Bringing a Trauma-Sensitive Focus into Children’s Active Play

It’s September – a traditional time of transition. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, children are confronting significant change and uncertainty. Children are at elevated risks of negative physical and mental health consequences for several reasons (Chanchlani et al., 2020). First, school, daycare, and community programming closures in March 2020 resulted in potential loss…

Tracking Your Physical Activity

Keeping track of your physical activity is one of the best ways to stick to a plan and improve your fitness. Use a journal to record the date, time of day and duration of activity, or go high-tech and use a pedometer, smartwatch, smartphone or GPS device to record the step count, minutes or distance…

Exercise & Cardiac Risk

In a recent scientific paper, the American Heart Association suggests increased participation of inactive and unfit individuals in vigorous and high-intensity activities, such as marathons, is linked to higher incidence of related cardiovascular events. Experts recommend “more is not always better” – to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of physical activity, slowly increase…

Accessibility During COVID-19

Accessing healthcare and other services (including sport, recreation, and social activities) during the pandemic may be particularly challenging for people with disabilities. Sport organizations can help to mitigate these challenges by planning virtual events (e.g., guest speakers, trivia), promoting a healthy lifestyle (e.g., video tutorials on adapted physical activity), and sharing information from public health…

4-Day Work Week

Could a four-day work week be the future for Canada’s workforce? Research has shown employees can be as productive in 30 hours as they are in 40, because they waste less time and are better-rested.

Meeting Guidelines to Reduce Risk

The benefits of physical activity are widely known, but did you know just how much regular physical activity can reduce your risk of disease? Meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines can prevent heart disease, hypertension, stroke, colon cancer, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes — reducing the risk of premature death by up to 31%.

Healthy Aging and Golf

Could golf be the secret to healthy aging? Golfing at least once per month, was found to lower the risk of death among older adults. While the protective effects of playing golf have not been linked to reduction of heart attack and stroke risk, researchers note the positive effects of exercise and social interaction for…

Youth Behaviour Trajectories

Longitudinal studies allow us to observe behavioural changes and identify patterns over time, providing unique insight on how behaviours are affected by life events. New research using data from the Monitoring Activities of Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits (MATCH) study, which followed nearly 1,000 children for eight years, describes how Canadian youth follow different trajectories…

The Psychological Implications of Returning to Sport Post-Isolation

As public health restrictions begin to lift across the country, the return to some form of sport participation will require adjustment and adaptation. As athletes return to sport, the virus is still present, and so is the uncertainty. The cancellation of sport events and the imposition of stay-at-home and physical distancing protocols over the last…

The Science Behind Procrastination

New research led by David Hardisty, professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business, investigates the science behind why we procrastinate and how excitement, anticipation, and dread factor into decision-making. To break the cycle of procrastination, Hardisty recommends changing the language of how you think about negative tasks. Instead of “having to” go for a…