Who participates in active leisure?

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by Matt Hurst

Summary
What you should know about this study
Canadians are more active overall
Participation in walking or jogging and exercise slightly higher in 2005
Informal sports activity on the rise
Sports in detail: more people are choosing to swim
Personal characteristics impact participation
On a level playing field, women are more likely to participate in active leisure than men
Older Canadians participate more because of more leisure time
Highly educated Canadians participate more in active leisure
Living with a partner increases odds of participating
Parents participate less due to less leisure time
Regional factors play a part
Higher-income Canadians are more active in leisure
During the work week, the evenings are the time for active leisure
Conclusion

Engaging in physically active leisure—from participating in sports, to activities like walking, cycling and going on outdoor expeditions—is espoused as a way to stay fit and healthy, both mentally and physically. An active lifestyle has long been associated with health benefits. These benefits are not limited to vigorous physical activity, but can be achieved through frequent moderate levels of physical activity such as walking or cycling.¹

Healthier and more active lifestyles may generate considerable savings in health care costs. One study estimated there to be annual savings of 150 million dollars for a 10% reduction in physically inactive Canadians.² So leading an active life benefits the individual as well as society in general.

This article looks at the active leisure activities of Canadians aged 20 and over. Time-use diaries permit analysis of the type and length of activities done on a given day (See “What you should know about this study” for definitions). Using data from the 1992 and 2005 General Social Surveys (GSS), we will look at trends in active leisure participation rates from 1992 to 2005. We will also examine which groups are more likely to participate in active leisure in 2005.

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Canadians are more active overall

More Canadians made active leisure choices³ in their daily lives over the period of 1992 to 2005. In 2005, 5.6 million of 23 million Canadians 20 years of age and over participated in active leisure on a given day. These activities require varying amounts of physical energy but are more physically demanding than sedentary activities like watching TV or sitting at the computer.

Participation in active leisure rose to 24.3% in 2005 from 20.9% in 1992 (Chart 1).⁴ On average, those participating in active leisure activities spent 1 hour and 46 minutes on a given day on these activities in 2005 (Table 1). The time spent doing the activities listed in the table was similar in 1992.

Chart 1
Changes in active leisure participation from 1992 to 2005

Physical activity is known to be an ingredient in healthy weight maintenance, along with other contributing factors, such as diet. In Canada, waists are widening on average, as evidenced by trends in obesity⁵ from 1986 to 2004. Physical activity is linked to reduced risks of obesity-related health problems, even when it does not result in weight loss.⁶ Thus the rise in active leisure may help counteract the health risks of obesity trends.

Although participation in active leisure has risen somewhat, physical activity outside of leisure time, like at work, may be falling. In the past, a higher proportion of jobs were in manufacturing and agriculture that required high levels of physical activity.

With the shift in the economy to more service and office-related jobs which require less physical activity, leisure time activities have more influence on fitness and health. So how are Canadians spending this discretionary time, and which physically active pastimes are they following?

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Participation in walking or jogging and exercise slightly higher in 2005

Canadians’ most common active leisure activity was walking or jogging. In 2005, 12% of Canadians aged 20 and over walked or jogged, compared with 10.6% in 1992. This small increase may be the result of relatively more people choosing to walk or jog as a form of physical activity, or simply more people getting outside to enjoy the day through a walk. Canadians who walked or jogged in 2005 did so for an average of 1 hour and 9 minutes on a given day.

Table 1
Time spent participating in active leisure on a given day in 2005

Exercising (e.g. yoga, weight lifting, working out) was the second most likely active leisure activity and has gained in popularity. In 2005, 6.5% of Canadians exercised, up from 4.6% in 1992. In 2005, those who exercised did it for about 65 minutes.

Sports (5.7%), outdoor expeditions such as hunting, fishing, camping and boating (2.2%), and cycling (1.0%) rounded out the active leisure activities captured in the GSS activity diary in 2005. None of these activities showed much change in participation from 1992.

Many of the activities in these three groups are seasonal or require larger time slices. The weather may limit activities, particularly in the winter in much of Canada. Also, participation in these activities was less likely than in leisure activities that can take shorter slices of time, such as walking or exercising.

For example, outdoor expeditions averaged about 3 hours in duration and sports activities averaged about 2½ hours in 2005. Cycling is shorter in duration, partially due to fewer restrictions on how long the activity lasts. In 2005, the average cycling trip lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes.

As well, many sports have fixed time durations and it takes additional time to get to where the sport is taking place. Outdoor expeditions to camp or fish have similar time demands.

Informal sports activity on the rise

This analysis found that Canadians participated in sports at about the same rate in 1992 as in 2005. The term "sports" includes informal sports activity as well as organized sports. Other studies have shown large declines in organized sport participation.^7,8 For GSS respondents who reported they did not participate in organized sports, the sports participation rate increased (from 1.1% in 1992 to 3.0% in 2005).⁹ This suggests that people are moving away from sports that are organized to those that are not.

