Physical Activity is good for the heart, the head and the soul. The benefits of strong, healthy, physically active children are well documented.

Benefits for children

• Increased self esteem
• Helps kids handle stress
• Builds and maintains healthy bones, muscles and joints
• Helps control weight
• Develops positive lifestyles that leads to healthy productive lives

Benefits for schools

• Your students will be more excited about learning and will learn important lessons for life.
• A classroom that moves is fun for your students and for you
• Physical activity assists with classroom management
• Physical activity increases punctuality and attendance
• In motion schools reported fewer discipline problems
• Kids who get active breaks are more focused and ready to learn

Facts & stats

• Over half of 5- to 17-year-olds in Canada are not active enough for optimal growth and development.
• 33% of 7- to 13-year-old males in Canada are overweight; another 10% are considered obese.
• 27% and 9% of young females in Canada are overweight and obese respectively.
• The most popular physical activities among Canadian young people are walking for exercise, bicycling, swimming, jogging/running, and basketball.
• School children are less active on weekends than during the week.
• Physical activity decreases with increasing age or school grade.
• In one study, schoolchildren in grades 4-6 were 40% less active than schoolchildren in grades 1-3.
• On average, young people in Canada spend between 13 and 14 hours per week watching television.
• There is evidence to suggest that obesity is related to physical inactivity.

Research

Canada’s Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

Active Healthy Kids Canada has issued the second annual report card on physical activity for children and youth and once again, we have scored a D. To learn more visit Active Healthy Kids Canada.

In preparing the report card, Active Healthy Kids Canada reviewed a significant body of research. Visit their site to download the following research studies:

Family

• Parent and Child Factors Associated with Youth Obesity
• Facts on Familial Influences 

Health

• Secular Trends in the body Mass Index of Canadian Children
• Facts on Health Implications of Physical Inactivity
• Research Article on Obesity and Physical inactivity in Canadian Children

Physical activity/inactivity

• Facts on Physical Activity and Sedentary Time
• An Abstract on Pedometers and Physical Activity

School

• Building School Health Programs Through Public Health initiatives: The First Three Years of the Healthy Hawaii Initiative Partnership for School health.
• Facts on School opportunities
• Facts on Physical Education and Nutrition in Schools
• An Abstract on the Effectiveness of School Programs in Preventing Childhood Obesity

Community

• Facts on Community Opportunities and Built Infrastructure

Environment

• Young People in Canada: Their Health and Well-Being
• Facts on Cultural and Socioeconomic Measures

Policy

• Early Childhood Obesity: A Call for Early Surveillance and Preventive Measure
• Facts on Government Policy & Support