Knowledge Nuggets

The total health care costs of physical inactivity among Canadians exceed $6.8 billion annually. Yet, simply getting 10% of Canadians with low physical activity levels to move more could inject $1.6 billion back into the economy and decrease health care spending by $2.6 billion by 2040. Read the 2019 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity...

Research shows girls’ participation in school-based intramural programs is low. PHE Canada’s ReBoot Intramurals initiative is designed to boost the quality of programming to ensure girls have positive experiences that will shape their physical activity attitudes and behaviours for life. Watch the video to learn more, and download the practical toolkit.

Is weight training appropriate for children and youth, or does it risk damaging growth plates and stunting growth? A review of the literature in the SIRCuit provides parents, coaches and athletes with the facts.

Tennis Canada’s Covered Courts Program is driven by insights from a national survey. Findings revealed 90% of tennis players, and 51% of all Canadians (including those that haven’t picked up a racquet in over 12 months) would play more if there was a covered court nearby. Further, 90% of Canadians agreed that municipalities should work...

We flunked! The new ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Adults assigned us a ‘D’ grade in “overall physical activity.” Only 16% of adults living in Canada are active enough to meet the recommended guidelines of at least 150 minutes of heart-pumping physical activity each week. Read the full report here.

The Fall SIRCuit is now available! Check out our newest collection of articles, providing timely and relevant research and insights relating to leadership, athlete development, and high performance sport: Increasing Distinction in Para Sport Event Management MATCH: Spotlight on a Canadian Study on Sport Participation Is There a Role for Weight Training in the Physical...

The development of physical literacy is essential to life-long participation in sport and physical activity. Learn how teachers and parents (and program leaders, coaches, and others!) can be allies in ensuring students develop the “motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life” in the...

Research from the Université de Montréal found that children with low or no participation in organized sport from ages 6-10 showed higher emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, and social withdrawal at age 12 than those who participated regularly. The authors suggest that emotional skills learned through sport can help youth successfully navigate the transition from primary...

Hockey Canada recommends a ratio of two (or more) practices for every game played — claiming that one efficient practice will provide a player with more opportunities for skill development that 11 games combined. This article from The Conversation explores how the competition-oriented structure and win-at-all-costs culture of minor hockey limits opportunities for players to...

Physical literacy is a central component of physical education curricula across the country. But the concept may be unfamiliar to many parents. Today’s SIRC blog helps demystify the concept so parents can be allies with teachers in supporting student success.