Physical Activity Researcher

A Year in a Tent and Other Stories Behind a PhD Journey - Jen Benson (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series

Every PhD journey is different and has a story behind it. In this episode, we explore the story of one PhD project exploring the challenging journeys of novice runners as they begin running and develop running identities from a phenomenological perspective. As exciting as the research is, however, the background journey is perhaps even more fascinating, including a year in a tent with a baby and a toddler.
I have the pleasure to discuss today with Jen Benson, a writer and an author of several guidebooks on adventures, running and walking, and a PhD student at Liverpool John Moores University.
Jen has recently published a book titled “The Wild Year” which tells the story of how she and her family spent a full year living in a tent in different parts of the UK. We explore this personal story in the first part of the conversation, and in the second part, we move on to exploring Jen's PhD project on becoming a runner.

Physical Activity and Joint Health - Prof David Hunter (Pt1)

Professor Hunter is a rheumatology clinician researcher whose main research focus has been clinical and translational research in osteoarthritis (OA). He is the Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology and Professor of Medicine at University of Sydney and the Royal North Shore Hospital.
He is ranked as the worlds leading expert in osteoarthritis on Expertscape.com since 2014. He is on the editorial board for Arthritis and Rheumatology, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Arthritis Care and Research and part of the review committee for OA for the American College of Rheumatology, EULAR and OARSI scientific meetings.
Dr Hunter has over 500 peer reviewed publications in international journals, numerous book chapters, is the section editor for UpToDate Osteoarthritis and has co-authored a number of books, including books on self management strategies for the lay public.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
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Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

New Tech - How to Track Training Load Better in Ball Games? Dr Jaime de la Calle (Pt3) - Practitioner’s Viewpoint Series

Dr Jaime de la Calle got his PhD in Exercise physiology and sport sciences at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (2018-2021).
He is the founder and CEO at Sobre Rendimiento. Using this he is helping professional and elite athletes to reach outstanding results.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/
 
 
 

Is Sport ”just a Job” for Professional Footballers? Dr Colm Hickey (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

In this second part of our conversation with Dr Colm Hickey, we continue exploring the lives of professional footballers. We ask: how does athletes' relationship with sport change as they develop careers in high-performance sport? Is sport "just" work? We then move on to exploring the development of women's football and how organisations are supporting their career development. Finally, we discuss the concept of caring coaching and why working towards caring cultures is a meaningful task in professional sport. 
Dr Colm Hickey shares his exciting research work involving professional athletes and sport organisations. To read more, see the article (co-authored with Martin Roderick) The presentation of possible selves in everyday life: The management of identity among transitioning professional athletes, and the book chapter (co-authored with Colum Cronin) Developing Caring Cultures in Football: A model for practice and change
Colm received his PhD at Durham University and currently works at the University of Lausanne. His research has explored various topics including workplace environments in sport, athletes’ career transitions and identity management. You can find Colm's contact details here and follow his work on Twitter @Colm_Hickey.
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Liked this episode? See the related episode with Prof. Martin Roderick (on lives of professional footballers) here: Part 1, Part 2 and the episode with Colum Cronin (on caring coaching) here.   

Prolonged Sitting and Cognitive Functions | PA in Emirati Women – Prof Ashokan Arumugam (Pt1)

Ashokan Arumugam is an Assistant Professor of Physiotherapy at the College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
He is an Orthopedic Manual Physiotherapist with a special interest in physical activity analysis in sedentary and diseased populations, biomechanical analyses of the lower limbs, and neuroplastic changes in individuals with and without musculoskeletal ligament injuries.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
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Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Why is Daily Monitoring Crucial in Elite Sports? Dr Jaime de la Calle (Pt2) - Practitioner’s Viewpoint Series

How to Market Your Sport Coaching Business? 
Why Daily Monitoring is Crucial in Elite Sports? 
Dr Jaime de la Calle got his PhD in Exercise physiology and sport sciences at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (2018-2021).
He is the founder and CEO at Sobre Rendimiennto. Using this he is helping professional and elite athletes to reach outstanding results.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Understanding Transitions and Identity Management in Professional Football - Dr Colm Hickey (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series

