Knowledge Nuggets

Outdoor play is a basic childhood need, and taking risks is an essential part of play. Whether sledding down a hill, building a snow fort, or playing pond hockey, children are often happiest when playing, and this type of risky play contributes to children’s health, development and wellbeing. Unfortunately, research indicates only 37% of children play...

The “relative age effect” (RAE) advantages relatively older individuals in an age group while disadvantaging the relatively youngest. This age inequality can have significant impacts on sport and educational performance, and long-term health and wellbeing. Learn more in the SIRCuit.

Walking for transportation or leisure can contribute to the health of our nation. “Walk Score” is a scientifically validated method for measuring the walkability of any address based on proximity to nearby amenities and pedestrian friendliness (i.e. population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density). Click here to check out the...

While 71% of Albertans report meeting daily sleep recommendations, 25% rate their sleep quality as fairly bad to very bad, according to the 2019 Alberta Survey on Physical Activity. Sleep behaviour is an important determinant of health and wellbeing, with impacts on neural development, learning, memory, emotional regulation, metabolic health, and cardiovascular health.

Reconstruction surgery has become a viable method for athletes to return to play after suffering an ACL injury, yet one third of patients will develop osteoarthritis within 10 years. Researchers have found that the way a patient moves after surgery has significant implications for their long-term recovery. Patients who reported lingering symptoms post-surgery were found...

Is there a future for kids’ multi-sport programming in Canada? This was the question during an interactive panel presentation at the 2018 Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Conference. Learn more about the discussion in today’s SIRC blog, the last in a series about the value and possibility of a multi-sport approach to sport and physical activity in...

Looking for a way to enhance your mood, improve your memory and slow cognitive decline? Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki talks about the short- and long-term brain-changing benefits of exercise in this insightful and personal Ted Talk.

Is shedding a few pounds on your list of New Year’s resolutions? This ParticipACTION blog asks “why?” Whatever your goal, effective tips include focusing on something under your control, getting in touch with your deepest desires, and setting a positive goal.

Sport practitioners are embracing a multisport approach to enhance skill development and reduce athlete burnout and injury. But could a multisport approach also lead to a longer life? An active, multisport life might be the secret of the “World’s Most Extreme Grandpa”.

An infographic from the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport identifies five stakeholder groups that play an important roles in advocating for, changing/developing, and implementing optimal sport and physical activity contexts for girls and young women – parents, peers, physical activity leaders, program leaders, and community leaders.