Inactivity and obesity are significant issues with personal and societal costs.
Unhealthy individuals often require more hospital care and medications, increasing healthcare costs.
Historically, women were often expected to stay home, limiting their physical activity and involvement in manual labor jobs.
Causes of Inactivity and Obesity
Urbanization: Increased population density in urban areas.
Motorized Transport: Greater reliance on buses and cars, reducing walking and biking.
Labor: Shift from manual labor to machine-operated tasks, even in farming.
Sedentarism: Increased time spent watching TV, using the internet, playing video games, and using cell phones.
Processed Foods: High sugar and starch content in processed foods.
Increased Portion Sizes: Encouraging overeating, leading to stomach expansion and increased food requirements.
Health Risks Associated with Inactivity and Obesity
Coronary artery disease
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Some cancers
Osteoporosis
Kidney diseases
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic liver disease
Depression
Lifestyle diseases: Preventable illnesses that increase with industrialization due to poor diet, harmful habits, and sedentarism.
Combating these issues involves avoiding tobacco, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in appropriate daily physical activity.
Summary of 1.1
Physical activity is essential for a healthy body and mind.
Sedentary lifestyles and poor diets contribute to inactivity and obesity.
Combating these problems requires:
Changes in lifestyle habits.
Support programs and community physical activity initiatives.
Enlightened public health policies.
Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity
Barriers to Activity
Lack of motivation
Fear of injury
Job constraints
Lack of opportunity
Price
Common Barriers and Solutions
Socioeconomic Barriers:
Many families cannot afford sports for their children (<br/>icefrac13 of Candian families).
Solutions: Community-run programs, school programs, non-profit organizations (e.g., Project North, Right to Play, Jumpstart).
Jumpstart (Canadian Tire): Donations reinvested in the community to help kids play sports.
Aboriginal children are particularly disadvantaged due to remote locations and limited resources.
Environmental Barriers:
Lack of exercise spaces in built environments, inadequate lighting, discouraging walking and biking.
Focus: Creating human-made settings for human activities.
Cultural Barriers:
Need for more inclusive sports to increase access for new immigrants.
Addressing language barriers and isolation.
Example: Controversial turban ban in soccer.
Personal Barriers:
Real and serious obstacles that individuals can partially control.
Include lack of time, energy, poor diet, no access to a gym, and financial constraints.
Psychological Barriers:
Obstacles rooted in mindset or attitude.
Fear of pain and exertion, self-consciousness, lack of motivation.
Solutions: Setting small, realistic goals and providing rewards.
Suggestions:
Establish safe and active routes to school.
Pressure governments to increase funding for parks, walkways, bike paths, and street lighting.
Choose stairs over elevators.
Summary of 1.2
Barriers to physical activity can be environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, personal, or psychological.
Identifying these barriers helps in devising strategies to overcome them.
Lifestyle diseases can be prevented or reduced by changes in diet, healthy choices, and reducing harmful substances.
The Roles of Schools and Communities in Promoting Physical Activity
Physical Literacy
Not sport-specific; general movement ability.
Characteristics: motor competence, confidence, comprehension, and diverse physical movement.
Pioneered by British educator Margaret Whitehead.
Individuals move with competence and confidence in diverse physical environments.
Benefits of Physical Literacy
Development of the whole person.
Movement competence provides a pathway to active, healthy living.
Canadian Champions of Physical Literacy
Physical Health and Education Canada (PHE Canada)
Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea)
Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L)
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP)
ParticipACTION
Ever Active Schools
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical Benefits:
Maintenance of healthy body weight.
Prevention of lifestyle diseases.
Improved fitness for strong muscles and bones.
Skills + confidence + fun = active for life.
Mental Benefits:
Reduced stress and depression.
Improved self-image.
Improved concentration, attention span, and mood.
Improved memory.
Increased productivity.
Slowed brain aging.
Social Benefits:
Reduced behavioral problems in school.
Enhanced academic performance.
Increased self-confidence and acceptance.
Opportunities to make friends.
Greater overall community cohesiveness.
Higher levels of social capital.
Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD)
Made by Canadian Sport for Life - a cradle to grave life cycle of physical activity and sport.
Emphasizes physical literacy across the lifespan.
Provides a seven-stage training, competition, and recovery pathway.
Takes into account different life stages and development.
LTAD Stages
Stage 1: Active Start (0-6 years)
Stage 2: FUNdamentals (girls 6-8, boys 6-9 years)
Stage 3: Learn to Train (girls 8-11, boys 9-12 years)
Stage 4: Train to Train (girls 11-15, boys 12-16 years)
Stage 5: Train to Compete (girls 15-21, boys 16-23 years)
Stage 6: Train to Win (girls 18+, boys 19+)
Stage 7: Active for Life (any age participant)
Social and Economic Benefits of Community Sport
Social Benefits:
Reduced use of drugs and alcohol.
Development of improved social skills and employability skills.
Support for at-risk youth and new immigrants.
Greater inclusiveness and accessibility to sport for everyone.
Economic Benefits:
Decreased incidence of illness and injury = lower health costs.
Millions of unpaid hours of service to sport activities in volunteer communities.
Role models for the pursuit of personal excellence = greater economic self-sufficiency.
Summary of 1.3
Physical education is grounded in the notion that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body.
School health and physical activity programs benefit a student's well-being and capacity to learn.
Sport and recreation reduce social problems.
Kinesiology and Career Paths
The systematic study of the physiological, sociological, and psychological aspects of human movement and how it can be optimized.
Suitable for individuals who enjoy a multidisciplinary approach to learning.
Aspects of Kinesiology
Bioscientific:
Anatomy and physiology
Skeletal and articular systems
Muscular system
Energy system
Cardiovascular and respiratory systems
Human growth and development
Biomechanics
Nutritional science
Sociocultural:
History
Politics
Economics
Race and ethnicity
Gender
Sport ethics
Careers in Kinesiology
Research (e.g., biomechanics)
Medicine
Health promotion
Rehabilitation
Teaching and training
Leisure, recreation, and sports administration
Impact of Kinesiology
Makes healthy active living a top priority.
Enables contribution to the well-being of family, friends, and wider communities.
Summary of 1.5
Kinesiology is a fast-growing, multidisciplinary field.
Programs are offered at both college and university levels in Canada.
Many job opportunities are available.
Early History of Physical Activity
Pre-Agricultural Society
Humans were compelled to be active for survival.
Hunting and gathering societies were constantly on the move for food and shelter.
Warfare was also a driver of physical activity.
Survival meant little opportunity for leisure.
Sporting Values: A Historical Timeline
Ancient Greece:
First civilization to recognize physical activity for mental and physical benefits.
Held religious significance; athletes believed to be bestowed with power from the gods.
Winners gave offerings to the gods.
First recorded Olympic games took place in Athens in 776 BCE.
The first game recorded was a foot race (stade).
An Olympic truce ensured safe travel for athletes.
Roman Empire:
Mainland Greece integrated into the Roman Empire around 50 BCE-500 CE.
Romans continued the Olympic tradition but favored brutal events like gladiator combat.
Athleticism and the Olympic Games declined with the empire.
Renaissance:
Revival of interest in Greek and Roman culture.
Athleticism became a social ideal.
Intensified study of human anatomy and physiology.
Italian physician Vittorino da Feltre started the first childhood education class in 1420.
Industrial Revolution and Victorian Era:
Shift from rural to urban manufactured economies.
Population growth and emergence of a prosperous middle class.
Middle class joined the upper class in leisure activities.
Popular recreational activities included riding and bike riding.
Middle class still worked, limiting time for sports.
Lawn tennis was developed for women's participation.
Attitudes Toward Sport
The ideal of amity excluded the lower class from participating.
Sport was seen to develop manly characteristics.
Gentlemen athlete ideal.
Belief that too much activity would harm a woman's delicate constitution.
Physical education was seen as vital for boys as it built character.
Physical education and sport became a growing part of the British public (private) school system.
Victorian young men brought their sports to the British colonies.
In Upper Canada in the 1840s, Dr. Egerton-Ryerson established accessible public education, including physical education.
Aboriginal People
In Aztec society, losers of a game similar to basketball were sacrificed to the gods.
In ancient Greek athletic part of religious ceremonies in North American societies.
Physical fitness was valued for helping young warriors.
Contemporary sporting: Arctic Winter Games (held every two years) provide high-profile sport competition for northern athletes.
Include sports like snowboarding, table tennis, and basketball.
North American Indigenous Games encourage equal access to sport.
Revival of Olympic Games
French educator Baron de Coubertin (1862-1937).
Promoted a sound mind in a healthy body to toughen up Frenchmen for war.
He believed it would help men with mental and spiritual growth and better character.
Initially only for men and Europeans.
Olympic Charter and Olympic Movement:
Penned by de Coubertin; details the goals of the Olympic Movement.
Promotes values of peace, tolerance, international understanding, and amateurism.
Overseen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Olympics: Nationalism and Global Politics
Nationalism has been a driving force behind the modern Olympics.
Hosting the Olympic Games leads to a surge of nationalism.
The Olympics have provided a backdrop for many significant social and political events.
Example: African American athletes Cornelius Johnson and Jesse Owens refuted notions of Aryan supremacy at the 1936 Olympics.
Paralympics
Linked to Olympics at the same venue every two years.
Summer Olympics include diverse sports like archery, cycling, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball.
Winter Olympics: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and ice sledge hockey.
Eunice Kennedy championed recreational programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
The Special Olympics featured 32 Olympic-style individual and team sports, with 111 nations participating.
Professional Sport and Olympic Competition
Professional sport: refers to being paid to play.
Organizations, teams, and players command large incomes through advertising.
1882–1914 saw rapid growth in mature and professional sports.
Professional teams emerged when teams started paying players.
Post-World War II: Better wages, more recreational time, and televised events.
Sports Franchises
A governing body oversees leagues and grants franchises to teams.
Examples: Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League.
Emergence of the Modern Sports Fan
Industrialization brought increased productivity, wealth, and leisure time.
Attitudes toward sport and recreation changed positively in the media.
