From one mom to another: Tips for being active after welcoming a new baby

Becoming a mother is an exciting milestone in a woman’s life. Once you welcome home a baby, nothing is ever the same again. While the transition to motherhood comes with many ups and downs, engaging in physical activity is a great way for new moms to protect their physical and mental health. For more information,…

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…

Exercise as medicine for new moms

Physical activity can be an important component of healthcare, but many physical activity guidelines don’t address the needs of postpartum women. An inclusive and safe exercise environment, accountability and exercising with other new mothers can help address the challenges women face with physical activity engagement after childbirth. Find an evidence-informed, step-by-step postpartum guide to returning…

Mom-friendly sport spaces

Women often find it challenging to return to sport after giving birth. To create inclusive sport spaces for new moms, consider how access to childcare and private, comfortable and clean breastfeeding or pumping spaces can be integrated into the venue or schedule of your sport program or event.

Moms in coaching roles

Move over dads, moms make great coaches too! Coaching allows moms to connect with their child outside of home and helps foster self-esteem among child athletes. As coaches, moms can become important examples of women in sport leadership positions and serve as positive role models for their athletes.

Moving women forward: A guide to becoming physically active after childbirth

The postpartum transition (from childbirth to one-year postpartum) is among the most challenging identity shifts a woman faces. She’s navigating mental and physical health changes, while caring for an infant (Deave et al., 2008). Despite knowing this challenge exists, women have limited supports available to assist with their postpartum transition. That leaves many women disoriented…

Mom’s Got Game

When moms get regular physical activity, they report feeling better, sleeping better, and feeling better able to ‘unwind.’ But finding the time to be active or experiencing feelings of guilt or selfishness over prioritizing oneself can stand in the way. For SIRC’s Mom’s Got Game initiative, read about the experiences of Olympic and Paralympic athletes,…

Mom’s Got Game! Stories of world-class athletes and gold-medal moms

Fourteen months ahead of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, curler Jennifer Jones had a nasty accident, tearing a major ligament, the ACL in her knee. She was pregnant with her first child and hoping to represent Canada at the Olympics. “Because I was pregnant, a lot of people never thought that I would be able to…

SIRC Match Grants

SIRC’s Researcher/Practitioner Match Grants are designed to support the implementation of research into practice through collaborations between sport organizations and researchers. Last year, researchers from the University of Waterloo partnered with the Township of Woolwich to pilot an 8-week co-participation swim program for mothers and daughters. Read about their findings in the SIRC blog.

Winter 2022 SIRCuit

The Winter 2022 SIRCuit is now available! The SIRCuit is designed to highlight important research and insights to advance the Canadian sport system. With Bell Let’s Talk Day on the horizon, this edition of the SIRCuit takes a deep dive into the topic of mental health. Get up to speed on the new Mental Health…