Knowledge Nuggets

Do your promotional strategies include the necessary information for athletes experiencing disability to feel safe, welcomed and confident in their participation? Don’t forget accessibility information, local transportation options, specialized equipment available, level of challenge, and coach certification.

Millions of people tune in to watch athletes from their own communities compete for Olympic and Paralympic medals. Research suggests youth perceive a special connection with elite athletes from their hometown because they share similar sport-related experiences, such as team or club affiliation, coaches, and facilities. This affiliation may support increased participation after major sport...

Limited interest from funders, difficulty adapting evidence from urban settings, and a lack of capacity or buy-in can limit physical activity and sport programs in rural settings. To overcome these challenges, research suggests that developing broad-based partnerships, building on existing resources, and focusing on the long-term vision are key.

Creating inclusive programs and environments is a priority for many organizations, but what does this mean in practice? Inspiring programs such as the Hijabi Ballers, Free Footie and the North Preston Surf Program put the inclusion principles of respect, dignity and openness into action.

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...

A new stress test created to evaluate bike lanes in the city of Edmonton is helping researchers better understand what deters potential cyclists from the downtown core. The new “Level of Cycling Comfort framework” offers a more accurate assessment of cyclists’ comfort level than current guidelines and could help city planners remove hidden barriers to...

In many countries, sport participation decreases with age. In Japan, however, participation rates amongst the elderly have increased over the last decade, and are the highest among all Japanese. Research suggests that the high participation rate amongst this demographic group is influenced by their experience of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games.

Despite high public angst about concussions in sport, participation in football is on the rise. Football Canada reported a 44% increase in the participation of boys and girls up to the U18 level between 2014-2018. In the SIRC blog, learn how Football Canada is using research and innovative technology to keep the sport safe through...

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%.