Sedentary behaviour

Sedentary behaviours involve very little movement while awake. They include sitting or lying down while watching television, using phones or tablets, using a computer, traveling passively (e.g., using a car instead of walking), or operating equipment.

Spending long periods of time being sedentary can increase your risk for chronic diseases and mortality, even if you are physically active.

For information and guidelines on sedentary behaviour for different age groups, visit the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. The Canadian Paediatric Society provides tips and strategies to make changes to your family’s screen time habits and to make activity a priority for your family. ParticipACTION also offers practical tips for adults to limit sedentary and stationary time, and recreational screen time.