The Physical Activity for Health Collaborative is comprised of leaders in physical activity from academia, sport, recreation and health. The Collaborative is committed to increasing physical activity for all British Columbians.
The Collaborative came together to address the urgent need to get British Columbians physically active, especially those who face barriers to being active.
Collectively on social media, the Collaborative is amplifying messages on the positive benefits of physical activity; ways people can be safely active; and low barrier resources British Columbians can access.
For more information on the Physical Activity for Health Collaborative and for ways to get moving, check out the full webpage.
When we take care of our bodies, we take care of our minds. This intersection highlights why it’s so important to create equitable opportunities in sport and recreation spaces: because physical activity enhances physical, mental, and emotional health.
As the days get longer and warmer, and COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, there are more chances for us to get out and get moving. There are also more chances for sport and recreation leaders to encourage people to participate in physical activity programs.
This Mental Health Week, the Physical Activity for Health Collaborative invites sport leaders, coaches, educators, and recreation leaders to utilize the EverybodyMoves Resource Hub. The Hub offers a collection of resources to help leaders and decision-makers create equitable, safe, and accessible sport facilities and spaces for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. When physical activity is accessible and inclusive, mental well-being becomes more balanced for everyone.
Physical health and mental health are very closely related, with research showing that physical activity helps relieve stress. Moving and exercising helps the body release endorphins and other chemicals that help reduce the feeling of pain and boosts mood.
When we encourage movement, we encourage mental wellness. When we encourage mental wellness, we encourage healthy living on a holistic level for everyone.
Featured Resources
We Belong: A How-To Guide aims to provide recreational leaders, coaches, educators and facilitators practical tools to help newcomer youth feel welcomed and included in physical activity settings. Developed by PHE Canada.
Good Practices for Creating Gender-Equitable Boards in Sport
Canadian Women & Sport (formerly The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport and Physical Activity -CAAWS), supports and champions Sport Canada’s objective of achieving gender equity in sport at all levels by 2035. CAAWS believes it begins at the top: ensuring gender-equitable boards of directors. This resource provides sport leaders with information including a checklist and tips on how to create gender-equitable boards.
PlanH provides a guide to support local governments as they build healthy communities throughout the province. Social connectedness makes people feel included and like they belong, which in turn encourages them to keep participating in recreation, sports, as well as other community activities that make them active and healthy.
Inclusive Physical Literacy Webinar
This webinar delivered by Andrea Carey of OneAbility introduced the concept of inclusive Physical Literacy, including how to offer inclusive programming and how to plan intentionally for inclusive programming and how to provide a supportive and welcoming environment for a person with a disability.
The Physical Activity for Health Collaborative (PAHC) launched the #LetsMoveBC social media campaign after the pandemic forced many people to stay home. The goal of the campaign was to get British Columbians outdoors and active, with the primary audiences being families with young children, Indigenous peoples, older adults, and those living in rural and remote locations.
Guy Faulkner, CIHR-PAHC Chair in Applied Public Health at the School of Kinesiology at UBC was interviewed by CTV Morning Live on behalf of PAHC, where he promoted the campaign and the importance of movement and activity. Watch the interview now.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vancouver (August 30, 2021) Members of the BC Physical Activity for Health Collaborative (the Collaborative) are sounding the alarm about the mental health crisis across the province. While the pandemic has amplified demand for accessible mental health resources, the Collaborative stresses physical activity as a complementary tool to combat declining mental health.
“We’re looking at the research and are very concerned about the increase in stress, anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, this is disproportionately experienced by young adults, families with children, Indigenous people and households with lower incomes,” says Samantha Hartley-Folz, co-chair of the Collaborative and Acting General Manager of Community Operations at the YMCA of Greater Vancouver.
Dr. Guy Faulkner, Professor in the UBC School of Kinesiology says “Given the toll that COVID-19 has taken on our mental health, people need to know that physical activity can help with stress management and can improve mood, even in chronically stressed adults.”
Polling conducted by BC Alliance for Healthy Living in June shows that COVID-19 has left many British Columbians feeling stressed, unconnected to their communities and with worsened mental health. The Collaborative recommends physical activities that are approachable and fun to help combat stress and loneliness.
Rebecca Tunnacliffe, CEO of BC Recreation and Parks suggests, “Do any activity that you enjoy and make time for it. It can be as simple as walking or biking, yard work, or active play with kids. There’s also a wide range of online programs, including adapted exercises for people with mobility challenges. By getting out and active, people can feel physically better and part of a bigger community.”
Dr. Heather McKay, co-lead of UBC’s Active Aging Research Team and President of the Active Aging Society, stresses the need to support older adults to be active. “Even before the pandemic, many older adults were not physically and socially active enough to achieve physical, social and mental health benefits. Take small steps towards your physical and social activity goals; every move counts!”
The BC Physical Activity for Health Collaborative has launched a campaign to get British Columbians moving with a focus on families and older adults. The Collaborative is a network of leaders in physical activity from academia, sport, recreation and health committed to increasing physical activity for all British Columbians.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Selenna Ho
Communications Manager
BC Alliance for Healthy Living
C: 604-428-3574
sho@bchealthliving.ca