Age and physical activity among Canadian women and men: Findings from longitudinal national survey data

This study reports on age-group differences in leisure-time sport and physi cal activity involvement among a large sample of Canadians interviewed at 2 points during the 1980s. Comparisons are made for 5 age cohorts, for men a nd women, and without and with multivariate controls. The results contradic t the usual finding of an inverse relationship between age and level of phy sical activity. On measures of (a) activity necessary to produce health ben efits and (b) energy expenditure, Canadians over 65 were as active as, or m ore active than, their younger counterparts, and their activities did not d ecline over the 7 years between interviews. The extent of change varied by age and across women and men. Among women, increases in involvement were gr eatest in the middle-aged. Among men, the greatest increase was in the olde st age groups. For both genders, the youngest age cohort showed the smalles t change over time, and there was evidence of slight declines in activity l evels among young men.