Canada's physical activity guidelines are the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, published by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP). For adults aged 18 to 64, the headline target is at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening on two or more days. The modern twist is in the name: these guidelines cover a whole 24 hours, so how much you move, how much you sit, and how well you sleep all count together, not just your workout minutes. At Fitness Avenue, a Canadian home gym equipment retailer that has served Canadians since 2007, we put together this guide to lay out every age band in one place, from infants to older adults.
Key Takeaways
- Adults (18 to 64): 150 or more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week, muscle-strengthening on 2 or more days, 7 to 9 hours of sleep, and 8 hours or less of sitting.
- A whole-day approach: since 2020, Canada's adult guidelines cover movement, sedentary time, and sleep together across 24 hours, not just exercise.
- Every age has a target: separate recommendations run from infants and toddlers (0 to 4) through children and youth (5 to 17) to older adults (65+).
- No gym and no 10-minute blocks required: minutes add up across your day, and bodyweight or home strength work counts toward the strength goal.
- Most Canadians fall short: only about 46% of adults meet the 150-minute target, based on measured 2022 to 2024 data.
What Are the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines?
The Canadian physical activity guidelines are a set of age-specific recommendations called the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) and promoted nationally by ParticipACTION. They tell each age group how much moderate-to-vigorous activity, muscle-strengthening, light activity, sitting, and sleep to aim for.
What makes them different from older advice is the whole-day view. Instead of only setting a weekly exercise number, they cover four parts of your day that interact: aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening, the time you spend sitting, and your sleep. CSEP groups these under three simple messages: move more, reduce sedentary time, and sleep well. A day that hits the activity target but involves 12 hours of sitting and 5 hours of sleep is not a healthy 24 hours under this framing.
The guidelines rolled out in stages. CSEP released the world's first integrated whole-day movement guidelines for children and youth in 2016, added the early years (ages 0 to 4) soon after, and published Canada's first-ever 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for adults in 2020. Each set is built from a review of the evidence linking activity, sitting, and sleep to health.
Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines by Age (at a Glance)
Every age group has its own daily and weekly targets across the four movement components. This table summarizes the full set of Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, with each band explained in its own section that follows.
| Age group | Aerobic activity | Muscle & other activity | Sitting & screen | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants (under 1) | Active play several times a day; 30+ min tummy time | Interactive floor-based play | Not restrained over 1 hour at a time; no screen time | 14 to 17 hrs (0 to 3 mo); 12 to 16 hrs (4 to 11 mo), incl. naps |
| Toddlers (1 to 2) | 180+ min of activity a day, any intensity | Energetic play spread through the day | Not restrained over 1 hour; no screen at all under 2 | 11 to 14 hrs, incl. naps |
| Preschoolers (3 to 4) | 180+ min a day, incl. 60+ min of energetic play | Energetic play spread through the day | Not restrained over 1 hour; 1 hour or less of screen | 10 to 13 hrs, may include a nap |
| Children & youth (5 to 17) | 60+ min a day of moderate-to-vigorous | Vigorous plus muscle and bone strengthening 3 days a week | 2 hours or less of recreational screen; break up sitting | 9 to 11 hrs (5 to 13); 8 to 10 hrs (14 to 17) |
| Adults (18 to 64) | 150+ min a week of moderate-to-vigorous | Muscle-strengthening 2+ days a week; several hours of light activity | 8 hours or less; 3 hours or less recreational screen | 7 to 9 hrs |
| Adults (65+) | 150+ min a week of moderate-to-vigorous | Muscle-strengthening 2+ days a week plus balance activities | 8 hours or less; 3 hours or less recreational screen | 7 to 8 hrs |
Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
Adults (18 to 64)
Adults aged 18 to 64 should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity each week and do muscle-strengthening activities that work the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week, according to the CSEP guidelines for adults 18 to 64. A healthy day also includes several hours of light physical activity, including standing, no more than 8 hours of sedentary time, no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time, and 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep.
One common point of confusion: the muscle-strengthening days are separate from the 150 aerobic minutes, not part of them. Aerobic activity (brisk walking, cycling, swimming) and strength work (resistance training, bodyweight exercises) each carry their own target. You need both.
