Low Income people are unable to get the physical activity they need

Just over half of Canadians making $20,000 a year or less participate in outdoor activities, while almost all of those making $150,000 or more do, according to Statistics Canada.

The differences between amount of people in the highest and lowest income bracket reporting that they participate in outdoor activity close to home are most visible in the overall participation, but they are reflected in every individual sport and activity too. While the numbers for the income brackets in between are inconsistent, in every single instance the richest people polled higher than the poorest. For activities like biking and kayaking, among others, it can be easily understood that some people can’t afford to buy the expensive items needed to participate, but for activities like walking it can be less clear at first.

This article mentions a study that shows that poorer people are more likely to be obese, not only because of a lack of opportunities to be active, but also because healthy food is more expensive and inaccessible for them. In addition to this, poorer people lead more stressful lives on average which can lead to overeating and obesity on its own.

This article cites a survey that showed that many of its lower income respondents said they didn’t exercise as often as they could because they feel unsafe walking or jogging in their own neighborhoods. Those people are also more likely to be unable to pay to get access to gyms and other indoor locations.

This article features a map of the US from a government report showing where adults are and are not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity. It also looks at a poll explaining why that is, which concludes that income is the most important factor. Interestingly, this article also says that only a quarter of all American adults actually do meet the recommended levels, and shows a break down by a number of other factors too, also from the government.  

Activity levels have a severe impact on health and overall well-being. Being unable to exercise because of safety concerns or inaccessible healthy food options can impact every aspect of an individual’s life, from their relationship with family members to work performance. While it may seem easy to suggest that someone not meeting the recommended levels of fitness and suffering for it is simply not exercising enough self-responsibility, there are factors that are out of their control that can be heavily impacting them. This cycle of poverty that pushes people down makes it extremely hard to get the help you need and carries down from generation to generation. If poverty is to be seriously confronted and we are to make progress in preventing it, there are a number of systemic issues that need to be addressed along with income inequality.

While these factors are often the result of age old policies and city planning that are not the fault of anyone alive today, it is in everyone’s best interest to examine what exacerbates poverty and what we can all do to help.