Taking the Gym “To Go”

The development of fitness apps for mobile devices is essentially turning smartphones into pop-up gyms that include the personal trainer, minus the heavy price tag. Variety is abundant and their convenience makes them a viable tool when getting to the gym just isn’t possible. So why not browse through the available apps and see if…

Children less fit than their parents

Cardiovascular endurance exercise helps strengthen your heart so that it is able to transport oxygen to your organs and muscles. The heart is the most important muscle in the human body. With proper diet and regular exercise, cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke can be minimized. A person’s heart health is a good…

Physical Education Experiences

The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that children and youth participate in moderate to vigorous activity for an hour each day. Being active helps children and youth decrease their chances of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity can help improve academic performance and lead to a healthy life style, which in…

Resistance Training Using Your Own Body Weight

When you walk into most gyms, you will immediately see many different machines and various weight equipment laid out. Each one of these has a specific purpose. As a gym rat, you have the ability to choose between lifting light or heavy weights, based on what you are trying to accomplish in your workout. But…

College Athletes and Depression

There is a common perception that college athletes are tough and should be able to resolve problems that might lead to depression. In fact, just the opposite might be true. Having to handle what is essentially a full-time job and keep up with schoolwork might leave them feeling less well-adjusted than non-athletes. Along with the…

Can backing a losing team be hazardous for your health?

Fall is the time to be cheering for your favorite football or soccer team, since the regular seasons in both sports are already underway. For die-hard fans whose self-identities are tied to affiliations with certain teams, fall can be synonymous with an emotional rollercoaster. A recent study titled, From Fan to Fat? Vicarious Losing Increases…

International Walk to School Month

by Trent Weir  Algonquin College Sport Business Management Intern   October is Some parents may be hesitant to send their children to school by active transportation because of safety concerns. However, an increase in the number of pedestrians has actually been shown to reduce the amount of crime in a neighbourhood. There are also resources,…

Workplace Health Promotion

Workplaces everywhere are feeling the impact of current health levels of the Canadian workforce with: high stress, poor job satisfaction, growing absenteeism, high turnover, and mistakes caused by physical and mental fatigue.  A healthy workplace creates happier, productive employees, which in the end increases your bottom line. It simply makes good business sense to invest…

Environmental Factors in Exercise and Sports Performance

Preparing for competition requires physical and mental training, proper nutrition, and recovery. It is also essential to understand your competition and how each athlete fits within the team dynamics. These factors, for the most part, are all factors that can be controlled. Then there are factors such as the temperature, allergens, pollution and altitude that…

Celebrate Active Aging Week!

It’s active aging week in Canada and this year’s theme is “Discover your Community.” Active aging events are planned locally which allows organizers in each community the ability to decide what they would like to do.  Events are free for participants and are intended to be fun and educational, with a no-pressure atmosphere. The idea is…