One fifth of adults 'take no exercise'

One fifth of Irish adults take no physical exercise at all, according to a report published by the Government's Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) today.

The ESRI said two fifths of the 3,000 respondents to a recent survey said they took part in some form of exercise on a regular basis.

The most popular forms of exercise among men were identified as golf, swimming, soccer and GAA, while swimming and aerobics were found to be popular among women.

The ESRI report said a lack of facilities was one of the main factors deterring people from physical exercise.