Social pressures which portray sport as unfeminine and encourage girls to be thin rather than fit are an important barrier preventing girls and women from taking part in exercise, according to a study by the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSSF).

The report went on to say that Women’s fitness is in crisis in the UK, with fewer than one in five doing enough exercise to be healthy.

Negative experiences of sport in school and low body confidence also put women off exercise, the research found.

The report, entitled ‘It’s Time’, analysed the latest studies of sports participation, one involving 350,000 people, and commissioned original research to identify the state of women’s fitness in Britain.

For more information visit the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation at www.wsff.org.uk