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Sports in detail: more people are choosing to swim

The stable trend of leisure sports participation masks differences between groups of sports (Table 2). Field sports (for example: football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, hockey, soccer, field hockey), as well as racquet sports (for example: tennis, squash, racquetball, paddleball) and lane and table sports and activities (for example: bowling, pool, ping-pong, pinball) are on the decline with a smaller proportion of Canadians playing these sports.

Table 2
Participation in various groups of sports on a given day

Although participation in soccer or volleyball could not be isolated in this article, other research has shown that they are individually on the rise.¹⁰

Swimming participation increased. The GSS shows the participation rate doubled to 2.0% in 2005 from 0.9% in 1992, which suggests an increase of about 300,000 more swimmers on a given day.

Climate trends may be a part of the reason for this increase. A hotter summer in 2005 may be one reason why more people chose swimming as a leisure activity.^11,12

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Personal characteristics impact participation

Analysis of the results of the 2005 GSS revealed that there are a number of socio-economic characteristics associated with active leisure participation. Other research has shown that participation in active leisure is influenced by cultural and social attitudes.¹³ This article's statistical analysis measures the odds of participating in active leisure activities on a given day, isolating the impact of one characteristic of interest at a time (by removing the effects of the other characteristics).

Canadians with more leisure time are more likely to participate in active leisure. For each additional hour of leisure time, the odds of participating increase 1.2 times (Table 3). More available time means more opportunity to do something active.

Table 3
Socio-economic characteristics of active leisure participation, 2005

On a level playing field, women are more likely to participate in active leisure than men

Equal percentages of women and men engaged in active leisure activities in 2005. But, after accounting for other socio-economic characteristics or factors (see Table 3 for factors), women had 1.2 times the odds of participating in active leisure than men.

One key factor explaining this gender difference in the odds of participation is total leisure time. Men had more leisure time than women (5 hours and 35 minutes versus 5 hours and 16 minutes) which means they had more opportunity to be active in leisure. If this difference did not exist and men and women had theoretically the same opportunity, women would have higher odds of participating than men.

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Older Canadians participate more because of more leisure time

Canadians aged 60 and over have more time for leisure than others, which increases their opportunity for active leisure. In fact, they have higher active leisure participation rates (28% for people aged 60 and over and 23% for those aged 20 to 39 years). However, when the amount of leisure time is accounted for along with other factors, age no longer has an influence on the odds of participating in active leisure.

Highly educated Canadians participate more in active leisure

Higher levels of education were also associated with higher odds of active leisure. Other studies have found the same link between education and physical activity in general.¹⁴ Educational institutions also provide direct experience in many competitive sports and the resources to do them.

Completing higher levels of education beyond high school reinforces this connection. In fact, university graduates had 1.5 times the odds of participating compared to high school graduates. Participation in organized sports follows a similar pattern.¹⁵

Living with a partner increases odds of participating

Canadians who are living with a partner have higher odds of participating compared to those who are not. Canadians who were married or in a common-law relationship had 1.2 times the odds of participating in active leisure, after controlling for other factors such as time stress, the presence of children, and total leisure time available on the diary day.

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Parents participate less due to less leisure time

People with children tend to have less leisure time than people with no children in the home. Parents devote time to childcare and are busy with their kids’ activities, so they have less opportunity for active leisure themselves. As role models for their children, parents may be motivated to be more physically active. Parents may also be more physically active because they may involve themselves directly in their kids’ activities.

According to the GSS, parents participate in active leisure less than people without children (22% versus 26%). However, when leisure time is taken into account, the odds of parents participating become the same as for adults without children. In a theoretical world where parents had the same amount of leisure time as people without children, their active leisure participation would be about the same.

Regional factors play a part

In 2005, people in Quebec and British Columbia were more likely to participate in active leisure than those living in the Prairie Provinces, while accounting for other factors. British Columbia may experience higher active leisure participation because the milder climate on the West Coast reduces barriers for active leisure throughout the year.

Higher-income Canadians are more active in leisure

Canadians with a higher personal income had higher odds of participating in active leisure. Canadians whose income was $60,000 and over had 1.3 times the odds of participating in active leisure compared to Canadians with an income of less than $30,000 per year in 2005, while accounting for other factors.

Higher-income Canadians have less leisure time than those with lower income, but in 2005, they spent a larger proportion of their limited leisure time being physically active. For example, those with annual personal income over $60,000 spent 9.1% of their leisure time being active, compared with 6.5% of those with income under $30,000 (Table 4).

Table 4
Leisure time on given day by income, 2005

Higher-income Canadians may have more money to spend on sports equipment, exercise classes, or have access to fitness facilities at their place of work. Higher-income people may also live in neighbourhoods which have fewer safety concerns and which are more accessible to facilities that have physical activity options (parks, gyms, bicycle trails, etc.).

Research has shown that people “with higher incomes report stronger beliefs in the stress reduction potential of regular physical activity”.¹⁶ Looking at people’s perceptions of time stress overall, regardless of income, the analysis finds that high levels of time stress are associated with less participation in active leisure. In fact, people who reported having a high level of time stress had lower odds (0.7 times) of participating compared to low time stressed individuals, while accounting for other factors. Time-stressed people don’t feel they have much time for active leisure because other areas of their lives are consuming their attention.

