Memory boost

Exercise is one way to prevent the age-related decline of memory. In fact, new research shows that aerobic exercise may enhance memory in previously inactive older adults, with the potential for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to yield the greatest benefit.

Light physical activity benefits

ParticipACTION’s Report Card on Physical Activity for Adults states that 56% of adults living in Canada get at least 3 hours of light physical activity (LPA) each day. What is LPA and why does it matter? LPA is any activity that requires using up low levels of energy such as walking for leisure, standing work…

Beyond the medals: The health of retired high performance female athletes

Swimmer Summer McIntosh. Fencer Jessica Guo. Artistic swimmer Rosalie Boissonneault. These teenagers were among the youngest Canadian competitors in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Their intensive training will likely continue for many years to come as they search for even more success in their respective sports. But what happens later, when these female athletes put…

Winter Games injury prevention

Did you know that 12% of athletes competing in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games experienced an injury? While injury rates have remained similar across the last 3 Winter Olympics, there is considerable variation in incidence rates across sports. Understanding sport-specific variations in illness or injury can help with prevention and planning of healthcare during…

Self-compassion and injury recovery

After injury, athletes can experience a range of negative emotions and coping strategies (e.g., anxiety, worry, ruminating or dwelling, avoidance). Self-compassion can enable athletes to focus on healthier, more proactive ways of moving forward with recovery, and may even reduce injury occurrence by decreasing athletes’ physiological activation to stress and facilitating their ability to focus…

True North Challenge

Research shows that time spent outdoors being active is excellent for your mental health. When you exercise (especially outside), your body releases endorphins and feel-good chemicals that help boost your mood and beat the winter blues. If you’re looking for an easy way to get moving this month, join ParticipACTION’s True North Challenge, running February…

Why youth sport isn’t just for kids: it benefits mom too!

Highlights With approximately 75% of Canadian youth involved in organized youth sport, it’s uniquely positioned to promote mothers’ mental health and wellbeing. Youth sport offers opportunities for moms to: gain meaning through coaching and leadership experience pride and joy from observing their child compete interact with other adults and expand their social networks strengthen their family…

Exercise during pregnancy

Physical activity during pregnancy has many benefits for mom and baby, but many expecting moms have concerns about the safety of exercising while pregnant. The Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy is a self-assessment tool that helps moms-to-be determine if exercise is safe for them, and if they should seek medical advice before starting or continuing to exercise.

Culture of excellence

In the journey to achieve excellence in sport, there’s a tendency to focus on performance-related factors such as medal counts and marginal gains. But those are only 2 pieces of the puzzle. Mental and physical health and well-being, physical safety, psychological safety and self-determination are key person-related factors that contribute to successful high-performing sport cultures.

Warning signs of RED-S

Coaches, teammates, family, and friends can play an important role in recognizing the early warning signs that an athlete may have relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Warning signs include physical, behavioural, and psychological changes such as recurring injury and illness, restrictive eating, sleep difficulties, and becoming withdrawn and reclusive.