Using a pedometer to count steps may help with motivation. (Jon C. Hancock, Associated Press)

Canadians may need more exercise than thought to stay slim and fit: at least 60 to 90 minutes a day.

Research indicates that, given the eating habits of Canadians, it would take at least 60 to 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day to prevent weight gain and keep the heart and lungs healthy.

Currently, the Public Health Agency of Canada recommends a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes a day, along with resistance training and flexibility.

But the guidelines are 12 years old and, according to some fitness and health experts, need an overhaul.

The United States has already updated its guidelines. Since 2008, Americans have been advised to:

• Participate in at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily physical activity of moderate intensity while maintaining weight loss.
• Engage in about 60 minutes of activity of moderate-to-vigorous intensity on most days of the week to manage weight or prevent gradual weight gain in adulthood.

Activity of moderate intensity would cause you to break into a sweat. If you can exercise and still carry on a conversation, then you are likely in the moderate zone. If you can no longer talk then the activity is considered vigorous.

Lower official target in Canada

In Canada, the message on exercise has been mixed, said Dr. Marco Di Buono, the Ontario research director for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

"It's only when federal government and provincial governments and all health organizations are talking about the same 60 to 90-minute target that we're hopefully going to get Canadians understanding that that's what they need to do every single day."

Still, the call for a higher standard for daily exercise might be enough to frighten some people away from exercise altogether, some experts say.

"I think the scary thing is if people look at the recommendation and just give up," Maureen MacDonald, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, said in an interview Tuesday.

That's why MacDonald is focusing on research that shows the recommended 60 to 90 minutes a day can be accumulated in bouts of only 10 minutes.

"I think that is more reflective of what is possible for the average Canadian," MacDonald said.

MacDonald aims to offer evidence-based advice on how people can weave exercise into their normal routine, such as getting up to fold laundry during commercial breaks.

Other suggestions include:

• Using a pedometer to count steps.
• Logging time spent on fitness equipment, such as an elliptical trainer.
• Using heart rate monitors.

Diane Finegood, an obesity expert at Simon Fraser University in B.C., said she now wears a pedometer after losing about 80 pounds over many years.

"My goal is to get 12,500 steps most days of the week," she said in an interview Wednesday,

Finegood said everyone benefits from increased physical activity, even if the recommended targets aren't reached quickly.

If the goal seems unattainable, experts say, people might be able to exercise at the lower end of the guideline and eat fewer calories.

Toronto resident Tammy Thompson was surprised to hear she needed to do more daily exercise.

"I thought an hour was good," Thompson said Wednesday while out for a walk with her dog. "I was shocked, so I'll definitely try to do more than a hour."