Rowing should be offered in schools as part of a range of activities for students to take part in, one health and wellbeing expert says.

A combination of competitive sports and activities which can be done in twos or threes, such as rowing or running, must be encouraged, suggests Tam Fry, chair of the Child Growth Foundation and National Obesity Forum.

"The physical education in schools nowadays has got to be not only the competitive sport element but also the exercise which people can do individually," he commented.

Activities such as rowing give pupils who do not like competitive sports the chance to get some exercise, Mr Fry added.

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that nearly three-quarters of 19-year-olds do not take regular exercise and even while still at school, just a fifth of pupils in years 12 and 13 take part in the government target of three hours of sport a week.