Are you more or less active than you were as a teen?

So’. what do you do in your spare time?

That’s not a pickup line, but a way to gauge how active you are. A recent 22-year study found that Canadian adults don’t exercise enough during leisure time. The study reviewed polls from the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey and the 1988 Campbell’s Survey of Wellbeing and followed up with the participants in 2002-04.

Here are the stats: 53% of the participants were labeled inactive, 26% were increasingly becoming active, 12% were active and 9% decreased how active they were.

When I consider how active I was as a teenager (about two decades ago, but who’s counting?), I’m much more in shape now then I was back then. I did ride my bike and walked to class’which took less than five minutes. I stopped swimming once I hit high school. I felt awkward and often sat out for pickup basketball games and ‘the guys’ were playing. I was too shy to try out for a school team.

It was silly. Now, I know.

I find that now I’m much more aware of my body. I like it when I’m sore after a workout or a soccer game‘depending on how painful it is, of course. I understand how certain foods make me feel’no more answering dares from my brother to eat a whole pizza. And I’m never tempted to go to Taco Bell after a night out with my best friends.

If I had been included in that study, I would be part of the 26% group. What about you?

Related articles:
Feel like getting more active? Try running: 5K running plan

Get more from your workouts: ‘Maximize your exercise.’
Need some motivation? Here are ‘6 (surprising!) reasons to work out‘
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