Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth
Helping Kids Get Active with Canada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth
Today’s children and youth live in a very different world than the generation before them. Children as young as six or seven can occupy themselves for hours on a computer, and older kids now chat on-line rather than meeting in a front yard to play.
Our children are growing up in exciting times, but in order for them to realize their potential and benefit from the opportunities, we need to encourage them to be more physically active.
To help Canada’s young people move towards healthier lifestyles, the Public Health Agency of Canada has developed Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth.
The guides provide families, caregivers, teachers, health-care providers and recreation leaders with information and tips to help children and youth understand the importance of daily physical activity, and make informed decisions about taking steps to become more active.
Links:
- For children (ages 6-9):
- For youth (ages 10-14):
You can download copies of the guide material from our website, or you can order free copies by calling 1-888-334-9769. Need more information about the guides for children and youth? Check out our questions and answers section.
According to the CANPLAY study by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 90% of Canadian children and youth are not meeting the guidelines set forth by Canada’s Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth, which state that children should be accumulating 90 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity in addition to incidental activities required for daily living - or the equivalent of 16,500 steps.
Each weekday, Canadian children and youth are averaging 5-6 hours of screen time, and this climbs to 6-7.5 hours per day on the weekend, despite recommendations of no more than 2 hours per day of TV or leisure-related screen time. In addition, between 1978 and 2004, the number of overweight Canadian children doubled and, during the same period, the incidence of obesity has tripled in both boys and girls.
To share this page just click on the social network icon of your choice.