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Cops get fit

In the 1970s, Canadians went from couch potatoes to super jocks. Well, not quite. But at least during that decade they did start to get up and get fit. It was thanks to nagging TV ads, the example of an active prime minister and embarrassment compared to some very robust Swedes. But the nagging hasn't been entirely successful. Thirty years later the average Canadian is still overweight and spends more time on the sofa than at the gym.

Four years after Trudeau's Liberals started ParticipACTION, even police officers have joined the fitness craze. On The Fit Stop, a CBC Television program dedicated entirely to fitness, police recruits perform an elaborate exercise routine from stretches to jumping jacks. "Two hundred ... after jumping on the spot!" Constable Andy McLellan shouts. In his blue Adidas shorts and tube socks, he puts the men through their morning paces.
• Intense cardiovascular fitness, such as running, became trendy in the 1970s. Workouts by fitness gurus Jane Fonda and Jim Fixx helped start the trend. Both advocated at least 20 minutes of vigorous activity no fewer than three times a week. The activity had to raise your heart rate and make your muscles "feel the burn."
Medium: Television
Program: The Fit Stop
Broadcast Date: Jan. 14, 1975
Guest(s): Andy McClellan, Bryce Taylor, Clarke Wallace
Host: Jan Tennant
Duration: 7:45

Last updated: February 7, 2012

Page consulted on November 23, 2012

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