Physical Activity Researcher

Can MMA Provide a Context for Cultivating Stoic Virtues (Pt1)? Michael Tremblay – Meaningful Sport Series

In their writings, Stoic philosophers have many references to sport. But how did the Stoics think about a good life and a meaningful life? What role might sport have in all this? How can we cultivate stoic virtues when we are practising sport?
The first part of our episode with Michael Tremblay focuses on exploring central ideas of Stoic philosophy and their relevance for sport. We explore the key differences between stoicism and existentialism, and ideas of happiness, meaning and purpose. We discuss the ways that sport brings artificial obstacles to our lives and makes life more difficult, and our guest shares several examples of how sport features in Stoic philosophy.
Michael Tremblay is a PhD Candidate in Philosophy at Queen’s University, in Ontario, Canada. His research focuses on Ancient Greek Philosophy, particularly Stoicism, and what it can teach us about how to live meaningful lives and become better people. Outside of Philosophy, he is a competitive martial artist, having a competed internationally in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and professionally in mixed martial arts. 
You can read more about Michael's work at www.tremblaymichael.com and follow him on Twitter @_MikeTremblay.

Is Fun a Necessary Part of 'Good' Physical Education – Greg Dryer (Pt1) – Meaningful Sport Series

Is fun a necessary part of good physical education, or are there other, more profound experiences that might be more important for young people? Today’s episode continues explorations meaning and value of physical education in young people’s lives.
The discussion is shaped by a critical perspective, and we ask questions about privilege, marginalised identities and the taken-for-granted ideology of sport as promoting positive youth development.
Greg Dryer is founder and Director of the Centre for Physical Education, Sport and Activity that sits in the School of Education at Kingston University. The Centre’s mission is to make physical education, sport and physical activity, meaningful, relevant and wonderful for all young people by aligning excellent teaching, research and practice. Before moving into higher education, Greg was Head of PE at 3 large inner London schools during the course of a 17-year teaching career. 
Away from university, Greg launched miMove in 2019. miMove is an app that allows practitioners to support young people in developing a physical activity habit and provides the data for schools to monitor impact, review and celebrate their work in PE and Sport. For more information go to mimoveapp.com
Greg and his team are always looking to collaborate with like-minded individuals and organisations as they believe this is the only route to sustained progress.
You can follow Greg on Twitter @Greg_Dryer

What has Skydiving to do with Authentic Existence? Prof Gunnar Breivik (Pt2) – Meaningful Sport Series

What has skydiving to do with authentic existence? Can we become more authentic through high-risk sport? And why are discontinuities and breakdowns important when we try to understand meaning in human life?
In the second part of our discussion with Professor Gunnar Breivik, we delve deeper into Heidegger' philosophy and key ideas including being-towards-death, authenticity, breakdown, and temporality and think about these concepts in relation to the sporting human being. Professor Breivik does a wonderful job in explaining complex ideas in a very accessible language and shares his stories about researching and doing skydiving as well.
Gunnar Breivik is Professor Emeritus in Sport Social Sciences at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, where he was Rector of the School 1999-2005. His pioneering work in philosophy of sport over several decades has covered a range of areas including studies of intentionality, knowledge, skills, and other aspects of human experience and action in sport. Moreover, he has conducted many empirical studies in sport and physical activity from psychological and sociological perspectives, including studies on personality in high-risk sports.

Is ‘Hyper-sedentary' Office Work a Relic of the 20th Century? Dr Robert Bridger (Pt1)

Robert (Bob) Bridger is a writer, consultant and teacher in Human Factors. He has a Ph.D in functional anatomy and biomechanics, an MSc in Ergonomics and a first degree in Psychology. His academic expertise is recognised in key areas of HFE including system safety and accident investigation, occupational biomechanics, work stress and Human Factors Integration. 
He has moved comfortably between the world of academia and industry throughout his career and has published over 200 research papers, popular articles and official reports. He is Director of his own company, ‘Knowledge Sharing Events, Ltd’ and helps organisations and universities to develop their expertise and programmes in Human Factors and Ergonomics.
He is sole author of the textbook ‘Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics', now in its 4th edition and offering a comprehensive instructional support package including an Instructor’s Manual, a Tutorial Guide and over 500 powerpoint slides. His newest book is: ‘A Guide to Active Working in the Modern Office: Homo Sedens in the 21st Century’. He also has Level 3 Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer qualification. You can contact Dr Bridger via his website www.rsbridger.com.
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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---

What has Covid-19 Revealed about the Meaning of Sport in Our Lives (Pt2)? Dr Mark Nesti - Meaningful Sport Series

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought uncertainty concerning the future of sports, but also led some of us to reflect more deeply on the meaning of sport in our lives. In the second part of the discussion with Dr Mark Nesti, we explore applied sport psychology with athletes during the pandemic, the value of an existential approach for psychology in sport, and the meaning of sport in Mark's own life.
Dr Mark Nesti has pioneered the application of existential psychology in sport. He recently stepped down as Reader in sport psychology at Liverpool John Moores University and is now working as a British Psychological Society Chartered sports psychologist with the first team players and staff at Yorkshire County Cricket club and Aston Villa.
Mark has written extensively on existential psychology, spirituality in sport, and applied work with elite and professional athletes. 

