Resistance-band exercises have been all over social media during the pandemic. In case you aren’t familiar with them, resistance bands are similar to an elastic band, usually made from a synthetic fibre like latex or rubber. You can loop them around your legs or arms, for example, which helps create more tension while you work […]
Imagine you’ve just sat down to watch your favorite TV show. You decide to snuggle in with your legs crisscrossed because you find it more comfortable that way. When the episode ends, you try to stand up and suddenly your right foot isn’t working. At first you just can’t move it, then it feels like […]
For most of our lives, the rhythms of our days are governed by crystallised routines: we get up, have breakfast, go to school or work, have lunch, dinner, watch TV, go to bed. For families, weekly routines often revolve around kids’ sport or active hobbies. Then there are times in life when our routines are […]
Many Australians are walking for their permitted fitness activity during lockdown. Some, emerging from winter hibernation, are taking part in STEPtember — a global initiative to raise money for cerebral palsy services and research. The goal for participants is to reach 10,000 steps each day during the month of September. Indeed, 10,000 steps is the de-facto target […]
Many of us have smartwatches or apps on our phones that count the number of steps we do. Usually, we aim to reach at least 10,000 steps a day, which we are often reminded is the target to help improve our health. This target is an arbitrary number that seems to have come from a Japanese marketing […]
A few years ago, framed by the skyline of Detroit, a group of about 15 children resettled as refugees from the Middle East and Africa leapt and twirled around, waving blue, pink and white streamers through the air. The captivating scene was powerfully symbolic. Each streamer held a negative thought, feeling or memory that the […]
In a typical year there are around 21,000 mass participation sporting events across Australia, attracting 3.4 million participants. From fun runs to marathons, road cycling to bush trekking, walking with pets to obstacle courses, Australians take part in these events at an extraordinary scale. It isn’t just about the exercise. Many of these events are wholly or partly […]
Many people viewed the Tokyo Olympics as the pinnacle of human physical achievement. However, Paralympic performances often receive less attention despite amazing feats of strength, speed and endurance. We’ve seen this with powerlifting, which is our area of interest. We’re working with para-athletes to learn more about how some can lift heavier weights than athletes without disabilities. […]
As children return to school this year –- the third academic year to be affected by COVID – many parents, carers and teaching staff are worried about their safety from infection. They will also be concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on their academic progress and their mental health. For children, the return to […]
A respiratory disease has spread far and wide. Conflicts at home and abroad pose dire challenges. The public is overwhelmed by questions of what to read and whom to trust as it confronts an ever more complicated world. I am describing mid-18th century Britain. The first disease to be characterized in English as an “influenza” […]
Sales of electric bikes have increased dramatically recently. In 2020, 4.6 million e-bikes were sold in the EU and UK, a 52% rise year on year. In the UK, nearly one in three adult bikes sold are now electric. As a specific category of e-bike, e-mountain bikes can increase the accessibility of the outdoors for riders who would […]
The nature and enforceability of university codes of conduct have been in the news lately. Prominent sackings for alleged misconduct include the cases of Professors Peter Ridd from James Cook University and Tim Anderson from the University of Sydney. Anderson had a legal win this week when the full court of the Federal Court decided Sydney’s enterprise agreement contains […]
