In The News

Canadian Academy of Sport & Exercise Medicine (CASEM) Joins Physical Activity Collective in Support of the National “Change the Pace” Campaign

CASEM News
October 2024

The Canadian Academy of Sport & Exercise Medicine (CASEM) is proud to announce its participation in the national Physical Activity Collective and its endorsement of the recent “Change the Pace” campaign and budget submission. The initiative seeks $500 million in funding over five years to develop a national strategy aimed at increasing physical activity levels across Canada. Aligned with the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, this strategy aims to achieve a 15% relative reduction in physical inactivity by 2030.
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The First Rule of Running After Childbirth Is That There Is No Rule

Outside
December 2023

At first, I was a little disappointed with a new review of guidelines for resuming training after giving birth, published last month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The authors had screened 5,851 relevant studies, reviewed the full text of 602 of them, and extracted guidelines from 33 of them. Pooling all this information had produced the following definitive conclusion: “Few guidelines in the scientific literature on RTA (return to activity) and RTS (return to sport) postpartum exist, and most are vague and inconsistent.”
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How to Prescribe Exercise in 5 Steps

Medscape
November 2023

Clinicians are well aware of the benefits of physical activity — and the consequences of inactivity. Managing the diseases associated with inactivity — heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension — falls to physicians. So one might assume they routinely prescribe exercise to their patients, just as they would statins, insulin, or beta-blockers.  But evidence indicates doctors don’t routinely have those conversations. They may lack confidence in their ability to give effective advice, fear offending patients, or simply not know what to say.
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Researcher’s new online hub charts route to chronic disease management

Western News
June 2023

Gentle chair yoga for those with brain and spinal cord injuries, 17-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for wheelchair users and simple exercises for individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are just a few examples of the physical activity resources that a newly launched online platform, My Active Ingredient, has curated and made accessible for individuals living with chronic health conditions.

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The Experiences of Elite Athletes During Pregnancy

Canadian Women & Sport
June 2022

Athletes train and compete at the elite level during their reproductive years, yet sport policies that support pregnant athletes are lacking. Female athletes say they must ‘make the tough decision’ between being a mother or an elite athlete in a system that typically does not support being both. Sport organizations need to intentionally create environments and networks that value and support pregnancy. 

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World Rugby focuses research investment on the women’s game

World Rugby
March 23, 2022

Women and former players are the focus of the latest round of targeted research projects funded by World Rugby following an independent review of open submissions. The successful projects will be announced at the dedicated women’s game session of the 2022 World Rugby Player Welfare Symposium, which draws to a close today.

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Elite athletes face unnecessary roadblocks when they get pregnant. Time for that to change.

Upworthy
March 8, 2022

Pregnancy is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing physical feats on Earth. A body that builds a baby practically from scratch is badass no matter how you look at it, but unfortunately, it’s not always treated that way. That can be particularly true in fields that focus on peak body performance, such as elite sports.

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Physical activity reduces risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes: study, International research draws data from over 65,000 patients

Western News
March 1, 2022

Moderate physical activity in adults is associated with significant protective effects from severe COVID-19 outcomes, a new international study shows. The study, led by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, along with researchers at Western University, found adults with high and moderate physical activity levels had significantly better outcomes that those with low activity level when contracting COVID-19.

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Embrace your inner Winter Olympian: The art and science of enjoying exercise in the cold

The National Post (originally published on The Conversation)
February 8, 2022

Let’s face it: When most of us see the temperature outside fall to minus double digits, our first instinct isn’t to gleefully run outside. I was no different. I was a sedentary kid who found my sport — rowing — relatively late, but as soon as I did, I craved rowing on New Brunswick’s Saint John River in the spring, summer and fall months. Winter was an obstacle.

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The Globe and Mail
November 13, 2021

Reimagining urban centres as healthier places to live is essential to reducing the billions of dollars spent every year treating chronic illnesses, according to a panel on the future of cities. A group of experts who gathered virtually this week for a “Future Cities, Future Care” event agreed that creating healthy cities requires collaboration between urban designers, builders, civic leaders and health care providers.

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Why Women are Owning the Podium for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics 

The Conversation
July 29, 2021

Margaret Mac Neil. Kylie Masse. The women’s softball team. Maude Charron. The women’s 4×100-metre freestyle swimming team. Jennifer Abel and Mélissa Citrini-Beaulieu. Jessica Klimkait. Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard. Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens. Penny Oleksiak. The women’s eight rowing crew. Canadian women are owning the podium at the Tokyo Olympics. But why?

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How the COVID-19 Delay  of the 2020 Olympics Helped Some Athletes Break Records 

The Conversation
July 20, 2021

After an unprecedented delay due to a once-in-a-century global health crisis, the Tokyo Games are finally ready to begin. Yet the athletes, like the Games themselves, have changed. The year of lockdowns, isolation, and the threat — or reality — of catching COVID-19 and losing friends and loved ones has been daunting for athletes. Some, willingly or not, retired early, while others recalibrated and kept going.

