest participation rates in the country. The eastern coast line has in fact emerged as a focus for Britain's inactivity, with the area from Northumberland to Kent notable for the lack of exercise taking place.

© Adfero Ltd