Meaningful Physical Education – Drs ‪Déirdre Ní Chróinín‬ and Tim Fletcher (Pt2) – Meaningful Sport Series

While all PE teachers most likely aim to facilitate meaningful movement experiences, it does not happen automatically. How can teachers intentionally design their lessons to foster meaningfulness? Does sport have a role in PE? Should we aim for breadth or depth of movement experiences?
This is the second part of the episode. It continues explorations of meaningful PE and the findings of our guests' pioneering work in this area.
Déirdre Ní Chróinín and Tim Fletcher have spent several years on developing and implementing the Learning About Meaningful Physical Education (LAMPE) framework which educates teachers to prioritise meaningful experiences in physical education.
Dr Déirdre Ní Chróinín is a Senior Lecturer in physical education at Mary Immaculate College in Ireland, and Tim Fletcher is an Associate Professor in physical education pedagogy in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University in Canada.
More information about the LAMPE project can be found at meaningfulpe.wordpress.com. And remember to follow them on Twitter: @meaningfulPE.

Expert opinion - Qualitative research (Pt2) | Højbjerre Larsen | McDougall | Williams

What are the most interesting advances in qualitative research in sports and physical activity science? Three qualitative researchers share their views!
Dr Signe Højbjerre Larsen is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Her research focuses on play and lifestyle sports in the fields of philosophy of sport, sociology of sport and cultural analysis. Her work explores how cultural analytical approaches can contribute to a critical understanding of bodies and lifestyle sports and their societal significance. 
Dr Michael McDougall is an Assistant Professor at Keystone College, US. His research has focused on organisational cultures in elite sport, but he is also exploring people’s experience of work, sport and well-being more broadly.
Dr Toni Williams is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, UK. Her research explores the factors that facilitate and constrain a physically active lifestyle for people with spinal cord injury. Her research interests also include narrative inquiry, disability studies, psychology of injury and rehabilitation, and qualitative meta-synthesis. She is a founding member of the International Society of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise.

Mental Health in PhD Students and ECR's - Richard Tahtinen

There is growing research evidence that academics are struggling. For example, the majority of university staff find their job stressful. There is more burnout in university staff than in general working populations. Some studies show that a third of doctoral candidates are at risk, or have developed, mental health issues.
In this episode, we focus on mental health of doctoral candidates and early career academics. We discuss emerging research on factors that contribute to challenges in the doctoral research journey, including problems in the supervisory relationship, unwritten rules, work family conflict and uncertain career prospects.
Richard Tahtinen is a clinical psychologist, a doctoral candidate at Liverpool John Moores University researching mental health in athletes, and a lecturer in Akureyri University. In this episode, he shares reflections on his research and personal journey as a PhD candidate and offers his thoughts on what can be done to support doctoral researchers in their journeys.
 

Nietzsche and Sport: an Odd Pairing (Pt2)? Dr Yunus Tuncel – Meaningful Sport Series

Nietzsche's thought has been applied to many aspects of culture (art, theatre, etc.) but less often on sport. Yunus Tuncel has identified numerous dimensions of Nietzsche’s work that can be applied to understanding the role of sport in human life.   
The second part of our discussion addresses a number of intriguing questions: What did Nietzsche mean by declaring that God is Dead? How can sport contribute to meaningful lives in this world where traditional values are no longer valid? Would Nietzsche find value in ultramarathons? What and who is an overhuman and can we identify them in sport?
As our guest explains, “we have some general understanding of what Nietzsche means by the overhuman. But when we get into the details, hell breaks loose. There are so many disagreements. Is the overhuman a historic figure? Can we say that such and such person is an overhuman? Most likely yes, I would say, otherwise it doesn’t make sense. Nietzsche is not an idealist (...) That is my reading.”
Dr Yunus Tuncel teaches Philosophy at The New School, New York, and in New York University’s Liberal Studies Programme. He is a co-founder of the Nietzsche Circle and a member of the Editorial Board of its journal The Agonist. Yunus is also the founder of Philomobile, which is a travel organisation offering trips to those interested in studying philosophy on the road (http://www.philomobile.com/).

Should you promote long- or short-term benefits of physical activity? Dr James Nobles (Pt2)

Dr James Nobles (Pt2) - PA | Communication | Promotion
Dr James Nobles is a pragmatic, multi-methodological researcher with particular interests and expertise in obesity (prevention and treatment), public health, and systems science. Since starting his research career and through various appointments, he has developed strong working relationships within academia, local- and national- government, and the voluntary and community sector. His research aims to answer questions that are pertinent to both policy and practice, and aims to forge further working relationships with these stakeholders in the future. 
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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---
Timestamps:
1:00 How to improve PA comms?
4:00 People value social factors and feel good more than health benefits
6:00 Who are the best disseminators of PA promotion info?
12:30 How incidental PA should be communicated?
15:00 Sport England and its branding in PA promotion
18:00 Bristol recommendation for PA communications
23:00 Should you promote long- or short-term benefits of PA?
25:00 Where should PA recommendations threshold be?

