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Ask students whether they exercise or not. As a class, brainstorm reasons why people do or do not exercise. Most students will agree that it is a reasonable thing to do. The majority of Canadians find that the obstacles to fitness are greater than the incentives and are unfit as a result.

Have students visit the topic Canada Gets Physical on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. They will view Clips #1, 2, 3, 6, and 9, as well as the Additional Clip “Out of shape in Thunder Bay.”

As they view, students should look for answers to the following questions:

What characteristics of our society make “exercise” (activity for the purpose of improving fitness) necessary?

Why are so few people motivated by the health risks associated with obesity?

Do you think affluence and obesity are related? Is there a better indicator? Try to think both within Canada and globally.

Ask students to share their impressions and responses. Then ask: Do you think programs like ParticipACTION and mandatory exercise in schools are effective ways to encourage physical fitness? Have students brainstorm all the ways they can think of to encourage physical fitness.

Student can conduct a poll of their families, classmates, or community to explore the reasons why more people don’t exercise. Devising clear, unbiased questions may be more difficult than students initially expect. Students can test their survey a few times to see if the data they gather truly reflects trends, or if they need to revise their questions.