THE numbers of health conscious adults in Exmouth and across East Devon who now play sport has risen.

THE numbers of health conscious adults in Exmouth and across East Devon who now play sport has risen.

In Exmouth between October 2009 and October approximately 3,500 of the town’s 23,000 over 18s played sport at least three times a week - up from just over 3000 the previous year.

This equates to at least 12 sessions of moderate intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes over 28 days.

Across East Devon the numbers also rose from just over 12,000 to 13,500.

The research published by Sport England shows that across England 6,938,000 adults are participating regularly in sport, continuing the slow but steady increase in participation numbers seen over the past five years.

Other key findings from the Active People Survey 4 for the South West also show record numbers contributing at least one hour a week to volunteering in sport

The national figures paint a mixed picture of progress in grassroots sport, with strong growth in running and cycling but a decline in other major sports, including football and swimming.

The past 12 months have also been a tough period for sports that are costly and time-consuming such as golf, sailing and skiing.

There has been a marked drop in participation in these activities among men aged between 35 and 44, a key period of economic productivity in most people’s lives.

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “It would be fair to describe today’s results as a mixed bag. It’s good to see a wide range of sports – from individual pursuits like running to small team sports like lacrosse - demonstrating that, with the right approach, increasing grassroots participation is a realistic ambition.

“What is concerning, however, is that a number of major sports have yet to deliver, despite significant levels of investment. They now urgently need to demonstrate their ability to grow participation in their sport and prove they can make a significant contribution to sport at the grassroots level.”