Never underestimate the power of a good walk

Walking is one of the least expensive and most accessible forms of physical exercise. It can be adopted by people of all ages and abilities, requires no training and is a great benefit to your health. Walking isn't an exercise that leads to many injuries, although it's still a good idea to equip yourself with proper fitting shoes and loose comfortable clothes . Whatever the weather conditions be...Read more

Gettin' Down and Dirty with Obstacle Racing

Obstacle racing which has exploded in popularity since 2009, requires participants to navigate various obstacles, such as fences, mud pits, and climbing nets, that have to be overcome in order to complete the race. When Tough Mudder launched in 2010 it attracted 20,000 participants in the US, and had Canadians jumping on board with 35,000 participants last year. Many Canadians are also familiar...Read more

Maintaining Motivation

Some of you may have started running, cycling, or joined a class within the last year and have found that your exercise has become a "must do" rather than something you look forward to. Whatever you do, sometimes it can be good to remind yourself of what motivated you started your training in the first place. Seek out new experiences - With any activity you perform day in and day out, the...Read more

Reaching the limit

The training loads for an elite athlete can be taxing, to say the least. Work too little and you won't get the results you want, work too hard and there is chance something will break. It's difficult to understand how the body can cope with the kind of mass training that we demand of it. So the question becomes: How do you know where the line is? Listen to your body - Obviously you cannot stop...Read more

Can sleep loss contribute to weight gain?

It is well known that if we don't get enough sleep we have difficulty thinking and focusing clearly, we are irritable and may have trouble finishing tasks. It can be easy to think that a few hours of sleep loss isn't a big deal, but over the long-term the cumulative sleep debt may cause some health issues in the future. Current research now shows that sleep deprivation may also be linked to...Read more

Confidence for Competition

Having confidence is the key to achieving many great things - whether it's on the field or off of it. Highly confident athletes have the ability to focus on the task at hand and execute it, all while under intense competition pressure . Although some athletes have a natural "knack" for this, there is an element of control required that anyone can learn to increase their self-confidence . Below...Read more

2012 - A Year in Review

SIRC Newsletter now available online: 2012 - A Year in Review The beginning of a new year is a great time to look back and see all we have accomplished and most importantly, what knowledge we have shared with the sport community. The year 2012 was an exciting time for SIRC as the country supported the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams by cheering on our athletes at the London Olympic Games ...Read more

Top 5 Fitness Trends for 2013

With a new year just begin nin g and all the ho liday celebrations com ing to an end, many of us are probably looking fo rward to getting back to or st arting a new fitness routin e. The A merican College of Sports Medici ne (A CSM) and Goo d life Fitness each survey fitness professionals to ga uge what they fe el will be the t op fitness trends of the new year. Looking over both repor ts , we've...Read more

Staying Active over the Holidays

SIRC Newsletter now available online: Staying Active over the Holidays This time of year means visiting with family and friends, attending holiday parties and giving gifts, so it can be difficult for most of us to stay active during the holidays. The good news is that staying active doesn’t have to be that hard; recruiting your friends and family can increase the fun, add motivation and create...Read more

Coaching and the passion for life-long learning

The coaching profession is constantly changing and coaches at every level need to know more than just the basics to ensure success in the field. This is why education and further professional development such as conferences, workshops, and mentoring are vital to a coaches career path. Coaching should be a profession where the opportunity for continuous learning should never be passed up. Career-...Read more