UNews - Department of Kinesiology

Local researchers connecting physical activity to cognitive function invited to European conference

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 16:45:33 +0000

Three research projects exploring the connection between physical exercise and cognitive function, led by a Lethbridge Polytechnic instructor and two ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students, and supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Councill (SSHRC) Exchange grant, have been selected for presentation at the European College of Sports Science (ECSS) annual conference in Rimini, Italy next month.

Researchers involved in the study, from left to right, are Xander Fox, Simon Schaerz and David Selles.

The projects are a result of collaboration between the polytechnic’s Centre for Health and Wellness, Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and students and alumni from both Lethbridge Polytechnic and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Simon Schaerz, instructor, Lethbridge Polytechnic Centre for Health and Wellness, and researcher, Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, says all three projects demonstrate that physical activity aids in building cognitive skills, particularly in youth.

“Physical exercise teaches more than just running and sports; it teaches teamwork, focus, problem solving and adapting to changing situations,” says Schaerz. “These are key concepts in cognitive development that could increase proficiency in tasks among youth, adults and elders.”

Schaerz will present a research project he led that considered the use of physical activity to improve executive function, including inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility, for the polytechnic’s esports team. Following moderate intensity cycling, participants were given skill testing tasks and then engaged in simulated gameplay.

Physical exercise can enhance cognitive development.

“Preliminary results show inhibitory control and working memory saw noticeable improvements,” he says. “These improvements, while telling, highlight the need for further assessment of the connection and significance between the two tasks.”

David Selles, a Lethbridge Polytechnic graduate (Digital Communications and Media, 2018) and current kinesiology student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, developed a separate project that focused on creating a framework to help teachers in training develop physical education programs that support students’ executive function. Selles says by designing activities that challenge both body and mind, teachers can contribute to the growth of both students’ physical and cognitive development.

He adds previous research has shown how curriculum development and content integration can help educators merge exercise science with classroom instruction.

"Our goal with this research is to better equip teachers with an understanding of activities that not only provide executive function benefits but also align with current physical activity curriculum standards.”

Xander Fox, a recent bachelor of science graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s kinesiology program, completed a project examining the use of progressive overload in long term exercise intervention trials to improve executive function. He describes progressive overload as the process of increasing physical challenges over time to enhance outcomes.

“We know resistance training can improve executive function,” says Fox. “While many studies have looked at long-term effects of variables, like frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise, few have considered dynamic adjustments of these variables, known as progressive overloads, and how they impact executive function.”

Fox performed a scoping review of published research and noted a lack of content for resistance training. Out of 493 articles initially screened, just two articles were found to specifically investigate the issue.

“Most research in this area tends to focus on older individuals and youth, particularly looking at cognitive decline and development, respectively,” he says. “Our hope is this work brings to light the gap in existing research.”

The ECSS annual conference runs from July 1 to 4.

*This story was first published by Lethbridge Polytechnic

Antarctica leaves impactful, lasting impression on Copeland

trevor.kenney — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 18:14:51 +0000

Dr. Jennifer Copeland did her homework, and then some, before embarking on her 19-night tour of Antarctica as part of the Homeward Bound global leadership initiative for women with a background in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). And yet no amount of preparation could rival the experience of interacting with the beauty and remoteness that is the world’s fifth-largest and least-populated continent.

Visitors to Antarctica must maintain a five-metre buffer between themselves and the wildlife.

“It’s every bit as astonishing and awe-inspiring as everyone says it is yet it’s also hard to describe,” says Copeland, who set sail from Argentina in early November. “It’s stunningly beautiful and so remote and pristine. It’s very interesting to be in such an untouched place, and while I know we were touching it, it just has this feeling of complete isolation.”

That sense of isolation is achieved thanks to an international collaboration and treaty that sees Antarctica as an unowned land, open to science and discovery and closely and collectively monitored by protocols that visiting parties agree to follow. It was the perfect stage for a program focused on leadership and sustainability.

“The international collaboration was an incredibly impactful experience,” says Copeland, who was part of 108 women and non-binary people representing 29 countries aboard the Island Sky for Antarctica. “The protocols we follow are voluntary, arguably, so to see up close that we can actually collaborate, get along and make this work was really inspiring and a little bit hopeful that if we can do this, surely we can get together to figure some other things out too. That’s probably a bit idealistic but it can be done.”

