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…
Inclusive Return to Play
With return to play top of mind for many sport organizations, it’s important to remember that no one should be left out. Developing an inclusive return to play plan (that, for example, considers the needs of persons with disabilities) is crucial for ensuring that all Canadians have safe and equitable access to sport and recreation…
Water Safety Tips
As temperatures begin to rise, many Canadians seek to cool off in a nearby body of water. Sadly, drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional death for Canadian children ages one to four. This blog from the Red Cross provides three tips to keep children safe around water this summer, including creating barriers…
“Everesting”
Everesting is the latest fad sweeping the cycling world. The concept is easy – pick any hill, anywhere in the world, and complete repeats of it in a single activity on bike (or on foot or online), until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mount Everest. Current cycling record holders are two climbing…
In Search of Inspiration: Re-thinking the Potential for Demonstration Effects
Major sport events in Canada and around the world have been cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. For sport administrators, researchers and policymakers, this pause represents a unique opportunity to reflect on the desired impacts and legacies of future sport events. Event bids are often full of claims about the positive impacts…
The Digital Gamification of Youth Sport Engagement
Gamification is the use of game techniques, such as the allocation of points and rewards, to provide incentive and fuel the competitive spirit in aspects of life outside of sport (Bunchball, 2020). Examples are abundant, and include Points Days at Shoppers Drug Mart, using an Aeroplan credit card to earn travel miles, or opening a…
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…
Aging expectations and physical activity behaviours
Project Summary A developing area of research focuses on ‘successful aging’, which has the central objective of discovering significant predictors of optimal health in later life so that risks of disease and disablement can be targeted and reduced. From this research, there is evidence indicating beliefs that older adults have of their own aging process…
Impact of COVID-19 on physical activity
As Canadians retreated to their homes to limit the spread of COVID-19, researchers from the University of the Fraser Valley launched a study to examine how life in lockdown would affect physical activity and wellbeing. Research results show those who became more active during the pandemic reported lower anxiety than those who spent less time in outdoor physical activity;…