CALGARY -- Canadian youth have received a bad grade on their physical activity report card.

ParticipACTION released the 14th edition of its Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, which gives kids a D+ for overall physical activity and screen time, and a failing grade for overall movement behaviour.

The report card says that only 4.8 per cent of children (ages 5-11) and 0.8 per cent of youth (ages 12-17)  have been meeting the 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is significantly lower than pre-COVID.

"Canadian kids, for a number of years now, have not been achieving the physical activity guidelines put out by the Canadian society for exercise physiology," said Dr. Mark Tremblay, chief scientific officer for the ParticipACTION Report Card.

"Physical activity is pretty broad benefits to children and if we can establish healthy habits early on and perpetuate them throughout life, that would lead to significant increase in quality of life and decrease in disease."

ParticipACTION's report card showed that only 15 per cent of Albertan toddlers met screen time recommendations, and spent over five and a half hours per day doing sedentary activities.

The report also says that families are essential in promoting and instilling healthy habits in their children. Children from families that consider themselves active are more likely to continue identifying as an active individual throughout their life.

Activities such as going for walks, bike rides, and playing in the park all help contribute to a child's physical activity levels.

"Our research is showing us that parents need to be cheerleaders for their kids, they need to motivate and encourage them. In addition to that, they need to be good role models so be physically active themselves, and particularly beneficial if you will co-participate with the kids," Tremblay noted.

"Schedules are a little bit more flexible for people. So, this might be a good opportunity for families to re-calibrate their active time together."

ParticipACTION's report showed that 92 per cent of Alberta teens from Grade 9 to 12 have parents or guardians that support their involvement in physical activities. It argues this number, and the results for many of its indications, need to be much higher.