A helpful guide to easing the transition
Kids anxious about heading back to school after a year of pandemic lockdown can best be helped by parents and teachers getting themselves grounded and present, says a University of Alberta education expert. Connecting with how their bodies respond to stress or fear can help adults deal with any stress or trauma children are experiencing,…
Active students have better grades, enhanced memory, lower absenteeism and better behaviour
The physical activity levels of our young people were already trending downward when COVID-19 hit. The pandemic made things worse. Kids around were stuck at home, forced to try to learn virtually. An online math class is one thing. A physical education class at home is nearly impossible. During the pandemic, physical education has been…
Findings could help doctors plan and support treatment to give patients the best outcomes possible
Breast cancer patients who were in better physical condition completed more of their chemotherapy treatments, according to a University of Alberta study that gives physicians further guidance in individualizing treatments and preparing patients for the road ahead. “Clinicians often talk about patients being fit for chemotherapy, but no one ever had looked at actual physical fitness variables…
Innovation attracting the interest of food companies looking to make their products healthier
Demand for beta glucan fibre has been rising steadily in recent years, as mounting evidence suggests the dietary fibre can help lower cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease and control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Best of all, it creates none of the side-effects of drugs and is fully recognized by the…
Learn to take it one pedal stroke at a time. And even though that hill can look intimidating, just get into the zone and take it slow
Doug Firby, publisher of Troy Media, and columnist Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting on May 28 in British Columbia, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our sense of community. Watch for…
Humanistic coaches focus on encouragement and positive motivation. They believe humans seek out fun and want to actualize themselves
“Fun is good.” – Mike Veeck, creator of a variety of innovative and fun baseball promotions Unfortunately, the vast majority of coaches, from the youth level to the professional level, adopt a militaristic coaching style. They believe a taskmaster mentality is how you get the best from athletes. It’s not. “Nothing, according to the research,…
Across from our campsite sat a gangly young man named Scott, who had been homeless for 10 years and was trying to find some normalcy
Lisa Montforton is part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting on May 28 in Kelowna, B.C. (B.C. travel restrictions derailed a planned start in Victoria), they hope to make an 8,000-km journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our sense of community. Watch for…
People who don’t have yards or nearby open spaces should come before bicyclists
Vancouver city council is considering a motion this week to turn sections of Granville Street and Commercial Drive into European-style pedestrian-friendly malls by reducing or eliminating automobile access. This is described as putting people over cars. Reducing car traffic leads to cleaner air and quieter neighbourhoods – good things. Some local businesses will benefit. But…
Pregnant women can now easily and quickly determine whether they should be exercising, thanks to a new one-of-a-kind tool developed in collaboration with researchers at the University of Alberta. The Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy, newly published by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, guides pregnant individuals through a series of yes/no questions to confirm…
Cardiologists, computing scientists team up to build video game-based MedBIKE fitness program for pediatric heart patients
Zacharie Biollo, 16, was born with a ventricle missing in his heart and had three life-saving surgeries by the time he was three years old. As he grew up, his parents encouraged him to get involved in sports such as soccer and karate, but he found he ran out of breath faster than some other…