Sustainability is a very broad topic and for the women on board, it meant different things given their differing backgrounds. While Copeland’s work as a kinesiologist had her approaching sustainability from a human health perspective, there were shipmates whose backgrounds included engineering, environmental science, government and non-governmental organizations, among others.

“While this was not about climate change specifically, it was a very central topic because it’s so evident down there how rapidly the changes are happening,” says Copeland, whose tour operators pointed out areas of moss growth on shore where once there was just snow and ice, or recounted recent rainfalls recorded for the first time in the continent’s history. “More than anything, many of our conversations focused on a different model of leadership that is more collaborative, more transformative and based on values and a legacy. It was sort of an idealistic view of what leadership could look like and what leadership probably needs to look like if we are going to save the world.”

She says her fellow health researchers spoke at length about the loss of biodiversity in the world and how leadership can spur individual behavioural changes on a mass scale.

“Me walking to work every day is not going to solve the problem, even though that’s something I do,” she says. “If we’re able to get people to spend more time outside, people will notice more about their environment and care more. Sustainability is big and broad and hard to wrap your head around sometimes, but you can distill it down into your daily actions and how you interact with the planet. So, how can we get people to notice — and to care?”

Dr. Jennifer Copeland on a landing at Orne Harbor.

In the coming months, Copeland will share her experiences in several forums and is open to addressing school classrooms or whomever has interest. She promises spectacular photography, stories about the many seals, whales and six varieties of penguins she saw, and a message about the future of our planet that is at times scary, but also hopeful that there are enough caring and committed people throughout the world eager to lead a culture of change.

“Education and research, broadly, are the answers to a lot of these problems,” she says. “Taking the things I’ve learned and using them in a way that teaches people about this complex environment and how we can individually contribute to change is one of my goals from this experience.”

Coaches sought to participate in study utilizing strategies to help competitive athletes conquer anxiety

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 21:42:00 +0000

Anxiety and nervousness before competition is normal for most athletes, from minor sport to the professional game. But what can a coach do when that anxiety starts limiting their athletes’ ability to perform? ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge master’s student Courtney Stevens has been researching strategies to mitigate these issues before they become problematic and is now inviting coaches to take part in a study to see how effective these approaches are in practice.

Courtney Stevens is a graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia Okanagan and former competitive soccer player.

Stevens, a graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia Okanagan and former competitive soccer player, says there is a lot of sport psychology information available, but it is spread throughout the internet, is often too academic for a general audience and does not instruct coaches on how to apply the principles studied.

“In the preliminary research we did, we found some coaches have access to sports psychology information in general, some find information on websites, tidbits here and there, but the majority don’t know where to go for it and even if they do find some information, they don’t know how to apply it to their athletes,” says Dr. Paige Pope, ULethbridge kinesiology professor and Stevens’s master’s thesis advisor.

“Courtney did a fantastic job of compiling this information, crafting summaries of why it’s important, and creating infographics, worksheets and activities that are easily digestible and ready to put into practice.”

What Stevens needs now are coaches willing to take her work and put it into play.

“We set 156 coaches as the goal, which is very ambitious, but we’re trying to acquire as much data as possible,” says Stevens, who came to ULethbridge to work specifically with Pope and the Sport Psychology for Coaches website she is now utilizing.

“We’re not asking too much of the coaches. They’ll be asked to do a 15- to 20-minute survey at three different times throughout the duration of the study and if they’re really keen, they can be involved in an interview about their experiences with the website and the resources.”

Stevens is looking for any coach over the age of 18 who is currently coaching an athlete or athletes at any competitive level. From the preliminary work they’ve done, she is confident coaches are looking for these resources to assist their athletes.

“The website had touched a bit on anxiety regulation and the resources I’ve developed go into much greater depth and focus on tackling anxiety with strategies to prevent it, as opposed to treating athletes who are already feeling these things,” she says. “This is about giving athletes skills to call upon when they recognize anxiety creeping in — so a facilitative approach before it becomes debilitating.”

Coaches can sign up for the study at any time by contacting Stevens at courtney.stevens@uleth.ca.