READ MORE

The Tokyo Olympics will be the Games of all Mothers

The Conversation
July 20, 2021

In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organizing Committee announced that the Tokyo Games would be the “first gender-balanced Olympic Games in history.” The gender gap in sport is well-established. Men have historically dominated elite sport for centuries, but thanks in part to the advocacy of organizations like the IOC Women in Sport Commission, global female representation in sport is greater than ever.

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What are the Dos and Don’ts of Getting the Most Out of My Daily Walk?

CBC
January 27, 2021

If sports medicine physician Dr. Jane Thornton had to pick only one thing for her patients to do to get healthier, it’s exercise. So she often hands a different kind of script to her patients: a prescription for walking. “A whole cascade of events occurs in your body just after you start taking a few steps,” she told The Dose and White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman. “For many chronic conditions, walking is probably one of the best things we can do for our health.”

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12 Western Scientists and Scholars Named Canada Research Chairs

Western News
June 15, 2020

Twelve Western researchers – who delve into mysteries as deep as the human mind and as vast as the universe itself – have been named Canada Research Chairs as they bolster their place among the top scholars and scientists in their fields.

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Athletes’ Mental Health at Risk in Lockdown as Coronavirus Puts Training and Olympics on Hold

The Conversation
April 26, 2020

“Telling an athlete to go outside and exercise [in order to feel better during COVID-19 isolation] isn’t really helpful for those struggling with mental illness.” Those are the words of a prospective Olympian who has struggled with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. They highlight one of the challenges faced by athletes during this time of extreme, far-reaching disruption in training and daily routines.

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Adversity of Postponements Caused by COVID-19 a Familiar Feeling for Athletes

CBC
April 2, 2020

The bright lights of arenas have been turned off for now. Stadiums and arenas around the world, normally filled with thousands of cheering, chanting and celebrating fans, have fallen silent. City parks and basketball courts are no longer overflowing with the chorus of children laughing and that sweet sound of a basketball swishing through a hoop.

READ MORE

Physical activity reduces risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes: study, International research draws data from over 65,000 patients

Western News
March 1, 2022

Moderate physical activity in adults is associated with significant protective effects from severe COVID-19 outcomes, a new international study shows. The study, led by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, along with researchers at Western University, found adults with high and moderate physical activity levels had significantly better outcomes that those with low activity level when contracting COVID-19.

 READ MORE

Embrace your inner Winter Olympian: The art and science of enjoying exercise in the cold

The National Post (originally published on The Conversation)
February 8, 2022

Let’s face it: When most of us see the temperature outside fall to minus double digits, our first instinct isn’t to gleefully run outside. I was no different. I was a sedentary kid who found my sport — rowing — relatively late, but as soon as I did, I craved rowing on New Brunswick’s Saint John River in the spring, summer and fall months. Winter was an obstacle.

READ MORE

The Globe and Mail
November 13, 2021

Reimagining urban centres as healthier places to live is essential to reducing the billions of dollars spent every year treating chronic illnesses, according to a panel on the future of cities. A group of experts who gathered virtually this week for a “Future Cities, Future Care” event agreed that creating healthy cities requires collaboration between urban designers, builders, civic leaders and health care providers.

READ MORE

Why Women are Owning the Podium for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics 

The Conversation
July 29, 2021

Margaret Mac Neil. Kylie Masse. The women’s softball team. Maude Charron. The women’s 4×100-metre freestyle swimming team. Jennifer Abel and Mélissa Citrini-Beaulieu. Jessica Klimkait. Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard. Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens. Penny Oleksiak. The women’s eight rowing crew. Canadian women are owning the podium at the Tokyo Olympics. But why?

READ MORE

How the COVID-19 Delay  of the 2020 Olympics Helped Some Athletes Break Records 

The Conversation
July 20, 2021

After an unprecedented delay due to a once-in-a-century global health crisis, the Tokyo Games are finally ready to begin. Yet the athletes, like the Games themselves, have changed. The year of lockdowns, isolation, and the threat — or reality — of catching COVID-19 and losing friends and loved ones has been daunting for athletes. Some, willingly or not, retired early, while others recalibrated and kept going.

READ MORE

The Tokyo Olympics will be the Games of all Mothers

The Conversation
July 20, 2021

In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organizing Committee announced that the Tokyo Games would be the “first gender-balanced Olympic Games in history.” The gender gap in sport is well-established. Men have historically dominated elite sport for centuries, but thanks in part to the advocacy of organizations like the IOC Women in Sport Commission, global female representation in sport is greater than ever.

READ MORE

What are the Dos and Don’ts of Getting the Most Out of My Daily Walk?

CBC
January 27, 2021

If sports medicine physician Dr. Jane Thornton had to pick only one thing for her patients to do to get healthier, it’s exercise. So she often hands a different kind of script to her patients: a prescription for walking. “A whole cascade of events occurs in your body just after you start taking a few steps,” she told The Dose and White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman. “For many chronic conditions, walking is probably one of the best things we can do for our health.”

READ MORE

12 Western Scientists and Scholars Named Canada Research Chairs

Western News
June 15, 2020

Twelve Western researchers – who delve into mysteries as deep as the human mind and as vast as the universe itself – have been named Canada Research Chairs as they bolster their place among the top scholars and scientists in their fields.

