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Issue: 5 / May 2012
E-Newsletter for Physical Activity Enthusiasts
Move More! |
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Message from the President
Happy May! What a great time of year to toss off the woolies, oil up the bike chains and get outdoors.
We all have places to be, so why not get active while you're getting there? Active transportation is one of the easiest ways to add more physical activity into your daily routine. Whether it's walking, biking, scooting, blading, wheeling or poling, people power is a fast, flexible and almost free way to travel. Plus, we've never heard of sidewalk rage!
Open your front door, open your mind and get moving this May.
Warmly,
Kelly |
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ParticipACTION Updates
Calling all communities - Sports Day in Canada is on September 29!
Sports Day in Canada, held this year on Saturday, September 29, 2012, is a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across the country. Sports Day in Canada is presented by CBC Sports, ParticipACTION and True Sport, working with national sporting organizations and their networks of coaches, athletes and enthusiasts.
Get your local team, club, school or organization involved by hosting one of a thousand local events taking place in the week leading up to and including Sports Day. Plan and register an open house, try-it day, fun run, local athlete meet-and-greet, community-wide festival or mayor's sport challenge. Plan something new, or register something you're already doing and invite the public to join you.
We'll support you with free event ideas, an event manual and promotional tools (posters, e-blasts, media kit). Register soon and we'll ship you an event kit with materials such as banners, tattoos and posters. Plus, your event could be featured on the CBC Sports broadcast, airing on Saturday, September 29.
For details and to register an event, please visit www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday.
Sneak It In Week - A Huge Success!
We want to thank each and every one of you who took part in the first-ever Sneak It In Week from April 9-13, and for motivating your colleagues, friends and family members to join you! We received some wonderful feedback and stories about the week-long initiative - check out the Success Stories section at the bottom of this newsletter for some inspiring photos and comments.
As you might already know, according to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, adults need 150 minutes of heart-pumping physical activity per week, but this does not have to be done all at once. A short activity break can actually count towards the recommended level of physical activity adults require for health benefits. Although Sneak It In Week has come and gone for this year, we hope you continue to sneak it in all year long. You'll be rewarded with a longer, happier, more fulfilling life!
Resource of the Month - FREE Materials Available on our Online ToolKit
To help inspire and inform Canadians, we've developed the ParticipACTION Tool Kit, which contains free communications materials that organizations can use to promote physical activity and sport participation.
Tool of the Month: Active Transportation Posters/Pin ups (e.g. Have You Moved Much Today? Try Taking The Stairs.) Download these pin ups and other resources today and share them with clients, family, friends and coworkers.
Feel free to view and download the available materials online at the ParticipACTION Tool Kit. |
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Inspiring Words from our Active Living Ambassador
As you Rediscover Spring, Rediscover Play!
 I love this time of year! Although I appreciate each season, there's something special about spring. Packing up the winter gear, shedding the winter coat and boots, and cleaning out the garage with the kids and rediscovering all our spring and summer "toys," is like music to my ears!
At our house, bikes get tuned up, the volleyball net gets set up in the backyard, and music streams from the backyard after school and on weekends, as the kids and their friends leap on our backyard trampoline. Spring reminds us to "carpe diem"... or seize the day. Warmer days, lighter evenings and a renewed interest in the outdoors make this an ideal time of year for all ages to play more. Grab a basketball and shoot some hoops with the kids; stroll the neighbourhood; cycle your kids to school; play tag with your kids on the local playscape; or gather up the gang for some ball hockey. As you rediscover spring, rediscover play!
Visit the ParticipACTION blog for more information on helping your kids move more... and yes, they're tried and true!
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
Staying Safe When On Wheels
Activities on wheels are fun and are good ways to get exercise, but it's important to stay safe. According to Safe Kids Canada, head injuries are the leading cause of serious injury and death to kids on wheels. A helmet could save a child's life!
Most serious injuries and deaths associated with child cyclists involve collisions with a motor vehicle, and the most severe injuries are those involving the head and brain. Click here to read tips from Safe Kids Canada on how to protect your child's head. |
Lifestyle Tips
Pedal Power and the Benefits of the Bike
 Whether you're going to work, school or the corner store, active transportation is one of the easiest ways to get more activity into your life. And now that the birds are chirping and the winter blahs have lifted, it's an ideal time to bring out your bicycle. Life with pedal power is simple, enjoyable and fun. There are so many great reasons to don a helmet and hop on a bike to get places, from having fun to saving money.
For more information on pedal power and the benefits of the bike, please visit our Lifestyle Tips. |
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Highlights and Events
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
May 5 - October 6
Fort Macleod, AB
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is an archaeological site known around the world as a remarkable testimony of prehistoric life. Hike to the ancient drive lanes with Blackfoot guides on the first Saturday of the month, May through October. Hear stories of how the Plains People hunted the mighty buffalo. Weekly themes include:
May 5 - Moon of the flower/crocus.
June 2 - Moon of the longest day.
July 7 - Moon of the berry.
August 4 - Moon of the buffalo rut.
October 6 - Moon of the people going to winter camp.
For more information, please visit the Government of Alberta website.
2012 Move For Health Day, BCRPA
May 10
Various locations, BC
Move for Health Day is an international event created in 2002 by the World Health Organization to promote physical activity. The BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA), with support from Healthy Families BC, leads British Columbia in promoting this global event and the benefits of healthy active living, and offers tools and resources to help organizations get involved. For more information or to find a Move for Health Day event taking place near you, visit the BCRPA website.
CFDR Fun Run/Walk
June 16
Toronto, ON
Enjoy an early morning 5 km run or walk through the streets of Toronto. The Fun Run/Walk is a fundraising event in support of the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research (CFDR), whose mandate is to fund nutrition research that enhances the health of Canadians. All participants receive t-shirts and goodies.
For more information, or to register for the event, visit the CFDR website or contact isla.horvath@cfdr.ca.
Learn to Camp @ Ontario Parks!
Spring-Summer 2012
Various locations, ON
Camping is a great outdoor activity. There is no better way to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life! People are attracted to camping because it offers a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities, provides excellent opportunities to experience nature, and is an ideal venue for a cost-effective family vacation. Ontario Parks is encouraging everyone to get out and enjoy Ontario's beautiful outdoors. However, they recognize that not everyone has the knowledge and skills to try camping on their own. In 2011, they launched Learn to Camp @ Ontario Parks with great success.They provide the equipment, a campsite and qualified instructors to help guide you through your first camping experience in a safe and fun way. All you need to bring is food, bedding and personal items.
To register for an overnight session, find a free community event near you or browse camping resources, visit the Ontario Parks website.
For more event listings, or to promote your own events, visit the Events Calendar on our website. |
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Success Stories
Sneak It In - A Huge Success!
 "To celebrate World Physical Activity Day (April 6th), people from the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO) along with people from across the Research Institute at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario set up an afternoon of pick-up road hockey. Pick-up hockey is a weekly lunchtime event around HALO, but this was the first time we actively encouraged others to throw on their sneakers and grab a stick. The event was a huge success and saw over 30 people come out and play over the afternoon. We'll be sure to do something similar next year!"
- The Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO)
Ottawa, ON
"We've completed our Sneak It In half-hour stroll... we had a great walk and feel much more invigorated for having taken the time to do so. I plan on inviting staff out twice a month because of this initiative."
-Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
Victoria, BC
 "Our staff enjoyed a quick lunchtime workout for Sneak It In Week! We had a blast"
-Lethbridge College Be Fit For Life
Lethbridge, AB
"Some of our city employees "sneak it in" with a brisk lunch-hour walk through our beautiful downtown!"
-City of Fredericton
Fredericton, NB
 "Staff at the Halton Region Museum SNEAKED IT IN with an afternoon stroll around beautiful Kelso Lake in Milton behind the museum."
-Halton Region Museum, located in
Kelso Conservation Area
Halton Region, ON
"Rather than packing my running shoes to bring to work, I've been wearing them all day. Thanks for Sneak It In Week!!!"
-Lee-Anne Kosziwka
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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