As Valentine's Day approaches, it's a good time to have a heart-to-heart with those you love about your health. Talk to your family and friends about how you can be more active, or how you can support each other in your goals to live a healthier lifestyle.  

Offer to take the kids so your partner can get to that yoga class. Go for a moonlit walk, or try the ice rink with a new love interest. When we are committed to our own health, we show our loved ones that we are committed to being around for the long haul. And what is more romantic than that?

Warmly,

Kelly

Hot Date for Cold Winter Days

February is heart health month--the perfect time for Canadians to consider their risk factors for heart disease, to make sure they're doing all they can to keep their "tickers" in optimal shape, and of course, to celebrate Valentine's Day!

Physical activity and love can each make the heart beat faster--so why not combine them for a heart-healthy, get-active "date" with someone special? Whether it's a first date, you've shared a lifetime together, or you're somewhere in between, active dates provide the opportunity to have fun, develop or share common interests, and to learn more about each other. And don't forget active "family-style" dates--they may not have quite the same romantic ring to them... but they are a great way to spend time and have fun together.

To read more of our Hot Date for Cold Winter Days piece and to check out some of our active winter dates ideas, visit the ParticipACTION Blog.

Here's to active dates and healthy hearts!

Catherine Cameron

Active Living Ambassador 

For more tips and articles written by Catherine Cameron, Ambassador, Active Living, or to chat with her, visit the ParticipACTION Blog. Keep up to date with the latest ParticipACTION news and join in on the discussion, become a fan of our FACEBOOK group, follow us on TWITTER or check out our BLOG. 

Recreation Programs Offered to Help Home-Schooled Kids

The Campbell River Recreation Department in British Columbia is offering a whole new program package geared towards helping home-schooled students participate in sport, recreation and art. Programs are specifically designed for school-age kids from Kindergartners to Grade 9. They are designed to target a variety of student interests, such as pottery, sewing, cooking, family gym and all sorts of sports.

Children develop and improve fine motor skills through sewing, drawing and other activities that require physical precision. They tune up large muscle groups while running, jumping, kicking and throwing during sport and free play. They also brush up social skills through cooperative play and games, icebreakers and other social interactive activities.

For more information, or to register, please visit the Campbell River Recreation Department website.

Are you a woman? Do you play hockey?

We would like to invite you to participate in a survey to help inform research that will shed light on the various factors that are driving adult women to play the sport of hockey. Please follow this link to participate in this study that is being conducted by Denyse Horning of Nipissing University and Dr. Norm O'Reilly of University of Ottawa. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete the survey and your participation is completely anonymous. Thank you in advance for participating--your input will contribute to new knowledge in the areas of sport participation.

SnowDays

Feb 1-12

Banff, AB

SnowDays is an exciting new festival that celebrates all that is wonderful about winter. Enjoy fun weekend events and mid-week festivities, from skiing and snowboarding to ice-skating, snowshoeing, curling, ice-walking, tubing, back-country adventures, a hockey tournament and the popular Ice Magic Festival.

For more information, please visit the Banff National Park website.