Keeping the Family Active during the Summer Break

School is out which usually means late nights and lazy mornings. While the summer means more time for relaxation and time spent with family, it’s also important to sneak in some fitness too. It’s the perfect opportunity to plan activities the family already enjoys and maybe try something new. Go old school - How about an old fashioned game of tag? It gets the heart pumping, the whole family can...Read more

Happy Holidays from SIRC!

The holidays are a time for friends, family, and the spirit of giving. Whether we are at school, work, or play we should remember to keep up our healthy eating and exercise habits. Studies have shown that more than half of all weight gained throughout the year occurs during the holiday season, so our healthy habits built during the year become even more important this time of year. Stay active...Read more

The Diabetic Athlete

More than 382 million people worldwide, and 10 million Canadians, are living with Diabetes Mellitus, more commonly known as diabetes . There are three different types of the chronic disease, but most athletes seem to have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin for the body, and Type 2 is when the cells in the body fail to respond to insulin...Read more

You Are What You Eat- The Importance of Post-Training Nutrition

Many athletes focus on the technical and conditioning aspects of their sporting experience, yet nutrition is an equally important part of athletic success. Post-training nutrition is especially critical, as it helps the body recover and recharge. Timing is also important; studies show that food consumed within 30 minutes of exercising will have a significant effect on glycogen stores and muscle...Read more

In with the new! Making Lifestyle Behaviour Changes

According to Conference Board of Canada research, Canada gets a “B” grade on the health report card, ranking 8th among 16 peer countries compared in their study. While that doesn’t sound so bad in the grand scheme of things, we also hear from ParticipACTION’s Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth that Canada gets a D- for overall physical activity levels with only 9% of 5-17...Read more

Cycling basics for rookies

With the Tour de France starting up this weekend, many fans will be tuning in to watch these high performance athletes fight their way to the finish line in this notoriously grueling event. Over the coming month you will be sure to see some great moments of success and resilience as well as some spectacular crashes. If watching makes you suddenly inspired to dust off your bike and ride about town...Read more

Feeling the heat? Stay safe this summer with these cool tips!

The hot summer weather is finally settling in and people are heading outdoors for their workouts and enjoying recreational activities with their families. Everyone loves this time of year; there are so many opportunities for physical activity whether it's a relaxing nature walk or an intense game of soccer. When extreme heat hits though, it's a good idea to know the right steps to take in order...Read more

Running with the kids – a new trend for families

Ottawa Race Weekend is now in sight and is the biggest multi-distance race event in Canada. Whether you walk, jog, or run, it’s becoming increasingly common to have kids, parents, and grandparents all signing up for different races and cheering each other on. Sedentary lifestyles are becoming the norm and events like this one can be a way to get everyone excited about running and physical...Read more

Want to have a good quality sleep? Try Exercise!

Poor sleep quality is a common issue for many people, in fact, one in four people experience sleep difficulties. This includes trouble falling or staying asleep, early morning waking, sleeping too much, or experiencing a restless sleep. Experts agree that regular exercise helps improve sleep quality but recent studies suggest that the combination of sleep and exercise may be more complex than we...Read more

Do fitness trackers live up to the hype?

If you want an easy and convenient way to keep track of your fitness or training goals, fitness trackers seem to be the way to do it. Availability and consistency are key factors in creating a new habit and since most fitness trackers are small and wearable, it’s virtually effortless to incorporate them into your training. Studies have shown that people have a tendency to overestimate how much...Read more