Children and Youth

The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute has monitored physical activity levels of children and youth through the CANPLAY study (the Canadian Physical Activity Levels Among Youth Study). CANPLAY uses pedometers to measure daily steps. In the most recent study years (2014-2016), children and youth ages 5 to 19 took approximately 11,300 steps/day on average. Average daily steps varied by region, age, gender, and various socio-economic factors. [1]

In addition to knowing the actual number of daily steps taken by children and youth, it is imperative to determine whether this equates to being sufficiently active for health benefits. The Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines suggest that children between the ages of 5 and 17 should aim to accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activities each day.[2] It is estimated that 12,000 daily steps would approximate these guidelines. Using this estimate, approximately 41% of children and youth (ages 5 to 19) meet the guidelines (average 12,000 steps per day).[3] The proportion achieving this criterion varies by age, gender, region, and socio-economic factors (e.g., household income and education).