Fitness

What do I Need to Know about Fitness in Canada?

Recent studies show that fitness activities can reduce health care costs by thousands of dollars per person. Proactively funding senior fitness is an innovative way to encourage better health and relieve excess costs from the beleaguered system.

“Fitness” can mean very different things to different people. But no matter your abilities or activity levels, finding ways to move that is appropriate to your individual situation is a step towards better health. From wheelchair yoga to walking with a neighbour to Pickleball, getting active benefits your health.

The reality is that while government has a very important role to play, you are your own best advocate in promoting a longer, healthier life through healthful choices related to eating, moving, sleeping, and well-being.

How is CARP Advocating?

The government should do more to support fitness for seniors.

Proactively funding senior fitness is an innovative way to encourage better health and relieve excess costs from the beleaguered system.

CARP’s demand:

All governments should do more to support fitness for seniors – in all parts of Canada, rural and remote.

This is a shared priority for the provincial and federal governments,

The government should introduce a $1,200 refundable tax credit that will incentivize more seniors to take part in fitness programs, and more providers to create such programs and opportunities.
There are already some programs (such as High Five for Older Adults) that would see participation rates increase if there were financial incentives. There is a lot of scope in this area!
The provincial governments should work more actively with regional and municipal governments to revisit their existing recreational programs and redesign them to better meet the needs and demands of older adults in their communities.
Local communities will also find cost savings in other programs, if they can do more to boost the health and fitness of their aging population.