National Health and Fitness Day in Canada is quickly approaching and is encouraging Canadians to take control of their physical activity. National Health and Fitness Day is observed on June 3, 2023, and the purpose is to encourage people to get out and be active in any way they wish. Mobile health apps contribute to the cause by encouraging people to engage in physical activity, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
In 2014, the National Health and Fitness Day Act, Bill S-211 became law in Canada. The primary reason for the passage is because the daily physical activity in Canada is on the decline, and the number of preventable illness diagnoses is on the rise. The motive is that by encouraging people to increase their physical activity, they may also be improving the overall health of Canadians.
Alexandra Murdoch, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Physical activity is important not only to our physical health but our mental health too. It’s important to try to get some exercise in daily, whether it’s a trip to the gym, a run, or a quick walk. One tool that can be helpful to those who are trying to become more active are mobile health apps, specifically those that are geared towards health and fitness.”
A recent GlobalData report, Mobile Health Apps, categorizes these types of apps as Health Management Apps, which generally do not require a prescription and are usually quite accessible if one owns a smartphone. Many Health Management Apps are available to download through different app stores, and there are several different types of apps with different uses. Some apps that target health and fitness will allow the user to learn different types of workouts, count their steps, count their calories, and more.
According to the report, MyFitnessPal was one of the most downloaded Health Management Apps, as of December 2022. MyFitnessPal allows users to track their steps, exercises, calories, and macros (such as protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake). It also allows users to set health goals, such as lose, gain, or maintain weight. Other popular health and fitness apps include Fitbit and Garmin Connect, both with similar features to MyFitnessPal.
Murdoch concludes: “Health and fitness is an important topic, and something that should be encouraged to improve the overall health of citizens. Canada is not the only country with a day to encourage fitness, the US, UK, and all of Europe also have similar days throughout the year.”