In today’s episode, we have another exciting conversation on athletes’ careers and lives in high-performance sport with a focus professional football. We know that the work-lives of professional athletes are uncertain and involve threats of de-selection and injury. What are the implications of the working conditions in professional sport for athletes' identity management, adaptation to career transitions, and the relationships they have in and outside of sport?
Dr Colm Hickey shares his exciting research findings involving in-depth interviews with professional athletes. To read more, see the article (co-authored with Martin Roderick) The presentation of possible selves in everyday life: The management of identity among transitioning professional athletes
Colm received his PhD at Durham University and currently works at the University of Lausanne. His research has explored various topics including workplace environments in sport, athletes’ career transitions and identity management. You can find Colm's contact details here and follow his work on Twitter @Colm_Hickey.
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Liked this episode? See the related episode with Prof. Martin Roderick here: Part 1, Part 2.  
 

How do Athletes Communicate Consent in Combat Sports? Dr Alex Channon (Pt2)

Dr. Alex Channon currently is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Studies at the University of Brighton, UK. He teaches on undergraduate courses, covering topics including sociological aspects of PE and sport, qualitative research methods, and UK PE and sport policy. He also supervises doctoral research students, conduct original empirical research, and act as personal tutor to undergraduate students.His research interests are focused on martial arts, particularly exploring issues related to gender and embodiment. Such research contributed to his PhD thesis, entitled 'Way of the Discourse: Mixed-Sex Martial Arts and the Subversion of Gender'. More recently, he has also explored the representation of women and sexual minority men in sports media.
He has edited three academic books: Global Perspectives on Women in Combat Sports (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015); Sex Integration in Sport and Physical Culture (Routledge, 2017); and Teaching with Sociological Imagination in Higher and Further Education (Springer, 2018). Alex sits on the advisory board of the Martial Arts Studies Research Network and is a member of the Special Advisory Group for the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement (ICM) under the auspices of UNESCO.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

How to Start Sport Testing and Coaching Company with No Money? Dr Jaime de la Calle (Pt1) - Practitioner’s Viewpoint Series

Dr Jaime de la Calle got his PhD in Exercise physiology and sport sciences at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (2018-2021).
He is the founder and CEO at Sobre Rendimiento. His company is helping professional and elite athletes to reach outstanding results.
---
This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Tensions in finding Meaningful Work in Sport - Dr Frank Martela (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

In this second part of our conversation with Dr Frank Martela we explore the concept of meaningful work and how it can inform researching meaningfulness in sport. Is meaningful work always a good thing, or could there be some detrimental effects if work has 'too much' meaning? Are athletes in a good position to find meaningful work?
Frank shares his work combining self-determination theory and meaningful work and findings from his empirical studies. From a practical perspective, we explore how to work with meaningful work in organisations, and finish up with some reflections on possible applications in the sport context.
Dr Frank Martela is a University Lecturer at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland and the author of the recent book A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence.
Research articles mentioned in this episode include Significant work is about self-realization and broader purpose: defining the key dimensions of meaningful work and What makes work meaningful? Longitudinal evidence for the importance of autonomy and beneficence for meaningful work
To find out more about Frank's work, visit his homepage, and follow the latest updates on Twitter @FrankMartela.

Cardiac Rehabilitation and Postexercise Hypotension - Prof Linda Pescatello (Pt1)

Dr. Pescatello is Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut (UConn). She holds joint appointments in the Departments of Allied Health Sciences, Nutritional Sciences, and Physiology and Neurobiology at UConn, and the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care at the UConn School of Medicine.
Her research focuses on exercise prescription to optimize health benefits — particularly among adults with hypertension and overweight and obesity — and on genetic and clinical determinants of the response of health-related phenotypes to exercise, particularly blood pressure and muscle strength.
Dr. Pescatello was an associate editor of the eighth edition of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, is Senior Editor of the ninth edition of the ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, and recently served as an expert panel and writing team member on an update of the ACSM’s exercise pre-participation health screening recommendations.
She has authored over 150 manuscripts, 4 books, and 16 book chapters, and has had numerous grants funded by UConn, the American Heart Association, the National Dairy Council, NIH, and USDA. Dr. Pescatello has served in multiple leadership roles for ACSM.
Twitter handles of institutions:
@UConnCAHNR, @UConnResearch, @UConn
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

