Time for Canadians to get up and get active

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One of the quickest ways to lift your spirits is by going out for a stroll. And if your stroll turns into a brisk walk, or a good run, we’re sure you’ll start feeling better in no time. Perhaps a game of baseball with friends is in the cards, and, since it is summer, a swim in a pool, or you may want to kick up your heels and go dancing.

No matter what you do, just getting in a little physical exercise every day is going to pay dividends in how you look and feel in no time.

So is the message of the non-profit organization, ParticiPACTION, which has been encouraging Canadians to “get healthy by getting active” since 1971. It was the year when the country’s inactivity crisis was revealed – and we had to do something quick to get everyone motivated.

Just recently, ParticipACTION went looking for Canada’s most active community – and they found it in the folks of Red Deer, Alberta.

Red Deer – along with a slew of other communities – recently participated in the third annual ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge event during the month of June, and came winning the top prize of $100,000 to go towards local physical activity and sport initiatives.

More than 500 million physical activity minutes were tracked by over 600,000 Canadians throughout the month to arrive at this win, which saw communities in most provinces participating for a worthy, healthy cause.

The ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge (supported by the Government of Canada and Saputo) provided more than $500,000 in grants to hundreds of organizations from across the country this year, “with a focus on programming and events that supported inclusivity and social connection for equity-deserving groups,” according to participaction.com.

Red Deer, located in Central Alberta, has a population of just over 100,000. It’s considered a popular tourist destination and the host of many major sporting events. Organizers say this is Red Deer’s third year participating in the Community Better Challenge, and they stood out “for their enthusiasm and commitment,” reports the release.

Canada is still far from an active nation and the pandemic has led to major, ongoing declines in physical activity, notes the organization’s website. No surprise here, given the world suddenly came to a standstill, and everyone was sent home to work or go to school. We were plunked in front of computers for hours on end, meetings were Zoomed in – and at night, binge-watching of popular programs became the norm for many households.

In a nutshell, we became a nation of couch potatoes.

So when you read that, according to Statistics Canada, “only 16% of Canadian adults are getting the recommended amount of physical activity (which is 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week),” and that 84% of the population is not active enough – you know there’s a problem here.

An Ipso poll from the fall of 2018 revealed that four in ten Canadians aged 25 to 64 get less than 30 minutes of exercise or physical activity each day – and this was before the pandemic hit. Just recently, the Statistic Canada’s Health Report from May 2022 says younger people are dropping the ball when it comes to getting in some fitness, and that physical activity “decreased by two hours per week among youth.”

The report, according to Statistics Canada, notes “physical activity decreased more among youth living in urban areas compared with rural areas, (and) physical activity decreased more among youth from Ontario, Quebec and the Prairies compared with youth from the Atlantic provinces and British Columbia.”

The Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Peloton, also noted some of the reasons people didn’t or couldn’t exercise included not having enough time, not being able to fit it into busy schedules, not having anyone to be active with – and, on occasion, just plain laziness.

Canadians need to be encouraged to get off the couch and get moving, especially when you consider that just a small amount of activity can help boost your brain health, manage weight issues, strengthen your bones and muscle, reduce disease risks – and just make you feel good all over.

It’s not just a question of feeling good – research shows physical inactivity costs the Canadian economy more than $6 billion yearly.

Being active doesn’t mean turning into a professional athlete. Getting fit can literally start with that first step. Start small – start a plan of action (any plan – even walking up and down the stairs is a plan) and give it 15 minutes a day. Gradually increase to 30 minutes a day. Get up and walk around your home, and then your block. Create a small fitness routine that includes activities you like to do – if need be, write them down, plaster reminders on your fridge.

Before you know it, you’ll be on the road to healthy living in no time. And just feeling good all over.

Good All Over

Other communities who took part in the ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge  include the following (some of the other winning communities were supported by local government grants as well):

Richmond, British Columbia

Pinawa, Manitoba

Salisbury, New Brunswick

Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador

Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories

Truro, Nova Scotia

Iqaluit, Nunavut

North Grenville, Ontario

Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Sutton, Quebec

La Ronge, Saskatchewan

Whitehorse, Yukon