Torontonians are less active than other Canadians, a new study has found.

Some 57 per cent of Torontonians aged 12 and older were inactive during their leisure time in 2007-08, compared to a national average of 50 per cent, according the 2010 Get Active Toronto Report on Physical Activity. The Toronto number is up six percentage points since 2005.

The report, to be released Tuesday, was prepared by Get Active Toronto, a coalition of public and private organizations, including Toronto Public Health, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Toronto District School Board.

The most frequently cited barrier to physical activity is lack of time, according to the report.

“Work-life balance is a major factor,” said Cat Girotti, manager of Get Active Toronto, explaining why the city’s residents have less time for physical activity.

“Toronto likes to work. It’s the centre of commerce and that comes first.”

An “active” person is someone who walks at least an hour, jogs a minimum of 20 minutes or expends the equivalent amount of energy daily. An “inactive” person expends less energy on all leisure time activities than is required to walk for half an hour a day. A moderately active person is in between.

Activity levels are particularly low for immigrants, the report found. While 49 per cent of Canadian-born Torontonians are inactive, that number jumps to 64 per cent for immigrants.

“Many immigrants who have come to Toronto are struggling of the first few years. Maybe physical activity takes second place for awhile,” said Doug Norris, senior vice-president of Environics Analytics, another member of the coalition.

Girotti said immigrants tend to live in poorer neighbourhoods with limited access to recreational spaces.

“The actual physical environment is constructed in such a way that it’s difficult to be physically active. They live in an apartment, they have to get an elevator, the playgrounds aren’t always safe,” she said.

The findings in the report are derived from a variety of data sources, including the 2006 Census, the Canadian Community Health Survey, and school board and city studies.

After lack of time, Torontonians offered the following reasons for not being active: lack of willpower (20 per cent), physical discomfort (12 per cent), social isolation (8 per cent), intimidation (9 per cent), and embarrassment (7 per cent).

Norris said many people do not feel comfortable joining gyms or activities at recreational centres. They may not know how to use equipment or do workout routines. They may feel embarrassed about their strength and coordination or have issues with body image. And they may not feel they are part of the target audience for such activities, he said. Sometimes, even clothing plays a role.

The report found that the majority of students from grades 7 to 12 say they do not participate in any sports, neither at nor after school. Girls and children of low-income parents and immigrants are among the least active here.

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Girotti said many families can’t afford to enrol their children in extracurricular activities. For girls, peer pressure and social situations make physical activity less popular, she said.

The organization says the report can be a valuable tool in building a healthier city. Measuring and analyzing physical activity can help government and community agencies find ways to encourage active lifestyles.