Physical Activity in Canada

Physical Activity in Canada | Health Benefits of Physical Activity | Why Active Living at Work

Physical Activity Benchmark Initiatives

The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) was incorporated in 1981. It is a national research agency concerned with advising, educating and informing Canadians and professionals about the importance of leading healthy, active lifestyles.

CFLRI is led by a Board of Directors comprising eminent scholars and professionals in the areas of public health, physical education, sport sciences, recreation and medicine, as well as from universities and both federal and provincial levels of governments.

The mission of CFLRI is to enhance the well-being of Canadians through research and communication of information about physically active lifestyles to the public and private sectors.

The Institute takes an integrated approach to understanding active living and strives to address fitness issues from the complementary perspectives of the health professions, the sociological and psychological sciences, as well as the physiological and biological sciences.

1998 data is not encouraging - Almost 2/3 of Canadians remain inactive

CFLRI conducts annual surveys on behalf of federal, provincial and territorial governments. They publish data annually on physical activity levels in Canada.

The results of the 1998 survey show that:

• 63% of adults aged 18 and older are not active enough to achieve optimal health benefits, compared to 79% in 1981.
• Physical inactivity levels worsen as we move from west to east
• Physical inactivity levels by province/territory from the 1998 Physical Activity Monitor :
  • Yukon 51%
• Northwest Territories and Nunavut 60%
• British Columbia 56%
• Alberta 58%
• Saskatchewan 63%
• Manitoba 63%
• Ontario 63%
• Quebec 68%
• Nova Scotia 69%
• New Brunswick 70%
• Newfoundland 67%
• Prince Edward Island 73%
• More women (67%) than men (58%) are inactive.
• Physical inactivity increases with age.
• Substantial inroads were made at reducing physical inactivity levels between 1981 and 1995, but improvements have stalled since then.

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Ministers set a challenge

In 1997, the health risks of an inactive society were clearly recognized by the federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for physical activity, recreation and sport.

They set a goal to reduce the proportion of Canadians who are inactive by 10% between 1998 and 2003. Meeting this challenge requires a coordinated effort between governments, the private and voluntary sectors, communities, and individuals.

Canadians support action

CFLRI reports that:

• 85% of Canadians value physical activity.
• 72% of Canadians hold positive beliefs about the outcome of physical activity.
• Most Canadians report taking steps to build physical activity into their daily routines, e.g.:
  • 80% take the stairs instead of the elevator;
  • 66% report doing chores for exercise; and
  • 64% report walking all or part of the way to work, school, home, errands.
• 93% support continued or increased levels of government support for physical activity.
• Most Canadians express the desire or intention to become more physically active.

Physical activity can reduce health-care costs

If all Canadians became physically active, there would be:

• Fewer deaths from coronary disease;
• Fewer deaths from Type 2 diabetes;
• Fewer deaths from colon cancer;
• Fewer deaths from stroke; and
• A significant reduction in the number of people who develop functional limitations and limited quality of life at older ages.

Health-care expenditures could be reduced, if activity levels are raised

Various studies have shown that health-care expenditures would be reduced if physical activity were increased. For instance, a recent study of the economic burden of physical inactivity in Canada estimates that a ten percent increase in the proportion of Canadians who are physically active could save $150 million annually in health care costs for coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer and osteoporosis -costs that will increase as the Canadian population ages.
Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Norman Gledhill, Roy J. Shephard
The economic burden of physical inactivity in Canada
CMAJ 2000;163(11):1435-40

1992 National Workplace Survey

Conducted in partnership between Health Canada and CFLRI, this Survey examined the nature and extent of corporate health and fitness programs. Results were obtained from 3,500 companies.

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Key findings regarding active living at work:

• 39% of companies with more than 100 employees have some form of fitness program
• 73% of companies with more than 100 employees offer sport and recreation opportunities
• 13% of small companies (less than 50 employees) have fitness programs
• 42% of small companies offer sport and recreation opportunities
• 'Flex time' is provided in 22% of companies to encourage employees to find time to be active during their workday
• 16% of workplaces have installed bicycle racks to encourage active commuting

1998 Health Canada Survey on Workplace Active Living Programs

In 1998, Health Canada conducted a survey to identify Canadian organizations that encourage and support fitness or active living programs and policies in the workplace, and to collect basic program information. One hundred and twenty organizations responded to the survey.

Of the 120 respondents, 73 were from Ontario and 23 from Alberta. The remaining 21.2% comprised respondents from British Columbia (7), Quebec (7), Manitoba (5), Saskatchewan (3) and New Brunswick (2).

The following findings were reported:

• 73% of fitness program managers were employees of the organizations, while 27% were external consultants.
• 16% had implemented a fitness and active living program prior to 1980; 45% implemented a program between 1981-90; and 38.7% had implemented a program between 1991-98.
• In most organizations, a start-up planning team had been put in place comprising a combination of an advisory team, external consultants and volunteer leaders.
• Once the program was launched, 54% of programs were led by voluntary leaders, 45% by an advisory team, and 42% by external consultants. Some had more than one group supporting the launch.
• 34% of organizations instituted a membership fee eligible for subsidization as part of the organization's benefit plan; 6% had membership fee eligible for subsidization as part of the Health Spending Account in Flex Benefits; other forms of participation incentives were available to employees at 47% of organizations.
• More than 70% offered a class in at least one of the following areas: low-impact aerobics, strength and conditioning, and/or step aerobics. More than 50% offered stretch and strengthen, walking, and yoga classes.
• Group recreation programs such as baseball, softball and slow pitch were the most popular programs in most organizations. Other group programs included hockey, racquetball and walking clubs.
• Group events included golf tournaments, summer active events, family fun days and corporate walk days.
• 72% of respondents had fitness facilities available to their employees; 35% offered a subsidy to employees using an external facility; while 20% of organizations offered employees subsidies for both internal and external facilities.
• Annual membership fees ranged from $100 to $250 in 75% of the responding organizations; 25% reported fees less than $100.
• Most organizations reported that active living programs are integrated with other health management programs such as education on nutrition and weight management, back/spinal health, stress management, health-risk screening and disease management.
• Evaluation techniques included participation rate, employee satisfaction surveys, retention rate, and impact on incidental absenteeism. Cost/benefit analyses had only been done in 25% of the organizations.

Supporting research

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Physical Activity in Canada | Health Benefits of Physical Activity | Why Active Living at Work

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