Canadians may know how to protect their health, but many aren’t taking the time or making the effort to do so, according to a study by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC).
According to the survey, time is the number one health barrier for Canadians, with 46% of respondents saying long work days and lack of free time prevent them from maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As well, 31% said that commuting eats into their time for physical activity and 41% said that healthy meals take too long to prepare.
“The sad irony is that the ‘time barrier’ is getting in the way of steps that can help Canadians avoid heart disease and stroke, add years to their life, and ultimately, life to their years,” says Dr. Beth Abramson, cardiologist and spokesperson with the HSFC.
The HSFC has launched a campaign, called Make Death Wait, which challenges Canadians to take charge of their heart health by encouraging them to make one million healthy actions by the end of February 2012. As part of the campaign, the foundation has outlined some proposed solutions to Canadians’ most commonly cited health barriers.
Lack of time
With work, commuting and family obligations, Canadians are facing a number of time crunches. However, Statistics Canada also reports that 29% of Canadians 20 years or older spend two or more hours a day watching television. In addition, 15% of Canadians age 20 and over report spending at least 1.5 hours a day of their leisure time on their computers.
“Some of the time spent in sedentary leisure activities could easily be devoted to more active and healthy pursuits,” says Dr. Abramson. “Those who say they have no time should take comfort in the knowledge that stints of 10 minutes are beneficial.”
Lack of facilities
A quarter of respondents said lack of facilities is a barrier to being active; however, you don’t need to go to a facility to be fit, says the HSFC. Research by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute found that 66% of Canadians reported there are safe places to walk in their communities and 45% said their communities have designated physical activity and sport facilities.
As well, the HSFC has developed a Community Design Tool Kit to help Canadians champion for healthy changes within their communities, such as adding or improving walking trails, bike paths and other health-promoting environments.
Lack of motivation
Half of survey respondents say they lack the ability to get motivated, and—more importantly—to sustain the motivation to make healthier choices.
Four out of 10 said that they’ve tried to start exercising or become more active but weren’t able to maintain it, while a third of survey respondents said they’ve tried to improve their diets in the past but couldn’t maintain it. Challenges included the fact that 44% use food to address emotional issues such as stress or depression, 41% think preparing healthy meals takes too long and 35% are convinced healthy foods aren’t as tasty.
Small steps can lead to big results, says the HSFC. It suggests being active with a partner, using a pedometer or tracking activity as a way to stay motivated. For inspiration, the HSFC’s Health Check Recipe Helper App provides tips, tools and recipes for healthy living.