Athlete Burnout and Early Specialization

Research from the University of Alberta discovered athlete burnout may have more to do with the social environment than early specialization. Athlete burnout depends on many factors, including opportunities to participate in other sport and non-sport activities, confidence and engagement in skill building, the nature of relationships with coaches and teammates, and having a choice…

Mother’s Day 2019

Parents and caregivers can have a deep and meaningful impact on the development of a child’s physical literacy. To celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, this Active for Life blog shares insights from elite Canadian athletes about their mother’s influence on their athletic journey.

Workplace Wellness & Colleagues

While many people have strong friendships with work colleagues, eventually everyone will be required to work with someone they just don’t like. To focus on effective collaboration, reflect on the cause of the tension and your reaction to it, work to understand the other person’s perspective, become a problem solver rather than a competitor, and…

Physical Activity Apps

When many of us are trying to put down our phones and get off the couch, why did ParticipACTION create a mobile app? With over 88% of Canadians subscribing to cell service, the opportunity to directly influence the health behaviours of Canadians was too good to pass up! Get the inside scoop on the development…

Outdoor Play Myths

Fear of injury and kidnapping, and a belief in the superiority of structured activities, have reduced the amount of time children engage in outdoor unstructured play. This infographic provides the evidence to debunk these common myths that are keeping kids at home on the couch, instead of outside playing.

Bystander Effect

Whether relating to abuse and harassment, or systemic doping, you may wonder how some issues remain open secrets in organizations where multiple stakeholders know about a problem or a concern, but no one publicly brings it up. Research reported in the Harvard Business Review describes a “bystander effect” whereby people stand on the sidelines as…

Using app-based technology to influence the physical activity of Canadians

Despite the plethora of positive health outcomes associated with regular physical activity, only 18% of Canadian adults currently meet national physical activity guidelines (Statistics Canada, 2017). To help buck this concerning trend, ParticipACTION has developed an app to get Canadians active and engaged in a movement for more movement. The development of the app demonstrates…

Exercise and the Immune System

The immune system declines by about 2-3% a year from our 20s, which is why older people are more susceptible to infections, conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. However, research from the United Kingdom has found that high levels of physical activity can stall the shrinking of the thymus gland. The thymus gland produces T…

Concussion Blog – Ringette

For ringette, putting a values lens on the issue of concussions made decision-making simpler – preventing concussions as much as possible and ensuring athletes recover properly are priorities. When pressure to return to play comes from athletes not wanting to miss out, or parents pushing to have their child back on the ice, clear protocols…

Benefits of Play

Parents and other adults can place restrictions on the unstructured play of children, reducing child independence and limiting them to “boring” play spaces. Increasing access to outdoor, unstructured play promotes physical and mental health; improves social skills, creativity and team work; improves learning and attention at school; and improves resilience and risk management skills. Download…