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Issue: 3 / March 2012
E-Newsletter for Physical Activity Enthusiasts
Move More! |
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ParticipACTION would like make sure we provide you with content that best suits your wants and needs.
If you would like to change your newsletter preference, please visit the E-Newsletter sign-up page on our website. Simply enter your email address into the sign up box, hit "Go" and click "Submit" to update your preference. An email will be sent to your inbox that gives you the option to receive the "Move Together" E-Newsletter for sector professionals, or the "Move More" E-Newsletter for the general public - or click both options to get it all! |
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Message from the President
It has been a topsy-turvy winter. We've seen dumps of snow in Europe and green grass in parts of Canada. But the good news is, it's already March!
There are plenty of ways to get active and have fun as a family on March Break, even on "staycation." If you're in town with your kids, try to build some activity into your plans, whether it's walking around a museum together, skating at an outdoor rink or playing in the park. If your kids love quiet activities like movies or craft time, keep them balanced by adding a walk to the movie theatre or some free play outside, to see what Mother Nature has up her sleeve now. Puddle jumping, perhaps?
Here's to moving more this March!
Warmly,
Kelly |
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ParticipACTION Updates
Mark your calendars - Sneak It In Week coming April 9-13
Get ready to lose the loafers. Give the heels a break. Next month, ParticipACTION will ask Canadians at work to celebrate Sneak It In Week from April 9-13. We'll be asking you to wear your sneakers to work so you can see how easy it can be to fit in more activity. Walk to lunch. Park a few blocks away. Hit the pavement on your coffee break. As long as your heart beats faster for 10 minutes, it really counts! So get ready to get active and sneak it in. You'll be rewarded with a longer, happier, more fulfilling life.
Check back at www.participACTION.com soon for more on Sneak It In.
Get Your Winter On, Canada!
Show ParticipACTION how you, your family, friends or colleagues are Getting Your Winter On this season. Share your winter activity videos with us on YouTube - or send your videos to info@participACTION.com and we'll upload them to our ParticipACTION Channel!
While you're on our channel, check out what ParticipACTION's Active Living Ambassador has been up to this winter with her family.
Board Members on Globe's Power 50 List
ParticipACTION congratulates two of its board members for being named to the The Globe and Mail's annual list that ranks the players with the influence, and the desire, to affect sport in Canada during 2012. Here is what the Globe had to say about Doug and Hayley:
Doug Mitchell
Former CFL commissioner and presently national co-chair of the law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais, he is the force behind the annual BLG awards presented to Canadian university athletes, and as co-owner of the Stampeders, a member of the CFL board of governors. He's a benefactor of sports facilities at his alma mater, UBC, and a quiet yet strong voice in Canadian inter-university sport.
Hayley Wickenheiser
The highly visible four-time Olympic hockey medalist is co-ordinating athletes and coach mentors from Canada, Sweden, Finland and the United States as part of an International Ice Hockey Federation program that aims to improve women's hockey teams before the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The sport faces exclusion from the Olympics program if it's not more competitive internationally. Wickenheiser also works with a handful of charities
Source: The Globe and Mail, Feb. 7, 2012
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Inspiring Words from our Active Living Ambassador
Winterize Your Bike
Are you among the growing number of Canadians cycling year round? While many people park their bikes and opt for four wheels over the winter months, a winter tune-up could extend your cycling season and have you plowing through the snow.
Because winter's snow, slush, sand and salt can be tough on their bikes, many cyclists I know, switch to an older or "second" bike for the winter. I use my old Trek hybrid with a few minor adjustments that enable it to better handle all that winter dishes out.
For tips on how to prepare your bike for the winter road ahead, read more of the Winterize Your Bike piece on the ParticipACTION Blog.
Happy cycling!
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.
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Physical Activity News for Everyone
Getting Active Whatever the Weather
So the winter weather has been wonky, but that's no reason to take to the couch! On days when even the penguins want to be inside, consider some of the following options. There are plenty of ways to get active when the weather is out of whack:
- Mall walking - Go to the mall to walk a few laps. Just remember that you're there to walk, and not window shop!
- Swimming - Go to your local pool and swim lengths during lane swimming, or play and splash about during a free swim.
- Basketball or volleyball - Look for drop-in programs at your neighborhood school or community centre.
- Active indoor recess - Parents: consider encouraging your child's school to provide active recess alternatives during bad weather days. Students: join lunch time intramurals or volunteer to organize them at your school.
