Physical Activity of Children

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Children recommends at least 90 minutes of physical activity each day including an aerobic activity target of 30 minutes per day.

In 2003 a representative sample of six and seven year old children in Simcoe County participated in the Child Health Survey, where they were weighed and measured and their parents were surveyed over the telephone about their child's various health behaviours such as eating habits and frequency and duration of physical activity.

Survey resuts show that just under half (47% (44%, 50%)) of the children were physically active for 90 minutes or longer every day, and slightly less than one-third (30% (44%, 50%)) spent less than one hour every day on physical activity.

Nearly one-third (29% (26%, 32%)) of the children exercised aerobically for 30 minutes or longer every day. Aerobic exercise was defined as play or exercise that lasted for at least 10 minutes and made the children sweat or breathe hard.

Almost half (46% (43%, 50%)) of the children walked, biked, skateboarded or used similar active methods to go to or from home and school at least once in the week before the survey.