What Health and Fitness Professional Need to Know about Pain Science - Dr Joshua Pate (Pt3) - Practitioner’s Viewpoint Series

In his late twenties, Josh reduced his hours working as a senior physiotherapist to do a PhD at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). His fascination with factors that influence health outcomes for people feeling pain drove him deep into the world of trying to work out what people think about pain.
To begin to solve these mysteries, a tool was needed. So, he developed the Concept of Pain Inventory (COPI) and published it in 2020. Josh is passionate about making learning more accessible. He wants the next generation of humans to learn more of the complexity of the science of pain; a growing body of research is showing the importance of this education.
Since being awarded his PhD, he is working as a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Building learning resources like children’s books and online animations, he is researching how people think about the science of pain, and how that relates to their pain and level of disability.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Learn more about Fibion Kids at:
https://fibion.com/kids
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Why chasing meaningfulness and happiness might be counterproductive - Dr Frank Martela (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series

Today's episode explores insights from the extensive literature on meaning in life and how it can help us explore meaning in sport and physical activity contexts. Dr Frank Martela shares his work on meaning in life and how people find meaning in contemporary secular societies. We also explore why pursuit of happiness and meaning might lead to opposite outcomes, and how sport and physical activity can contribute to meaningfulness.
Dr Frank Martela is a University Lecturer at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland and the author of the recent book A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence. To find out more about the book and Frank's work, visit his homepage, and follow the latest updates on Twitter @FrankMartela.

Physically Active Learning Challenges the Way of Teaching! Dr Andrew Daly-Smith (Pt2)

Dr Andy Daly-Smith is a reader in physical activity and healthy childhood. He leads the Wolfson centre for applied research health childhood theme. His research focuses on the design, development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions for physical activity and health in children. He is heavily involved in the Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research and Born in Bradford as a Research Director on the Sport England funded Join Us: Move Play programme. Recently, Andy led the co-development of the first UK-based whole-school physical activity framework with 50 regional, national and international stakeholders. The model has been widely adopted across the UK to drive systems change for health and physical activity within schools. In May 2018 he co-delivered a TEDxEducation talk on physically active learning.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/
---

Running a Fitness Testing Center and Work at University of Applied Sciences - MSc Jacob Jungell (Pt1) - Practitioner’s Viewpoint Series

Jacob Jungell got Master’s degree of Exercise Physiology in University of Jyväskylä. He has then worked as Project Worker and Lecturer in Arcada Univeristy of Applied Sciences, in Helsinki Finland. Currently he is working as a Teacher in Solvalla Sports Insitute and as Performance Coach in Hintsa Performance.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Practising and Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education - Prof. Kenneth Aggerholm (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

This second part of our conversation with Prof. Kenneth Aggerholm explores the phenomenon of practising in physical education. Practising sounds like an inevitable part of participation in movement activities, and perhaps this is the reason it has been overlooked and has not received analytic scrutiny. What is practising and why does it have potential to expand our understanding of meaningful movement experiences?
The  conversation draws specifically on the article On practising in physical education: Outline for a pedagogical model.
Kenneth Aggerholm is a Professor at the Department of Teacher Education and Outdoor Studies at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. His work has explored various contexts including youth sport, physical education and adapted physical activity. Kenneth is also the president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (IAPS).
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Liked this episode? Applications of Kenneth's work in a talent development context has been discussed in a previous episode with Dr Andy Borrie. The conversation with Prof. Øyvind Standal on phenomenology in physical education also explores related ideas.

Building an International Database on Sedentary Behaviours (Pt2) - Prof Mark Tremblay - ISPAH Webinar

Sedentary Behaviour Council Webinar: Building an international database of sedentary behaviours
 
The 2nd Sedentary Behaviour Council Webinar will focus on international databases in sedentary behaviour. Please register for the FREE 1 hour webinar.
Details:
Time: 4pm GMT, Feb 22, 2022
Speakers and topics:
1. Dr Paul Mackie – Sedentary Behaviour Council Program (5 min)
2. Professor Lauren Sherar – International Children’s Accelerometry Databases (20 min)
3. Professor Mark Tremblay – Sedentary Behaviour Research Network (20 min)
4. Panel discussion (15 min)
Look forward to seeing you at the webinar.
The recording of this session is now available the Members Area of the ISPAH Website.

