Most adults in Canada know that getting active is good for them, improving their mental health, boosting their energy, helping them sleep better and lowering their risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. But if you feel like making room to move is easier said than done, you’re not the only one!
According to our 2025 Report Card on Physical Activity for Adults, only 46% of adults in Canada meet the national guideline of 150 minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and just 32% meet the daily step recommendation of 7,500 a day. So, what’s standing in the way?
To answer this, we recently surveyed adults across the country and summed up our findings in our new report: What’s Stopping Us? The Generational Barriers to Physical Activity in Canada. We uncovered the top physical activity barriers that adults in Canada are experiencing and how they differ between four different generations: Gen Z (18 to 27 years old), Millennials (28 to 43), Gen X (44 to 58) and Baby Boomers (59 to 64).
Five physical activity barriers consistently showed up for all four generations. Keep reading to find out what they are and learn tips to help you move past them.
Barrier #1: Lack of motivation
Is your drive to get moving in short supply? We’ve got a few strategies to help you fuel it.
How to overcome it:
- Remind yourself of why you want to be active. To lift your mood? To sleep better? To boost your energy? To help prevent disease? To feel less out of breath after climbing stairs? All are valid! Having a clear idea of your reasons for getting moving can help you stay motivated.
- Set realistic, small goals to boost your confidence or match how motivated you are in the moment. For example, if you don’t feel confident or motivated enough to head to a gym to do a 30-minute workout, try a 10-minute walk/wheel around your neighbourhood or five minutes of at-home bodyweight exercises.
- Pick activities you truly enjoy doing. Don’t like any? No problem – pair one with something that sparks joy for you. If you love watching films or TV shows, for instance, do some stretches or use a treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike while watching them. Enjoy listening to podcasts, audiobooks or music? Tune into them while walking/wheeling, jogging or doing active household chores.
- Reward yourself after you get active. Read a chapter of a novel, watch a TV show episode or movie, soak in a bath or hot tub, or relax in a sauna or steam room if your recreation centre, gym, apartment complex or condo building has one.
- Gamify your physical activity. Log it on apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit or Strava. Some even reward you with prizes for tracking your movement through digital challenges, like our Make Room to Move and Sneak It In challenges that we run on the free Optimity app every year.
Barrier #2: Feeling tired and fatigued
While this may seem counterintuitive, getting active can actually boost your energy and decrease feelings of tiredness.
How to deal with it:
- Get seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night. If you don’t get enough of it, you likely won’t have the energy to be active. For tips and tricks to help you get a good night’s sleep, read this blog post.
- Plan to get active at times when you typically feel more energetic. For instance, post-waking up, after drinking a cup of coffee, matcha or caffeinated tea, or during your lunch break.
- Try gentle movement. Not every physical activity session has to be intense for you to experience the benefits. A short walk/wheel around the block, light stretching, tai chi or gentle yoga can all play a role in improving your health.
- Fuel your movement with nutritious foods. Our website is chock full of simple recipes for movement-fueling meals and snacks that will give you the energy you need to support an active lifestyle.
Barrier #3: Not enough time
With jampacked schedules and never-ending to-do lists, life can be hectic! But it’s still possible to make physical activity part of your busy days.
How to overcome it:
- Track your daily activities for a week and identify time slots (even five- or 10-minute ones) where you could add some active time the next week.
- Book movement appointments in your calendar and treat them as “must-do’s” – just like you would with work meetings or medical appointments.
- Sneak it in whenever you can. Engage in short, five- to 10-minute movement bouts throughout your day.
- Use active transportation to accomplish regular daily tasks. Walk/wheel to shops and appointments or cycle or take public transit to work or school.
- Turn waiting around into moving around. March on the spot, pace back and forth or do bodyweight exercises while waiting in line or for the elevator.
For more tips on making time to get active, read this blog post.
Barrier #4: Cost
These days, gym memberships and workout equipment can feel like luxuries. Luckily you don’t need to belong to a gym or own fancy exercise gear to get all the amazing benefits of an active lifestyle.
How to deal with it:
- Perform bodyweight exercises. Want to get stronger without pricey workout equipment? Try bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, glute bridges and sit-ups.
- Follow along with free online exercise videos. Tons of free workout videos are available on the web – all you need is a computer, tablet or smartphone. Hint: our website has a huge library of inclusive and accessible exercise videos to choose from!
- Get active in the great outdoors. It’s usually free and provides you with fresh air and vitamin D-boosting sunlight. Walk/wheel, jog, cycle or rollerblade around your neighbourhood or on local trails and paths. You can also play sports like pickleball or disc golf for free at community parks.
- Buy inexpensive or second-hand exercise equipment like resistance bands, yoga mats, kettlebells, dumbbells, jump ropes and exercise balls at online marketplaces, yard sales and thrift stores. To save money, time and space, purchase multi-purpose exercise equipment such as an exercise ball or step that you can use to work multiple parts of your body.
- Join free or low-cost community programs, classes or drop-in activities offered at recreation centres or your local YMCA. Some even provide financial assistance if you need it.
Barrier #5: Weather
From freezing winters to sweltering summers, Canada’s weather is varied and unpredictable.
How to overcome it:
- Make backup plans. If it’s too hot, cold or wet outside, turn an outdoor bike ride into a stationary bike session, a stroll/roll around the block into a mall walk/wheel or a beach swim into laps at your local indoor community pool.
- Dress for the conditions. In winter, wear layers, long underwear, a warm jacket, a toque, a scarf or neck warmer, gloves or mittens and warm, waterproof boots. When there’s a torrential downpour, wear a raincoat and waterproof footwear or rain boots. On a hot summer’s day, wear a sun hat or baseball cap, shorts and a shirt made of breathable material.
- Embrace seasonal activities. Remember that there are some activities you can only do during certain times of year, so enjoy them while you can! For example, you can only snowshoe, toboggan, ski and snowboard during winter and swim at outdoor pools in summer.
- Adjust your timing. Check the forecast and plan to get active outdoors before or after it’s expected to rain, snow or become too hot or cold for your liking.
- Put your safety first. If the weather conditions are unsafe (extreme cold or heat, poor air quality, ice storms), stay indoors – getting active is meant to support your health rather than put it at risk.
Barriers to physical activity are part of life. While you can’t totally get rid of them, you can find flexible and realistic ways to move around them. Each step or push and stretch counts, because when it comes to getting active, something is always better than nothing!
