Fifteen million Canadians devote half of their working hours to work. People who are sedentary at work are also sedentary outside the workplace and much more so as the Canadian labor force population is aging.  The costs of group benefits and absenteeism are most likely to rise significantly unless the workers increase their physical activity levels.

• - Create a culture of quality and an environment based on the health and productivity of each employee;
• - Incorporate the Active Living program in the organization's human resources strategy;
• - Promote partnerships and collaboration between employees, their associations and unions;
• - Encourage employees to develop Active Living at work strategies and projects.

Points to consider before starting

Most organizations that currently offer fitness programs to their employees make agreements with existing fitness centres in the vicinity (83% of the centres offer reduced corporate rates). The organizations that consider it profitable to build and operate onsite facilities are mainly major corporations (over 1,000 employees).