New report card gives Canadians an “F” when it comes to physical activity

When it comes to exercise, new statistics show that a majority of Canadians just aren’t doing enough of it, and that was made worse during the pandemic with the closures of gyms, offices and sports leagues.

ParticipAction has released its second adult report card on adult physical activity and many aren’t making the grade — in fact, Canadian adults get an “F,” with a staggering 88 per cent of them who say they spend 8 or more hours a day sitting down — whether it be to work, watch tv or play video games.

The findings — based on data from 2020 and 2021 Statistics Canada surveys — places the blame on COVID-19, which has left Canadians more inactive due to restrictions and public health guidelines.  Daily activities, like commuting to work or going for a walk with friends were no longer safe options or priorities during the pandemic.

But there are things you can do to remain relatively active in this work-from-home world.

“You know if you’ve been on the computer for a big stretch – get up. Walk around your house, go outside — come back in, go up and down the stairs if you have stairs.  Do a bit of stretching,” says the President and CEO of ParticipAction Elios Antunes.

He also says people can try to build in an active break in their schedule — whether it be for lunch hour every other day or twice a week.

When it comes to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and total daily steps, the report card gives adults a “C” in both those areas.

Nearly 60 per cent reported at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week — the same as the last ParticipAction survey. However, less than 50 per cent report taking at least 75-hundred steps per day — which StatsCan describes as a “physically active lifestyle.” That’s down from 52 per cent in the non-profit’s previous report card, which looked at pre-pandemic activity in 2018 and 2019.

“One in two are getting enough activity to experience some health benefits and you know on the surface that may not seem as bad — but when we think about the implications of physical inactivity – it’s pretty staggering,” explains Antunes.

Officials at ParticipAction say these statistics are “discouraging” because even a small amount of physical activity each day can be beneficial to someone’s physical and mental health, and in many cases enhance a person’s sense of belonging and inclusion.

Physical activity not only prevents heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia, but can also minimize symptoms of depression and anxiety.

What’s even more shocking is that this lack of physical activity costs the Canadian health-care system over $6.8-billion a year — according to the data.

Investing in physical activity can help to minimize these costs and support the overall health of everyone living in Canada.

“Up until now it’s been seen as a nice to have — you know – being physically active or playing a sport is a nice thing to do if you can do it, and what we’re saying — and this report certainly supports that — is that physically activity is a necessity of life,” adds Antunes.

ParticipAction is also asking people to sign an open letter to the federal government in a push to make physical activity a national priority.