Under the Canadian guidelines for adults 18 to 64, strength work on 2 or more days is a separate target from the 150 aerobic minutes. Source: CSEP 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
Meeting the target is tied to real health payoffs. CSEP links following the adult guidelines to a lower risk of early death, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, several cancers, dementia, anxiety, and depression. More activity brings more benefit, and any amount is better than none.
Adults (65 and Older)
Older adults follow the same core targets as younger adults, with one addition that matters most as we age: balance. Adults 65 and older should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity a week, muscle-strengthening on 2 or more days, and activities that challenge balance to help prevent falls, per the CSEP guidelines for adults 65+. Sleep targets shift slightly to 7 to 8 hours, while the sitting and screen limits stay the same: no more than 8 hours of sedentary time, including no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time.
How should an older adult start? Start low and build gradually. If you are new to activity or returning after a long break, begin with short walks and simple bodyweight movements, then add time and intensity as they get easier. Any movement counts, and it is fine to break activity into shorter sessions across the day.
What are the best exercises for seniors? A weekly mix beats any single "best" exercise: brisk walking or cycling for aerobic minutes, sit-to-stand and light resistance work for strength, and standing balance drills such as heel-to-toe walking or single-leg stands for falls prevention. Balance and strength together protect independence, which is why the 65+ guidelines call them out specifically.
For adults 65 and older, a weekly mix of aerobic, strength and balance work beats any single best exercise. Source: CSEP guidelines for adults 65+.
Only about 40% of Canadian adults 65 and older meet the 150-minute target, so there is real room to move here. For the numbers on how active older Canadians actually are, see our senior fitness statistics for Canada.
Children and Youth (5 to 17)
Children and youth aged 5 to 17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day, according to the CSEP guidelines for children and youth. That daily hour should include vigorous activity, plus activities that strengthen muscles and bones, on at least 3 days a week.
The sedentary and sleep sides matter just as much for this age group. The guidelines cap recreational screen time at 2 hours or less a day, ask for long sitting to be broken up, and set sleep at 9 to 11 hours a night for ages 5 to 13 and 8 to 10 hours for ages 14 to 17. For where Canadian kids and teens actually land against these targets, see our youth fitness statistics for Canada.
Early Years (0 to 4)
The youngest children have their own guidelines, and they change quickly across the first years of life. These early years targets come from the CSEP early years guidelines.
- Infants (under 1): Be physically active several times a day through interactive floor-based play, with at least 30 minutes of tummy time spread through the day for those not yet mobile. No screen time. Sleep is 14 to 17 hours for ages 0 to 3 months and 12 to 16 hours for ages 4 to 11 months, including naps. Infants should not be restrained for more than 1 hour at a time in a stroller or high chair.
- Toddlers (1 to 2): At least 180 minutes of physical activity at any intensity spread through the day, more being better. Screen time is not recommended under age 2. Sleep is 11 to 14 hours, including naps.
- Preschoolers (3 to 4): At least 180 minutes of activity a day, of which at least 60 minutes is energetic play. Recreational screen time should be no more than 1 hour, and less is better. Sleep is 10 to 13 hours, which may include a nap.
Across all early years, long periods of sitting or being restrained work against healthy development, so the guidelines stress frequent, varied movement over the whole day.
What Counts as Moderate vs Vigorous Activity? (Does Walking Count?)
Moderate-to-vigorous is the intensity the guidelines are built around, and the simplest way to judge it is the talk test. Moderate activity raises your heart rate and breathing but still lets you hold a conversation, though you could not sing. Vigorous activity makes you breathe hard enough that you can only say a few words before pausing.
Yes, walking counts, as long as it is brisk enough to reach moderate intensity. A brisk walk that leaves you slightly out of breath counts toward your 150 minutes; a slow, leisurely stroll usually does not reach the moderate threshold. Cycling, swimming, and dancing are other everyday moderate options, while running, fast cycling, and interval training fall into the vigorous range. For a closer look at how much Canadians walk and how it stacks up, see our walking statistics for Canada.
