Knowledge Nuggets

For parents/guardians and children, levels of anxiety and stress surrounding back to school plans may be high. Researchers from the University of Calgary recommend honest and open discussions and the use of the “name-it-to-tame-it” strategy to support a positive back to school transition.

Updated Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines redefine obesity as “a chronic disease characterized by excessive or abnormal body fat that impairs health”. The new guidelines were developed, in part, to address weight bias and stigmas which are often fueled by misconceptions about obesity, its causes, measurement, and impacts on health.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women over 35 worldwide, accounting for more deaths every year than all cancers combined. However, 80% of risk factors, including physical activity, are within a woman’s power to change. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation’s September JUMP IN for Women’s Heart Health campaign invites participants to...

Keeping track of your physical activity is one of the best ways to stick to a plan and improve your fitness. Use a journal to record the date, time of day and duration of activity, or go high-tech and use a pedometer, smartwatch, smartphone or GPS device to record the step count, minutes or distance...

In a recent scientific paper, the American Heart Association suggests increased participation of inactive and unfit individuals in vigorous and high-intensity activities, such as marathons, is linked to higher incidence of related cardiovascular events. Experts recommend “more is not always better” – to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of physical activity, slowly increase...

Accessing healthcare and other services (including sport, recreation, and social activities) during the pandemic may be particularly challenging for people with disabilities. Sport organizations can help to mitigate these challenges by planning virtual events (e.g., guest speakers, trivia), promoting a healthy lifestyle (e.g., video tutorials on adapted physical activity), and sharing information from public health...

Could a four-day work week be the future for Canada’s workforce? Research has shown employees can be as productive in 30 hours as they are in 40, because they waste less time and are better-rested.

The benefits of physical activity are widely known, but did you know just how much regular physical activity can reduce your risk of disease? Meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines can prevent heart disease, hypertension, stroke, colon cancer, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes — reducing the risk of premature death by up to 31%.

Could golf be the secret to healthy aging? Golfing at least once per month, was found to lower the risk of death among older adults. While the protective effects of playing golf have not been linked to reduction of heart attack and stroke risk, researchers note the positive effects of exercise and social interaction for...

Longitudinal studies allow us to observe behavioural changes and identify patterns over time, providing unique insight on how behaviours are affected by life events. New research using data from the Monitoring Activities of Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits (MATCH) study, which followed nearly 1,000 children for eight years, describes how Canadian youth follow different trajectories...