Canadian Athletes
Nancy Greene:
Top ski racer in the 1960s, winning gold and silver at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics.
Overall World Cup titles in 1967 and 1968.
Owner of Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge.
Dedicated to promoting her sport for over 30 years; Nancy Greene Ski League is an important entry-level race program for young children.
Wayne Gretzky:
Nine Hart Trophies as MVP, 10 Art Ross Trophies for most points, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP.
Retired to be a sports analyst on Turner Sports’ NHL coverage.
Started the Wayne Gretzky Foundation in 2002.
Has been helping to raise funds for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind since 1995.
Hayley Wickenheiser:
Canadian former ice hockey player, resident physician, and assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Retired as Canada’s all-time leading scorer in women’s hockey.
Hall of Fame inductee.
Works with philanthropic organizations supporting sports for kids.
Chantal Petitclerc:
Wheelchair racer with five world records.
Most gold-medaled female paralympic athlete with 14 golds and 21 medals.
Flagbearer for Canada at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Involved in projects with Paralympic organizations and spokesperson for Défi Sportif.
Cindy Klassen:
First Canadian to win five medals in one Olympic Games.
Overall world champion in speed skating in 2003 and 2006.
Provides girls and women with opportunities to play sports.
Alexandre Bilodeau:
Canadian retired freestyle skier.
First Canadian man to successfully defend an individual Olympic gold medal.
Prioritizes giving back to charity through the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
The Struggle for Equity in Physical Activity and Sport
Women in Sport
Until the early 20th century, women faced resistance due to a feminine ideal that limited their expression in sports.
As women gained more political and economic freedom, they also gained more sports freedom.
Global development goals related to women and sport include gender equality.
Increased access for women and girls helps build confidence and promotes social integration.
Involving girls in sports activities alongside boys can help overcome prejudice.
Changing Attitudes Towards Women's Place in Sport
The first Olympic Games in 1896 excluded women entirely.
100 years later, Canada had more women than men on its Olympic team.
The 2012 London Olympics were the first games in which women were allowed to compete in every sport.
Women from Saudi Arabia and Brunei competed for the first time.
Now women are no longer considered too frail to participate in so-called male sports such as boxing and wrestling.
Racism in Sport
South Africa's apartheid policy banned black people from participating in sporting events until apartheid was abolished in 1990.
Negro Leagues in baseball flourished in North America in the 1920s and 1930s due to segregation.
White athletes were paid highly, while black athletes were underpaid.
Blazing a Trail for Racial Equity
In 1946, Jackie Robinson became the first black man on a professional baseball team for the Major Leagues.
Promoted to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
Exclusionary Practices in Canadian Sport
Sons of Japanese immigrants formed their own baseball team in BC in 1920.
The Asahi team was known for its strategic play, dubbed "brain ball."
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Canadian government forcibly moved 22,000 Japanese Canadians from their homes to internment camps.
By the end of the war, Asian baseball players were released but forced to move out of BC.
In 2003, a movie called Sleeping Tigers: The Asahi Baseball Story deconstructed the team's struggles.
In 2003, they were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Government Involvement in Sport
Government initiatives promote active, healthy living.
Sport Canada develops federal sport policy and provides funding for sport programs.
Aims to make more inclusive growth in the sporting environment.
ParticipACTION was created by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1971 to encourage physical activity.
Integrated pan-Canadian healthy living strategy.
Own the Podium
Launched due to an obesity epidemic in 2005, emphasizing healthy eating and physical activity.
CS4L (Canadian Sport 4 Life) promotes physical activity based on development age rather than chronological age.
Exposes individuals to multiple sports instead of early specialization.
Canadian sport policy in 2012 endorsed for 2012-2022.
The Department of Canadian Heritage is the largest investor in Canadian amateur sports systems.
Funding helps low-income people to get to the big leagues.
Programs Include
Olympic hosting programs.
Sport support program.
Athletes assistance program.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC)
First recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1907.
A private nonprofit corporation representing Canada in the international Olympic sports movement.
A founding partner of the Canadian Sport Centres.
Own the Podium aims to deliver more Olympic and Paralympic medals for Canada.
Sport for Fun and Sport for Profit
Professional athletes are paid to compete.
Amateur athletes play mainly for enjoyment and prestige.
The key difference is that professional athletes are employees, while amateurs are not.
Compensation for Professional Athletes
Labor, signing bonuses, merchandise and ticket sales, and endorsements.
Semi-professional athletes blend professional and amateur characteristics.
Some professional athletes are released to play for the Olympics.
Funding for Amateur Athletes
Sport Canada is Canada's major grant agency.
Funds amateur athletes through its athletes assistance program.
To qualify, athletes must be in the top 16 in the world in their sport.
Financial assistance ranges from 4500 to 1800.
Financial Challenges for Amateur Sport
Limited endorsement opportunities.
Often require maintaining a job.
Sport for Profit
Organized sport where owners hire players to compete and market them.
Revenue is generated from posters, merchandise, etc.
Not-for-profit sports focus on enjoyment and representation.
Revenue Streams for For-Profit Sports
Tickets, broadcasting rights, replica products, and advertising.