PEOPLE in Southampton are becoming more active, Sport England's annual survey shows.

The governing body has hailed record levels of physical activity and sports participation across the country, but said more needed to be done to improve access for poorer people.

As part of its annual Active Lives survey, 450 Southampton residents were asked about their exercise habits.

Of these, 62.9 per cent said they did at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week – the threshold for an 'active' lifestyle.

This was a slight improvement on the 61.7 per cent who said they were active when the survey started three years ago.

A further 15 per cent said they were fairly active, doing between 30 and 149 minutes of activity, while 23 per cent were inactive, with less than 30 minutes of exercise each week.

The NHS says adults aged between 19 and 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week to stay healthy.

This could include cycling over flat ground, brisk walking, or water aerobics.

They should also do strength exercises such as yoga, pilates, or lifting weights twice a week.

Almost 178,000 people across England were polled for the latest survey, which revealed a record 63 per cent of people were active.

It also found the lowest ever number of inactive people since the survey began in 2015, at just 25 per cent, with improvements driven by women and older people doing more exercise.

Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said the improvements were excellent news, but that more needed to be done.

He said: "It shows us that efforts to help more people get active are starting to make a real difference, particularly for older adults, women and those with a disability or long-term health condition.

“But we can’t be complacent. Within the overall positive picture of these figures is a sobering reality – if you are well-off, you are far more likely to be active than if you’re on a low income or less affluent.

“While there are complex barriers that stop less well-off people from getting active, this is an unacceptable inequality and one we’re starting to address in the work we are doing across the country."