Summary of key findings

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Physical activity of Canadian children and youth: Accelerometer results from the 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey

New international and proposed Canadian guidelines recommend that young people aged 5 to 17 should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.  Data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) indicated that only 7% of young people attain this level of activity.

By gender, the guidelines for young people were achieved by 9% of boys and 4% of girls.

The CHMS used accelerometers to collect objective measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviour for a nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 6 to 79.  The data show that the majority of waking hours of both adults and young people are sedentary.

For children and youth, 8.6 hours a day, or 64% of their waking hours, are sedentary.  These averages increase with age; among teenagers aged 15 to 19, sedentary time surpasses 9 hours a day.

Overall, boys aged 6 to 19 average about an hour a day (61 minutes) of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, while girls average about three-quarters of an hour (47 minutes).

Weight is a factor for boys.  Boys who are neither overweight nor obese average 65 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day.  Among overweight boys, the average is 51 minutes, and among obese boys, 44 minutes.  This gradient was not significant among girls.   

The percentage of children and youth who accumulate 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on at least 6 days a week is estimated at 7%.  Considerably higher percentages accumulate 30 minutes a day.  An estimated 29% of boys and 21% of girls engage in 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at least 6 days a week, and 83% of boys and 73% of girls do so at least 3 days a week. 

The vast majority (97%) of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among children and youth is done at moderate intensity.  About 4% accumulate 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity at least 3 days a week, 6% accumulate 10 minutes, and 11% accumulate 5 minutes.

Boys average 12,100 steps per day, compared with 10,300 for girls.  About 7% of boys and 3% of girls take 13,500 steps a day at least 6 days a week.  The step count target of 13,500 steps per day is approximately equivalent to 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Adolescents take fewer steps, compared with children aged 6 to 10. 
Overweight boys average significantly fewer steps than do boys who are neither overweight nor obese, a relationship that does not exist for girls.

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For more information about this article, contact Didier Garriguet (1-613-951-7187; Didier.Garriguet@statcan.gc.ca), Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada.