The benefits to these children and to the community as a whole go far beyond creating an appreciation of the value of regular physical activity.
The interest in exercise alone, provides significant benefits. With kids spending up to six hours per day on their cell phones, game consoles and computers, the incidence of childhood obesity is climbing at an alarming rate. The consequences to these children and to our over-burdened health-care system are staggering. It has been predicted that for the first time EVER, the current generation of children may have a shorter life-span than their parents.
The “2014 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity”, shows how Canada measures up against 14 other countries. Sadly, we rank 12 out of 14. Only 7% of our children aged 5 to 11 meet Canada’s Overall Physical Activity Guidelines. Even more startling is the fact that between the ages of 12 to 17, this figure falls to 4%.