What the Research SaysResearch shows: when mom coaches or participates in sport and physical activity, everybody wins! |
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Giving birth to a child is an extraordinary life event.
You and your body have gone through an amazing physical and emotional ordeal.
Once you welcome your baby home, nothing is ever the same again. These next several months are so important for you to take care of both yourself and your little one.
That’s why SIRC, in partnership with the Government of Canada, Brock University and the University of the Fraser Valley are pleased to share the Mothers Moving Forward resource – a Postpartum Guide to being physically active.
It includes everything you need to Get Started, Taking Care of Your Postpartum Self, Strategies to Support Your Physical Activity Journey and Daily Reminders to keep yourself on track.
So, whether you are a beginner mover looking to start a physical activity routine, or an avid exerciser or athlete, we hope you will find this guidebook useful and informative.
Canada’s Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), supported by the Government of Canada, is leading a pilot media campaign this fall. Mom’s Got Game (Vas-y, Maman!) is a bilingual initiative encouraging, celebrating and supporting moms of school-aged kids to play sport and be active. Through partner engagement and digital, radio, and television advertisements, #MomsGotGame (#VasYMaman) aims to:
- Celebrate moms who are making efforts to play sports and be physically active;
- Provide resources for moms to get involved in sport for the first time, or to participate more often; and
- Change the perceptions and attitudes of friends and family (e.g., partners, children) to support mom’s physical activity and sport participation.
The benefits of physical activity and sport participation cannot be understated[1]. And while moms recognize the importance of physical activity for their health and wellbeing, they often prioritize the needs of their children, household, or employer above their own (Hamilton & White, 2010; Krouse et al., 2011).
Indeed, women report significant decreases in their physical activity levels after giving birth to their first child (McIntyre & Rhodes, 2009). Up to 75% of moms experience barriers to regular physical activity, including lack of time and social support, fatigue, childcare, and obligations to other roles (Verhoef & Love, 1992)—and these barriers may be exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, resources and support provided through #MomsGotGame (#VasYMaman) will consider the unique challenges
and circumstances for mothers in the time of COVID-19.
Through #MomsGotGame, SIRC envisions a “new normal” where more moms are playing sports and getting active!
[1] See “Physical Activity and COVID-19: A Review of the Benefits and Effective Behaviour Change Strategies” on SIRC.ca.