The talk test is the simplest way to tell moderate from vigorous activity, and a brisk walk counts toward your 150 minutes. Source: CSEP 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
How to Hit 150 Minutes a Week
The 150-minute target is easier to reach than it sounds because the minutes accumulate. The current CSEP guidance counts your total moderate-to-vigorous minutes across the week with no minimum session length. The old rule that activity had to come in blocks of 10 minutes or more, which still appears on some older Government of Canada tip sheets, has been retired. A few active minutes here and there all add up.
The old 10-minute block rule has been retired, so every active minute counts toward the 150-minute weekly target. Source: CSEP 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
A simple way to plan it:
- 30 minutes, 5 days a week gets you to 150. A brisk walk at lunch does the job.
- Shorter bouts work too: three 10-minute walks in a day still count as 30 minutes.
- Stack strength onto two of those days with a short resistance session, so aerobic and muscle-strengthening targets share the same workout days.
You do not need a gym membership to meet the guidelines. Bodyweight moves like push-ups, squats, and lunges, along with resistance bands or a few dumbbells at home, cover the muscle-strengthening requirement. Training at home also removes the commute that stops many people from being consistent.
How Many Canadians Meet the Guidelines?
Most Canadian adults do not meet the physical activity guidelines. About 46% of adults meet the 150-minute weekly target, based on measured 2022 to 2024 data reported in the ParticipACTION adult report card. Among adults 65 and older, roughly 40% meet the weekly target, according to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute.
Fewer than half of Canadian adults meet the 150-minute weekly target, and older adults trail further. Sources: ParticipACTION adult report card (2022 to 2024 data); Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute.
For context, the World Health Organization recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, so Canada's target lines up with the global standard rather than exceeding it. The gap between the guideline and reality is largely a sitting problem, driven by long hours at desks and screens. For the fuller picture on inactivity in Canada, see our sedentary lifestyle statistics for Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the current Canadian physical activity guidelines?
The current guidelines are the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines from CSEP. For adults, they recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week, muscle-strengthening on 2 or more days, no more than 8 hours of sitting, and 7 to 9 hours of sleep, with separate targets for children, youth, and the early years.
Is strength training part of the 150 minutes?
No. The 150 weekly minutes refer to aerobic activity only. Muscle-strengthening on 2 or more days a week is a separate requirement, so a full week needs both aerobic minutes and strength sessions.
Is sleep really part of the physical activity guidelines?
Yes. The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines treat sleep as one of the core components alongside activity and sitting. Adults 18 to 64 should get 7 to 9 hours a night, adults 65+ should get 7 to 8 hours, and children and youth need more depending on age.
What is the best exercise for older adults?
There is no single best exercise. Older adults benefit most from a weekly combination of aerobic activity such as brisk walking, muscle-strengthening on 2 or more days, and balance exercises to prevent falls. This mix supports strength, mobility, and independence.
Do I need a gym to meet the guidelines?
No. Brisk walking covers aerobic minutes, and bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or a few dumbbells at home cover muscle-strengthening. A home setup makes it easier to stay consistent because there is no commute or membership standing in the way.
The Bottom Line
Canada's physical activity guidelines are more achievable than the headline number suggests. Accumulate 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity across the week, strength-train twice, sit less, and sleep well, and you have met the adult target, no gym or 10-minute blocks required. Every age has its own version, from 180 active minutes a day for toddlers to balance work for older adults, and with only about 46% of adults meeting the mark, small consistent changes go a long way.
The hardest part is usually consistency, and that is where training at home helps most. We have run Fitness Avenue as a Canadian home gym equipment retailer since 2007, and we stock the strength gear that covers the muscle-strengthening side of the guidelines, from dumbbells and racks to functional trainers, so hitting your two strength days does not depend on a gym commute. Explore our home gym collection or read how to build a home gym to set up a space that makes meeting these guidelines part of your routine.
Sources
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults 18 to 64
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults 65+
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years
- ParticipACTION: Adult Report Card on Physical Activity
- Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute: Physical Activity Levels of Adults
- World Health Organization: Physical Activity
- Government of Canada: Physical Activity Tips for Adults 18 to 64
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology: Children and Youth Guidelines Announcement
