General

Canada’s youth are dangerously lazy

Report finds sedentary living common among teens

A study released by StatsCan shows that Canadians simply aren’t moving enough to be healthy. According to the Canadian Health Measures Survey, which looked at physical activity habits of 2,800 adults and 1,600 children, showed that only 15 per cent of adults moved enough to benefit from being healthy. Only seven per cent of 5 to 17-year olds were active enough to be healthy. On average, the amount of time spent inactive was 9.5 hours a day for adults and 8.6 hours a day for children and youth. However, the average amount of time increased among youth aged 15 to 19 to nine hours a day, or about 65 per cent of their waking hours. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology recommends at least 60 minutes of daily activity for youth aged five to 17, and 150 minutes weekly for adults.

CBC News

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: