Recommendations for the amount of time Canadians spend exercising are about to be simplified and, in some cases, reduced, according to The Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology, the central Canadian body for fitness research.
The CSEP said it will recommend on Jan. 24 that the physical activity guidelines for children, adults and older people in Canada be revised to harmonize with those set by the World Health Organization and other major developed countries like the United States, Australia and Britain.
But the new guidelines are also said to reflect what the latest available research says is the lowest amount of exercise that positively affects a person's health. The hope also is that the new recommended goals may encourage greater activity since the goals will be easier to accomplish.
The amount of time adults are advised to spend being physically active will be lowered to at least 2.5 hours a week from about 30 to 60 minutes a day, at least four days a week. The new criteria for children will be an hour a day of physical activity, compared with the current recommendation of gradually building from 30 minutes a day to 90 minutes. People over 65 will be encouraged to complete 150 minutes of moderate activity a week versus the prior standard of being active for 30 to 60 minutes per day.
The recommendations will be published on the website of the Public Health Agency of Canada, and a promotional campaign will be launched in conjunction with Participation, the federal government program that encourages fitness. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology will issue the new guidelines on Jan. 24.
