According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, most Canadians mistakenly believe that country and suburban life are better for your heart than living in the city. In fact, the group says that's a dangerous myth.

In its Annual Report Card on Canadians' Health, the foundation says 80 per cent of Canadians believe city life is detrimental to health because of its high-pressure, fast-paced lifestyle.

But in fact, city-dwellers are twice as likely to walk, bike or take public transit to get to work compared to their non-urban counterparts. City residents also walk or bike to do daily chores.

All that walking and biking is good for our hearts. Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesman Dr. Anthony Graham says our dependence on cars is killing us.

"We have to start focusing on healthy lifestyle habits to replace our 'drive-through' mentality," he says.

"This Report Card is a wake-up call for all Canadians, especially those living outside major urban centres, to take a look at their communities and their lifestyles.

"Research has demonstrated that routine physical activity is one factor that can be linked to the lower rate of obesity observed in major urban centres."

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation:

• each kilometre walked per day reduces the likelihood of becoming obese by nearly five per cent
• each hour spent in a car increases the likelihood of becoming obese by six per cent.

"These percentages add up quickly, given the amount of time commuters spend in cars every day," Graham says. "No one should take them lightly."

But it's not just the commuting that hurts heart health. Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Robert Ross says faulty urban planning is also to blame.

"Retail services outside of urban areas are designed with automobile access as a priority," he said. "Sidewalks and cycle lanes are conspicuous by their absence, making suburban and rural-dwelling Canadians prisoners to their cars."

The good news is there's a way to fix all this.

"Governments need to recognize that approaches to community design that make it possible, and better yet rational, to walk to destinations has become a health policy issue that's critical to protecting public health," said Dr. Larry Frank, member of the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Promotion and Policy Advisory Committee.

In the meantime, Canadians living in the country and suburbs can make a difference too, by making physical activity a part of their daily lives. The foundation suggests taking the stairs, parking your car further away and getting off one bus stop earlier to add up your exercise minutes.