According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute’s Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth (CANPLAY) Study, Canadian children and youth (between the ages of 5 to 19) take an average of 11,356 steps per day as recorded by a pedometer.
Children who participate in organized sports and physical activities are more active (taking roughly 1,700 more steps in a day) than those who do not participate in organized activities.
Mean number of steps for children and youth
2005-06 CANPLAY Study, CFLRI
Mean number of steps
TOTAL, children (5–19)
11356
girls
10735
boys
11946
5–10
12353
girls
11744
boys
12936
11–14
11367
girls
10485
boys
12168
15–19
9797
girls
9463
boys
10132
REGION
East
10898
Quebec
10765
Ontario
11330
West
12016
North
13101
Local opportunities for physical activity: Trends from 1999 – 2004
49% are active during their leisure time, accumulating the equivalent of at least one hour of walking a day (3+ KKD).
However, only 21% are accumulating enough daily activity to meet the international guidelines for optimal growth and development (6+ KKD). This international guideline for physical activity could be achieved through playing team sports for an hour or a half or participating in an hour of martial arts, combined with an accumulated hour of walking throughout the day.
Physical activity among youth, 12–19 years old
Inactive
(<1.5 KKD)
Moderately active
(1.5-2.9 KKD)
Active
(3.0-5.9 KKD)
Active (Int’l defn)
(<6.0 KKD)
TOTAL, adults (12–19)
28%
23%
27%
21%
girls
33
26
25
15
boys
23
21
29
27
12–14
24
24
29
23
girls
27
28
28
18
boys
21
22
29
29
15–19
31
23
26
20
girls
38
25
24
14
boys
24
20
29
27
REGION
East
31
21
25
22
Newfoundland
33
19
25
23
Prince Edward Island
31
23
27
20
Nova Scotia
29
23
27
22
New Brunswick
34
20
23
23
Quebec
29
28
26
17
Ontario
28
22
27
23
West
26
22
29
23
Manitoba
27
19
31
23
Saskatchewan
28
24
27
21
Alberta
26
23
29
23
British Columbia
26
22
30
23
North
27
18
34
21
Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
201-185 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0J2 CANADA
