The importance of the pelvic floor in returning to physical activity after childbirth

After childbirth, mothers have numerous concerns about their postpartum body and its capacity for returning to physical activity. One of the worries is whether physical activity may negatively affect the pelvic floor after pregnancy and delivery. The pelvic floor is a crucial group of muscles that helps maintain bladder and bowel control, support internal organs,…

Exercise for sleep

Wanting to exercise at night but worried that it will disrupt your sleep? Performing high-intensity exercise like running or cycling in the evening may benefit your nighttime sleep. The key is making sure that you finish your workout at least 2 hours before you plan to go to bed.

Healthy fathers

Father’s Day is this Sunday! Although entering parenthood can be an exciting time, it comes with new challenges and responsibilities. This can often limit the amount of physical activity that fathers partake in. Research shows that fathers who maintain optimal physical activity levels have better physical and mental health, enhanced positive father-child bonding, and are…

Practical ways to improve fitness

You do not need special equipment to reap the physical and mental benefits of physical activity. Simple bodyweight exercises, like running in place and burpees, performed vigorously over short periods, can boost cardiorespiratory fitness. A big advantage of short bodyweight routines is that they don’t require extra time, motivation, or access to expensive gym equipment.

Getting over ‘mom guilt’

Olympic bronze medalist and former world champion mountain biker Catharine Pendrel gave birth to her first child, Dara, 6 months before she represented Canada in Tokyo for her fourth Olympic Games. In the lead up to the Games, Pendrel discovered that she’s actually a better parent when she makes time for physical activity. “It felt…

Warm-up tips

Do you like to stretch before going for a run? Research shows that short durations of dynamic stretching (up to 4 minutes) are the most beneficial for running performance if there are no further warm-up activities after stretching. Static stretching, on the other hand, has no effect on performance but can reduce acute injuries by…

Returning to exercise postpartum: Supporting women’s physical activity after the birth of a child

This article was originally published by The Conversation on March 20, 2022 The birth of a child is a momentous occasion in a woman’s life. It may also be one of the most challenging transitions that women face, requiring adaptation to identity and role while undergoing a unique physiological transformation. Physical activity after recovery from birth…

The E’s of sport injury prevention

The 3 E’s (Education, Enforcement and Engineering) of Injury Prevention offer a framework that can help guide the development of community-based, injury prevention programs and initiatives. Together, stakeholder education and training, preventative rules, policies, and regulations, and the development of products and technologies all contribute to a reduced injury risk.

Preventing RED-S

Creating a healthy sport culture is critical for the prevention of relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). According to research, key prevention factors include education for athletes, coaches, trainers, administrators, parents and all involved in athlete care, and a zero-tolerance policy for toxic training environments or practices such as body shaming, over-exercising, and under-fuelling.

Reducing concussion risk 

Female athletes may be at a higher risk of sustaining a concussion than male athletes. Evidence-informed strategies to help reduce concussion risk among women, girls and female athletes include encouraging them to check their helmet’s fit regularly and incorporating neck strengthening exercises into their training programs.