- Living room calisthenics - Put down a mat or blanket on your living room floor and do some sit-ups and push-ups.
Including both outdoor and indoor activities in your winter physical activity routine will help you stay active and healthy throughout the year - whatever the weather!
For more ideas on how to stay active all year round, visit the Fun Tips page on our website. |
Lifestyle Tips
Work your body, not your wallet
One major pressure on everyone's mind these days is the economy. Some athletic pursuits are pricey, and gym memberships can be very expensive, but getting active doesn't have to break the bank. There are plenty of practical ways to please our pocketbooks and get moving on a budget. For instance, active transportation, such as walking, wheeling, blading, skating or pushing a stroller, is almost free, and can be worked into your daily routine without a membership fee. In fact, if you replace a few bus trips or car trips with an active alternative each week, being active can actually help save you money.
For more information on getting active on a budget, please visit our Lifestyle Tips. |
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Highlights and Events
Walk in Her Shoes - Win a trip of a lifetime while making a real difference.
March 8
National
There's still time to sign up for CARE's Walk in Her Shoes campaign! Join thousands of Canadians, celebrate International Women's Day, and challenge yourself to walk 8,000 steps a day for 8 days and raise funds to fight global poverty. In 2011, thousands of Canadians rose to the challenge and raised over $100,000 for the campaign. Please join us this year and walk in solidarity with women and girls around the world to help make an even bigger impact!
Love to travel? Want to make a difference and fight poverty? Then we have a great opportunity for you! In partnership with Intrepid Travel, CARE has launched a fantastic contest for Walk In Her Shoes participants. To qualify, Walk In Her Shoes participants who raise $750 will automatically be entered into a draw to win one of three trips to an exotic destination. Picture yourself indulging in epicurean delights in Chile, sailing along Halong Bay (voted top 10 wonders of the world) in Vietnam, or riding a camel across the desert in Morocco. The CARE Grand Prize winner will be chosen from one of these three amazing Intrepid Travel trips.
To learn more and sign up today, visit http://www.care.ca/walkinhershoes.
ParticipACTION is a proud supporter of the 2012 Walk In Her Shoes Campaign!
PAL Great Labrador Loppet
March 31
Fermont, QC to Labrador City, NL
The only Loppet to go between two provinces! The trail is groomed for both techniques of classic and free, and participants can ski 25km, 50km or 10km. This annual event brings together cross-country skiers recreational and competitive, young and old and from far and wide.
For more information, or to register for the event, visit the following website.
Live Right Now
Ongoing
National
CBC, and its partners, including ParticipACTION, launched Live Right Now on January 1, 2011, to inspire Canadians to join together and change the health of this country.
The initiative is built around the idea that we can have a big impact by making small changes to the way we move and how we eat.
In 2012 CBC has a new goal: they want to find the Live Right Now Capital of Canada! What community best embodies the Live Right Now spirit? What are the people in that community doing together to eat better and move more?
For more information on Live Right Now, or to register your community into the running to become the Live Right Now Capital of Canada, visit http://www.cbc.ca/liverightnow.
For more event listings, or to promote your own events, visit the Events Calendar on our website. |
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Success Stories
Walk your way to a healthier heart
For Midland resident Jim Agnew, every day is a day to focus on keeping his heart healthy. Ten years after retirement, Agnew received an unwelcome wakeup call in May 1998.
"After supper, I was riding my exercycle, and when I got off I didn't feel quite right," he recalled. "It felt like I had indigestion."
Feeling progressively worse, he headed for the hospital emergency department, but was still surprised when doctors told him he'd had a heart attack.
After a few days in intensive care, and several more days recuperating in hospital, Agnew headed home armed with information and a determination to take control. Already active with golf, cross-country skiing and hockey, Agnew took up walking.
He credits his full recovery to this simple, inexpensive activity: "I started walking every day - really walking."
He started slowly, only managing half a block and back at first, but he gradually built up to covering five to six kilometres, twice a day. After resuming his other activities, Agnew still heads out daily.
To read the full article on Jim Agnew and his story of walking his way to a healthier heart, click the following link.
View other Success Stories, or submit your own, on the ParticipACTION website. To view Success Story videos, visit the ParticipACTION Channel on YouTube. |
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If you would like to submit articles, events/programs or news to our e-newsletter, or for more information on ParticipACTION, please feel free to contact us by email at info@participACTION.com or visit our website at www.participACTION.com |
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