According to a study done by the WHO, between 2001 and 2016, the fittest people in the world were found near the Equator; in Uganda or Finland. So, at this point I am sure you might be asking, and what about Canada? Canada might have had the lowest rankings in that study. In fact, another study done in 2016 showed that Canada was ranked as the second least inactive country. A study done in Canada showed that only 20% of Canadians reported being physically active. These are very low fitness levels for a country. So the question remains is, what factors are contributing to these low fitness levels?
This article is dedicated to exploring the impact of various factors on physical fitness levels in Canada.
Neighborhoods Which Encourage Being Physically Active
Generally, Canadians live in neighborhoods that support physical activity, and here are some facts to prove this:
- Close to 80% of people reported that they lived in communities that had either free or low-cost recreational facilities such parks, leisure centres, or walking trails.
- More than 70% of all people had sidewalks in their neighborhood, and they could take a 15-minute walk to either a bus stop, train station, or subway station.
- Less than a quarter of all Canadians live in neighborhoods with high crime rates or factors which make engaging in physical activities such as cycling or walking, hazardous.
If you are a Canadian and you utilize all the above resources to make sure that you are fit, then you deserve to be congratulated. After hitting your fitness goals, you can head over to youmobile.org, which has news items loaded with 1000s of mobile apps to choose from as you rest after a good run or gym session.
Exercise and Income
A study done in 2013 revealed that the higher the annual income, the more time spent during leisure time in physical activities. People who earned $60000 or more annually, spent 9% more time in physical activities, compared to people who made $30000 or less; they spent 7% of their time.
Fitness Levels Across Age Groups
When it comes to age groups, the most active are people aged 18 to 39 years for both genders. When it comes to fitness levels among kids and youths aged five to 19 years, here are some facts which are worth mentioning:
- Kids and youths spend between six and 10 hours being sedentary.
- 73% of parents report that their kids spend most of their time watching TV, reading or playing computer and video games.
- Canadian kids watch more TV per day (2% to 4% more) than the global daily average.
- Less than 6% of all kids were able to attain the recommended 12000 steps per day.
So, as you get fit, remember to tag your child along, so that they can also achieve their fitness goals.