A report has revealed that Exeter and Cranbrook residents are more active now than before Covid.

The report, produced by Live and Move, a Sport England-supported programme, indicates a decrease in the number of people in Exeter who consider themselves inactive.

The number of those who identify as "fairly active" has increased.

To further support these active lifestyles, Sport England has pledged £2 million to the programme from 2025.

The annual survey, which has been carried out since 2019, asked 1,843 residents about their physical activity levels and whether they find it easy to be active.

The report highlights that women and culturally diverse residents have returned to pre-Covid activity levels, following a decline during the lockdown.

Live and Move has collaborated with Inclusive Exeter to support diverse communities with a programme of physical activities, including a badminton club, a volleyball club, and yoga sessions.

The report also states that people living in Cranbrook are considerably more active than in previous years, with only 20 per cent of residents in the town classing themselves as inactive, compared with 37 per cent in the 2023 survey.

Olympic gold medal cyclist and chair of Sport England, Chris Boardman, said: "Sport England wants to support people from all walks of life in Exeter and Cranbrook to be more active, and having visited Exeter this week I can see very clearly the impact that this work has had on the community to date.

"We know that an increase in physical activity has so many benefits for a person’s overall physical and mental health, which is why I’m thrilled to announce that Sport England has agreed to extend the partnership with Live and Move for a further three years."

Exeter City Council chief executive Bindu Arjoon said: "The Live and Move programme aligns perfectly with the council’s vision of a healthy and active city, and we are very proud to be chosen as one of Sport England’s place partners.

"We are excited to continue to work with committed partners across the city who will help us to deliver this work."

Councillor Duncan Wood, portfolio holder for leisure services and healthy living at Exeter City Council, said: "Overall, Exeter is a thriving, healthy city but this masks the fact that some of our most vulnerable communities have the poorest health outcomes.

"Live and Move has worked with many of these communities since 2019, and we’re so proud that this work will continue to make a huge difference to the lives of residents in the city."

Further information about Live and Move, and the results of the local active lives survey in Exeter and Cranbrook, can be found on their website.