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During the work week, the evenings are the time for active leisure

Depending on their lifestyle and social circumstances, Canadians are more physically active on different days of the week and at different times of the day (Chart 2).

According to the GSS time use results, on weekdays, those who are working full-time concentrated their active leisure activities in the evening and, to a lesser extent, before work in the morning and during lunch.

In contrast, those who do not work on weekdays, spread their active leisure throughout the day, but less so during the evening. On weekend days, Canadians who are not working are more likely to be physically active in their leisure time compared to during the week, and that activity is often done in the afternoons.

Chart 2
Canadians participating in active leisure, by time of day, 2005

Conclusion

Active leisure helps keep us fit and healthy. It may also reduce health care costs. Between 1992 and 2005, overall participation in active leisure increased while the time spent doing these activities has remained the same.

Participation in exercise, as well as walking and jogging, grew from 1992 to 2005. Although the sports participation rate remained about the same in 1992 and 2005, people were slightly more likely to go swimming, possibly due to the hotter summer in 2005. Also, Canadians are moving away from organized sports to informal sports activity in their leisure time.

Canadians who engaged in active leisure, while holding other factors constant, were more likely to be women, to be university-educated, married, to have an income of $60,000 and over, to report that their lives had a relatively low level of time stress, and to live in British Columbia or Quebec.

Matt Hurst is a senior analyst with Canadian Social Trends, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada.

Notes

1. Chen, J. & Millar, W. J. (1999). Health effects of physical activity. Health Reports, 11(1), 21-30. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 82-003. Ottawa: Minister of Industry. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from /studies-etudes/82-003/archive/1999/4638-eng.pdf
2. Katzmarzyk, P. T., Glendhill, N. and Shephard, R. (2000). The economic burden of physical inactivity in Canada. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 163(11), 1435-1440.
3. Active leisure choices include sports, exercise, walking and jogging, cycling, and outdoor expeditions if they are part of the individual’s leisure time. But if, for example, a person walks, jogs or cycles to work this is considered to be a commuting activity; mode of commuting is not counted as a leisure activity.
4. Further research (not shown here) on Canadians aged 12 and over indicates that leisure physical activity rates, calculated using different surveys and measurement methodologies, have also increased from 1994/5 to 2005 from 39% to 51%, based on Statistics Canada's CANSIM Table 105-4033. Retrieved on June 5, 2008 from http://cansim2.statcan.gc.ca:81/WDS74_2_CANSIM/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=3411&IF_Language=eng
   
5. Shields, M. and Tjepkema, M. (2006). Trends in adult obesity. Health Reports, 17(3), 53-59. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 82-003. Ottawa: Minister of Industry. Retrieved on June 5, 2008 from /studies-etudes/82-003/archive/2006/9279-eng.pdf
   
6. Janiszewski, P. and Ross, R. (2007). Physical activity in the treatment of obesity: beyond body weight reduction. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 32(3), 512-522.
7. Fidelis, I. (2008). Sport Participation in Canada, 2005. Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 81-595. Ottawa: Minister of Industry. Retrieved on June 5, 2008 from /pub/81-595-m/81-595-m2008060-eng.pdf
8. Fidelis measured organized sports participation as regular participation in an organized sport over a year (i.e., if a person regularly participated in an organized sport during their sport’s season at some time during the year, then they were considered an organized sports participant). This is a considerably different concept than participation in sports (informal or organized) on a given day as used in this article. The Fidelis research showed that organized sports participation dropped from 45% in 1992 to 28% in 2005. Organized sports are defined by Sports Canada and include those sports engaged in for the purpose of competition. Organized sport involves formal rules and procedures, requires tactics and strategies, specialized neuromuscular skills and a high degree of difficulty and effort. The competitive nature of sport implies the development of trained coaching personnel. This is a much narrower concept of sport than used in this article where recreational sports activities (such as a simple pick-up game of hockey or basketball) are included.
9. Use the 1992 estimate with caution.
10. Fidelis. (2008).
11. For instance, the largest population centres in Canada, Toronto and Montreal, both having public beaches and public pools where people can swim, had higher average maximum temperatures per day for July and August in 2005 (5.9°C higher for Toronto, 3.6°C for Montreal) compared to 1992.
12. Environment Canada. (2008). Climate data online. Ottawa: Minister of Environment. Retrieved May 14, 2008 from http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climateData/canada_e.html
13. Henderson, K. A. and Bialeschki, M. D. (2005). Leisure and active lifestyles: Research reflections. Leisure Sciences, 27(5), 355-365.
14. Ross, C. E. & Wu, C. (1995). The links between education and health. American Sociological Review, 60(5), 719-745.
15. Fidelis. (2008).
16. Gauvin, L. (2003). Social Disparities and Involvement in Physical Activity: Shaping the Policy Agenda in Healthy Living to Successfully Influence Population Health. Montréal: Groupe de recherché interdisciplinaire en santé, University of Montréal, p.7.