The Benefits of Physical Activity

Physical activity offers a range of benefits for all ages and abilities.

	For children/youth
	For adults
	For seniors
	For individuals with a disability
	For the environment

For children/youth

Physical activity is essential for healthy growth and development. Regular physical activity in childhood develops cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and bone density ¹. For example 35-40% of a person's total bone mass is laid down in four years of adolescence ².

Physical activity helps maintain a healthy body weight, and is associated with positive self-esteem, greater self-efficacy, improved academic and cognitive performance, and greater perceived well-being. Physical activity helps reduce a number of risk factors for diseases such as coronary heart disease by setting positive habits early on in childhood and adolescence.

Young people who are physically active are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs ³. Problems of juvenile delinquency can decrease when appropriate physical activity programs are available.

For adults

Regular physical activity and higher levels of fitness allow daily tasks to be accomplished with greater ease and comfort and with less fatigue. Functional decline with advancing age is no longer accepted so lightly as research shows that as much as one half of the decline between the ages of 30 and 70 is due not to aging itself but to an inactive way of life ⁵.

There is a positive relationship between workplace physical activity programs and job satisfaction. Higher job satisfaction, in turn, can lead to better employee morale, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism ⁶.

Active individuals typically report improvement in energy levels, job attitude, and overall morale ⁷.

The Canada Life Assurance Company study noted an increase in productivity in fitness program participants compared to their inactive colleagues. Workplace physical activity programs reduce absenteeism due to illness, injury, and stress ⁸.

Workplace physical activity policies and programs can improve:

• Coping abilities for stress
• Fitness & health
• Morale
• General work performance
• Job satisfaction
• Organizational effectiveness
• Productivity

Programs can also reduce:

• Absenteeism
• Injuries & accidents
• Turnover
• Disability/compensation costs
• Health care costs
• Life insurance costs

For seniors

Weight-bearing physical activity reduces the rate of bone loss associated with osteoporosis. Regular physical activity maintains strength and flexibility, and balance and coordination, and can help reduce the risk of falls - a real worry for the elderly ⁹.

Increasing age is associated with increased limitation in the ability to carry out basic activities of daily living. A significant portion of the decline in functional capacity associated with aging is due to physical inactivity ^10.

For individuals with a disability

The active living movement removes the yardstick in comparing one person to another. It lets people set their own standards, and reap the social, emotional, spiritual and physical benefits of choosing their own activities. Active living helps make coping with the everyday challenges of life easier, and can even prevent relapses of certain disabilities. It can also increase the energy a person has to deal with the physical and mental stresses of a disability.

From a health perspective, active living increases mobility, improves posture, and reduces aches and pains that can accompany long periods of sitting. Better circulation reduces the possibility of blood-pooling and swelling in the legs. And maintenance of a healthy weight helps those who use aids to get around more easily.

For the environment

Active living protects and promotes a healthy environment by encouraging Canadians to participate in outdoor activities like walking, cycling and gardening. Environmental benefits are achieved when Canadians choose active modes of transportation such as walking, cycling or in-line skating rather than using their cars for a few more trips per week. Therefore, active living can contribute to decreasing air pollution.

Last Updated: 2003-10-08

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