How to achieve lasting behaviour change at the heart of new research study

trevor.kenney — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:33:58 +0000

Participants aged 25-70 sought for 12-month trial

A new year for many is more than just a flip of the calendar, rather it’s another opportunity to make substantial changes in their lives, from mental to physical health, to relationships, financial planning and more. Recognizing these well-meaning resolutions often rarely last, researchers at Queen’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge are studying a new way to approach lasting behaviour change.

Dr. Paige Pope is a health promotion researcher in the Department of Kinesiology.

Participants are now being sought for a novel research trial, the Preparedness for the Future Program, that will allow successful applicants free access to an online program designed to maximize life satisfaction, increase longevity, and enhance quality of life physically, socially and mentally.

“We call it the Preparedness for the Future Program and it’s been developed after years of thorough scientific research. We’ve identified the most important topics that are essential for living and aging well,” says Dr. Daren Heyland, doctor and researcher at Queen’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. “The program was created to help people reach their goals, increase life satisfaction, attain better health and be more proactive by teaching them a new system of behaviour change.”

Many people sincerely try to make positive changes in their lives but fail because they do not understand how to maintain lasting change and fall back into established patterns. Dr. Paige Pope, a health promotion researcher in the Department of Kinesiology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, says finding your true source of motivation is key.

Dr. Daren Heyland is a doctor and researcher at Queen’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“There is enough information out there for anybody to start a health and wellness journey, but information alone is not enough to make lasting change,” says Pope. “This program is designed to tap into what motivates you individually and then use interactive learning modules and accompanying activities that help you identify and change underlying attitudes and beliefs that may be getting in your way of reaching your goals.”

The study will take place over a 12-month period and participants will have free access to the program throughout the duration of the study. Persons aged 25-70 are eligible to apply. Successful applicants will answer a series of questionnaires (once at the beginning, then at six months, and again at 12 months) to measure the effectiveness of the program.

“We’re optimistic this program will help people who are willing to invest time and energy in themselves to make positive, impactful changes in their lives, all while discovering strategies they can use well into the future,” adds Pope.

For more on the Preparedness for the Future Program and to apply, check out this web page.

Exceptional service to the community earns Dr. Mary Dyck honour as U of L Volunteer Award recipient

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:34:23 +0000

It is one thing to recognize a student/colleague/organization in need. It takes a special person to jump in and try to meet that need — a person like Dr. Mary Dyck.

Dr. Mary Dyck, a retired kinesiology instructor, has been the lifeline for numerous people in need over the years.

Dyck, a retired kinesiology instructor, has been the lifeline for numerous people in need over the years and is now being recognized as the 2020 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate Volunteer Award recipient.

Lauded as an excellent educator, Dyck’s teaching spoke to issues of inclusivity and the power of sport for well-being. The lessons she taught in class mirrored the example she set as a coach and volunteer. Always willing to take on a challenge, Dyck was instrumental as a volleyball and soccer coach at both the high school and post-secondary levels. And while her work with typical athletes was exceptional, she took particular interest in athletes with disabilities.

In class, she would educate her students about diverse needs’ populations in sport. She then involved herself in creating and maintaining sports initiatives so that her students could embrace and learn from such populations’ experiences. Her teaching led to an understanding of the challenges and a deep respect and meaningful appreciation for how sport contributes to the well-being of everyone.

Away from the classroom, Dyck, working with Adapted Physical Activity Consultants (APAC), took the lead as head instructor and program coordinator as she designed, implemented and taught a six-session soccer program for children (aged 3 to 14) with disabilities and their friends — a program that ran from 2013-2019.

A champion for wheelchair basketball, Dyck became involved as a volunteer simply because she recognized a population in need of a program and was willing to share her expertise in a selfless manner.

She was also willing to reach out and assist her colleagues, who would often seek her help mentoring students. She regularly assisted members of the Pronghorns men’s hockey team, taking the time to fully understand the assignments and workload of the students and then assisting them with learning strategies and time management ideas so they could find success as student-athletes. All the while, she maintained a high expectation level that helped them find their footing as confident learners.

Dyck fostered a culture of caring and selflessness that continues to permeate throughout the university, putting the needs of her students in the forefront. It’s a lesson that is sure to live on as these students graduate from the university and look to make their own impact on the communities in which they live.

UNews - Department of Kinesiology

Local researchers connecting physical activity to cognitive function invited to European conference

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