READ MORE

Athletes’ Mental Health at Risk in Lockdown as Coronavirus Puts Training and Olympics on Hold

The Conversation
April 26, 2020

“Telling an athlete to go outside and exercise [in order to feel better during COVID-19 isolation] isn’t really helpful for those struggling with mental illness.” Those are the words of a prospective Olympian who has struggled with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. They highlight one of the challenges faced by athletes during this time of extreme, far-reaching disruption in training and daily routines.

READ MORE

Adversity of Postponements Caused by COVID-19 a Familiar Feeling for Athletes

CBC
April 2, 2020

The bright lights of arenas have been turned off for now. Stadiums and arenas around the world, normally filled with thousands of cheering, chanting and celebrating fans, have fallen silent. City parks and basketball courts are no longer overflowing with the chorus of children laughing and that sweet sound of a basketball swishing through a hoop.

READ MORE

Physical activity reduces risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes: study, International research draws data from over 65,000 patients

Western News
March 1, 2022

Moderate physical activity in adults is associated with significant protective effects from severe COVID-19 outcomes, a new international study shows. The study, led by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, along with researchers at Western University, found adults with high and moderate physical activity levels had significantly better outcomes that those with low activity level when contracting COVID-19.

 READ MORE

Embrace your inner Winter Olympian: The art and science of enjoying exercise in the cold

The National Post (originally published on The Conversation)
February 8, 2022

Let’s face it: When most of us see the temperature outside fall to minus double digits, our first instinct isn’t to gleefully run outside. I was no different. I was a sedentary kid who found my sport — rowing — relatively late, but as soon as I did, I craved rowing on New Brunswick’s Saint John River in the spring, summer and fall months. Winter was an obstacle.

 

READ MORE

The Globe and Mail
November 13, 2021

Reimagining urban centres as healthier places to live is essential to reducing the billions of dollars spent every year treating chronic illnesses, according to a panel on the future of cities. A group of experts who gathered virtually this week for a “Future Cities, Future Care” event agreed that creating healthy cities requires collaboration between urban designers, builders, civic leaders and health care providers.

READ MORE

Why Women are Owning the Podium for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics 

The Conversation
July 29, 2021

Margaret Mac Neil. Kylie Masse. The women’s softball team. Maude Charron. The women’s 4×100-metre freestyle swimming team. Jennifer Abel and Mélissa Citrini-Beaulieu. Jessica Klimkait. Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard. Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens. Penny Oleksiak. The women’s eight rowing crew. Canadian women are owning the podium at the Tokyo Olympics. But why?

READ MORE

How the COVID-19 Delay  of the 2020 Olympics Helped Some Athletes Break Records 

The Conversation
July 20, 2021

After an unprecedented delay due to a once-in-a-century global health crisis, the Tokyo Games are finally ready to begin. Yet the athletes, like the Games themselves, have changed. The year of lockdowns, isolation, and the threat — or reality — of catching COVID-19 and losing friends and loved ones has been daunting for athletes. Some, willingly or not, retired early, while others recalibrated and kept going.

READ MORE

The Tokyo Olympics will be the Games of all Mothers

The Conversation
July 20, 2021

In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organizing Committee announced that the Tokyo Games would be the “first gender-balanced Olympic Games in history.” The gender gap in sport is well-established. Men have historically dominated elite sport for centuries, but thanks in part to the advocacy of organizations like the IOC Women in Sport Commission, global female representation in sport is greater than ever.

READ MORE

What are the Dos and Don’ts of Getting the Most Out of My Daily Walk?

CBC
January 27, 2021

If sports medicine physician Dr. Jane Thornton had to pick only one thing for her patients to do to get healthier, it’s exercise. So she often hands a different kind of script to her patients: a prescription for walking. “A whole cascade of events occurs in your body just after you start taking a few steps,” she told The Dose and White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman. “For many chronic conditions, walking is probably one of the best things we can do for our health.”

READ MORE

12 Western Scientists and Scholars Named Canada Research Chairs

Western News
June 15, 2020

Twelve Western researchers – who delve into mysteries as deep as the human mind and as vast as the universe itself – have been named Canada Research Chairs as they bolster their place among the top scholars and scientists in their fields.

READ MORE

Athletes’ Mental Health at Risk in Lockdown as Coronavirus Puts Training and Olympics on Hold

The Conversation
April 26, 2020

“Telling an athlete to go outside and exercise [in order to feel better during COVID-19 isolation] isn’t really helpful for those struggling with mental illness.” Those are the words of a prospective Olympian who has struggled with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. They highlight one of the challenges faced by athletes during this time of extreme, far-reaching disruption in training and daily routines.

READ MORE

Adversity of Postponements Caused by COVID-19 a Familiar Feeling for Athletes

CBC
April 2, 2020

The bright lights of arenas have been turned off for now. Stadiums and arenas around the world, normally filled with thousands of cheering, chanting and celebrating fans, have fallen silent. City parks and basketball courts are no longer overflowing with the chorus of children laughing and that sweet sound of a basketball swishing through a hoop.

READ MORE