Knowledge Nuggets

The connection between women’s health and sports has been studied for many years and recently it was translated into practice. As one of the first football clubs to incorporate research on women’s health into training and nutrition regimes, Chelsea Football Club Women partnered with bio-analytics company Orreco to monitor players’ menstrual cycles to enhance performance...

In the middle of an academic year and a busy sport season, student-athletes may find it difficult to cope with the demands on their time and pressure to perform. One way that student-athletes can work to maintain their mental health is to look for positives. In other words, identify the good that things that can...

According to 4-time Olympian and mental health advocate Clara Hughes, “[mental health] resources need to be more readily available and clearly laid out as to what they are, where they are and how to access them.” To address this gap, the Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada aims to equip sport participants,...

Sport programs have great potential to support the healing and recovery of injured and ill military personnel and their families. In fact, military personnel and their families alike benefit when sport programs recognize, appreciate and cultivate a sense of belonging for military families. Here are some tips to integrate military families into sport programs, which...

The postpartum transition (from childbirth to one-year postpartum) is among the most challenging identity shifts for women. Physical activity has the capacity to reconnect women with their new bodies, while improving mental health. With education and support, more women can safely resume physical activity after childbirth and benefit from improved well-being.

Research suggests youth sport training focusing on exploration is central for holistic development. An explorative approach to youth sport and physical activity is one that includes more opportunities for problem solving, autonomy and creativity, and engaging in different types of physical activities.

Fitness trackers and other wearable tech have become increasingly popular in sporting and non-sporting populations. Researchers have determined that activity trackers tend to encourage wearers to take approximately 1800 extra steps per day, equivalent to approximately 40 extra minutes of walking.

You don’t necessarily need a sport-specific mental health strategy or specialized staff to make an impact in the mental health space. Consistently and frequently communicating to athletes, coaches and support staff what mental health supports are available at no cost or subsidized cost, such as Game Plan or Lifeworks, is an easy and cheap place...

Physical inactivity is a global concern. Accelerating physical activity policy implementation is essential to achieve a 15% reduction in inactivity, a target set by World Health Organization (WHO). If every country implemented GAPPA, a set of evidence-based recommendations, this goal would be reached by 2030!

For women in the postpartum period, returning to physical activity should be a gradual process. Women who physically overextend themselves too soon after giving birth may experience delays in recovery. Low-impact activities, like walking, swimming or stretching, offer a great starting point for returning to movement.