Knowledge Nuggets

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%.

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...

With return to play top of mind for many sport organizations, it’s important to remember that no one should be left out. Developing an inclusive return to play plan (that, for example, considers the needs of persons with disabilities) is crucial for ensuring that all Canadians have safe and equitable access to sport and recreation...

As temperatures begin to rise, many Canadians seek to cool off in a nearby body of water. Sadly, drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional death for Canadian children ages one to four. This blog from the Red Cross provides three tips to keep children safe around water this summer, including creating barriers...

Everesting is the latest fad sweeping the cycling world. The concept is easy – pick any hill, anywhere in the world, and complete repeats of it in a single activity on bike (or on foot or online), until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mount Everest. Current cycling record holders are two climbing...

As Canadians retreated to their homes to limit the spread of COVID-19, researchers from the University of the Fraser Valley launched a study to examine how life in lockdown would affect physical activity and wellbeing. Research results show those who became more active during the pandemic reported lower anxiety than those who spent less time in outdoor physical activity;...

“It’s quite possible that youth are having difficulties coping with the lack of structured learning, friendly competition, and most of all, social interaction with teammates that comes with participation in sport.” University of Alberta youth sport researcher Nick Holt recommends keeping kids connected to the benefits of sport through backyard practices, engagement in fun social...