He received his PhD in recreation and leisure studies from the University of Waterloo with a thesis on the topic of leisure and spiritual well-being. Heintzman is the editor of a special issue of the journal Leisure/Loisir on the theme of leisure and spirituality and coeditor of the book Christianity and Leisure: Issues in a Pluralistic Society. He is a member of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies and the Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies. In 2003 he received the Society of Park and Recreation Educators Teaching Innovation Award for creative experiential learning activities developed for a fourth-year class on leisure and spirituality, and in 2007 he was a recipient of the Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies’ Literary Award.