Are Combat Sports Violent? Dr Alex Channon (Pt1)

Dr. Alex Channon currently is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Studies at the University of Brighton, UK. He teaches on undergraduate courses, covering topics including sociological aspects of PE and sport, qualitative research methods, and UK PE and sport policy. He also supervises doctoral research students, conduct original empirical research, and act as personal tutor to undergraduate students.His research interests are focused on martial arts, particularly exploring issues related to gender and embodiment. Such research contributed to his PhD thesis, entitled 'Way of the Discourse: Mixed-Sex Martial Arts and the Subversion of Gender'. More recently, he has also explored the representation of women and sexual minority men in sports media.
He has edited three academic books: Global Perspectives on Women in Combat Sports (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015); Sex Integration in Sport and Physical Culture (Routledge, 2017); and Teaching with Sociological Imagination in Higher and Further Education (Springer, 2018). Alex sits on the advisory board of the Martial Arts Studies Research Network and is a member of the Special Advisory Group for the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement (ICM) under the auspices of UNESCO.
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This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Behavioural Economics and Providing Feedback to Children - Dr Joshua Pate (Pt2) - Practitioner’s Viewpoint Series

In his late twenties, Josh reduced his hours working as a senior physiotherapist to do a PhD at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). His fascination with factors that influence health outcomes for people feeling pain drove him deep into the world of trying to work out what people think about pain.
To begin to solve these mysteries, a tool was needed. So, he developed the Concept of Pain Inventory (COPI) and published it in 2020. Josh is passionate about making learning more accessible. He wants the next generation of humans to learn more of the complexity of the science of pain; a growing body of research is showing the importance of this education.
Since being awarded his PhD, he is working as a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Building learning resources like children’s books and online animations, he is researching how people think about the science of pain, and how that relates to their pain and level of disability.
---
This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Learn more about Fibion Kids at:
https://fibion.com/kids
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/

Creativity and Practising in Sport - Prof. Kenneth Aggerholm (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series

This conversation with Prof. Kenneth Aggerholm explores how existential philosophy can be used to shed new light on the development of talented youth athletes and the value of repetition and practising. Practising can sound like something boring and mechanistic; but could it be that it is actually intrinsically valuable and even a virtue?
Kenneth Aggerholm is a Professor at the Department of Teacher Education and Outdoor Studies at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. His work has explored various contexts including youth sport, physical education and adapted physical activity. Kenneth is also the president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport.
--
Liked this episode? Applications of Kenneth's work in a talent development context has been discussed in a previous episode with Dr Andy Borrie.
Other episodes exploring existential philosophy in sport include the conversations with Prof. Gunnar Breivik (Heidegger), Dr Emily Ryall (Sartre), Dr Yunus Tuncel (Nietzsche) and Prof. John Kaag (Camus).

Whole Systems Approach to School-Based Physical Activity - Dr Andrew Daly-Smith (Pt1)

Dr Andy Daly-Smith is a reader in physical activity and healthy childhood. He leads the Wolfson centre for applied research health childhood theme. His research focuses on the design, development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions for physical activity and health in children. He is heavily involved in the Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research and Born in Bradford as a Research Director on the Sport England funded Join Us: Move Play programme. Recently, Andy led the co-development of the first UK-based whole-school physical activity framework with 50 regional, national and international stakeholders. The model has been widely adopted across the UK to drive systems change for health and physical activity within schools. In May 2018 he co-delivered a TEDxEducation talk on physically active learning.
---
This podcast episode is sponsored by Fibion Inc. | The New Gold Standard for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Monitoring
Learn more about Fibion: fibion.com/research
---
Collect, store and manage SB and PA data easily and remotely -
Discover new Fibion SENS Motion: https://sens.fibion.com/
---