Canadian Kids Earn D-Minus for Physical Activity

This year’s report card from ParticipACTION shows most Canadian youth aren’t getting enough physical activity.

Canadian kids earned a D- for overall physical activity. Younger children are doing better, with 70 per cent of kids aged three to four getting a recommended 180 minutes of daily activity at any intensity. However, only 14 per cent of kids aged five to 11 are getting their recommended 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity per day. The percentage drops for preteens and teenagers, with only five per cent of those aged 12 to 17 meeting the same guidelines.

Overall, the report card says only nine per cent of Canadians aged five to 17 years old are getting their 60 minutes of heart-pumping activity every day. This year marks the third in a row that Canadian kids got an overall D-.

In more specific behaviours, Canadian kids received a B- for organized sport and physical activity participation, with 75 per cent of 5- to 19-year-olds participating in organized physical activities or sport. A D was given out for active transportation, with 62 per cent of parents saying their kids are typically driven to school and 24 per cent saying that their kids only walk or wheel to and from school.

The marks get a bit worse because of technology, with an overall D- for sedentary behaviours. The report card says only 15 per cent of kids aged three to four get less than one hour of screen time every day, while 24 per cent of those aged five to 17 are getting two hours or less.

Children from three to four years of age spend an average of 7.5 hours per day being sedentary, with that number moving up to 7.6 hours for those aged five to 11 and 9.3 hours for those aged 12 to 17.

In influence scores, family and peers get a C+, as do schools. Community and Environment earns a B+ for influence, while government gets a B- for strategies and investments and non-government gets an A-.

This year’s report card is the first to include a stand on more risky play in the nature and the outdoors, with ParticipACTION recommending increasing self-directed play outdoors in all settings.

You can check out the full report on ParticipACTION’s website.