Studying Meaning in Sport Psychology (Pt2) – Dr Matteo Luzzeri – Meaningful Sport Series

Despite the growing body of research on meaning in life and meaning in sport, the psychological study of meaning in sport is at nascent stages. Dr Matteo Luzzeri has developed the first quantitative instrument to study domain-specific meaning in sport. In this episode, which is the second part of our discussion, he shares the story behind the questionnaire development and the findings on how presence and search for meaning in sport relates to other psychological attributes.
We also explore the use of writing interventions in supporting people in discovering meaning, and Matteo shares his own work using this approach with student-athletes. 
Dr Matteo Luzzeri defended his doctoral dissertation titled “The effects of a meaning-oriented online writing intervention on commitment, stress, and burnout in collegiate athletes” at Florida State University in early 2020. The validation study (together with G. M. Chow) on the Meaning in Sport Questionnaire (MSQ) has been recently published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise; see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101783.
Matteo is also a professional waterskier and a coach, and hosts a highly popular waterskiing podcast which is available at http://www.thewaterskipodcast.com/
 
For the other parts of our discussion, see:
https://paresearcher.podbean.com/e/luzzeri/
 

What does it mean to be Authentic in Sport? Dr Emily Ryall (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

Authenticity has been a key concept for many existential philosophers, but it seems that many of them provide much more detail about inauthenticity than authenticity itself. So, what does it mean to be authentic in sport? Are there different threats to authenticity in team and individual sports? Does sport culture promote bad faith? 
This is the second part of our discussion with Emily Ryall. Our starting point is her article "Being-on-the-Bench: An Existential Analysis of the Substitute in Sport" published in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy (2008).
Dr Emily Ryall is a reader in Applied Philosophy at the University of Gloucestershire who enjoys wrestling with the deep and complex questions about the role of sport in human life. She has written on a range of philosophical and ethical questions in sport and enjoys teaching in relation to these issues as well as philosophy of science, critical thinking and the logic of arguments.

Research funding has a problem as 75% of funding goes to... Dr James Nobles (Pt1)

Dr James Nobles (Pt1) - Systems approach | Ripple effect mapping | Social network analysis
Dr James Nobles is a pragmatic, multi-methodological researcher with particular interests and expertise in obesity (prevention and treatment), public health, and systems science. Since starting his research career and through various appointments, he has developed strong working relationships within academia, local- and national- government, and the voluntary and community sector. His research aims to answer questions that are pertinent to both policy and practice, and aims to forge further working relationships with these stakeholders in the future. 
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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---
Timestamps:
10:00 What are the 6 phases of systems apporach?
15:00 What are the most challenges phases and why the systems approach?
18:30 Things learned about system approach?
19:30 New evaluation methods of systems approach interventions
21:30 What is ripple effect mapping method and why it is a great tool?
26:30 Culmination point: Mindset shift within different organisations
29:00 Paradigmatic challenges when working with systems approach
30:30 Problem: 75% of funding goes to individual based interventions
33:00 Why systems approach results will look different in every place?
37:30 What is social network analysis and what are its benefits?
39:00 Leading countries using systems approach in health promotion
42:15 Looking for health economists for collaboration
42:15 Check, whether you are perfect fit for collaboration with James and their group?

Using Phenomenology to Uncover Essences of Sport Coaching – Dr Colum Cronin (Pt1) – Meaningful Sport Series

What does it mean to be a coach? How does phenomenology help us understand what coaching is about? This exciting episode focuses on uncovering the essences of sport coaching.
Additionally, we explore the different types of caring and how they manifest in a coaching context. And finally, we ask questions about what meaningful work might look like in coaching.
Dr Colum Cronin is Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Physical Education at Liverpool John Moores University and serves as an associate editor for Sports Coaching Review. In his doctoral research, he drew on a phenomenological approach to explore the meaning of coaching. He has later used a range of qualitative methodologies and methods and his current research focuses on care in coaching.

Narratives of Ageing and Physical Activity: Are there Alternatives to Ageing-as-Decline? Dr Adam Evans

Physical activity in later life is often promoted for its potential physical, psychological and social benefits for older adults. However, sometimes these programmes, despite good intentions, can perpetuate negative stereotypes about ageing and youthful ideas about good life. Have we forgot to ask old people themselves how and why they are (not) active?
As our guest explains, ageing is not only a physical and psychological phenomenon, but also a cultural phenomenon. Cultural narratives including ageing-as-decline, successful ageing and active ageing can have significant consequences on how we make meaning of later life.
In this episode, we ask critical questions about what is ageing, who is an older person, and what implications different physical activity campaigns for older adults might have.
Dr Adam Evans is currently an Associate Professor in Sociology of Sport at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sport (NEXS) at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the current director of the Sport, Health and Innovation research group at NEXS, and is Editor in Chief of the European Journal for Sport and Society (www.tandfonline.com/toc/ress20/current). His research interests cohere around understanding the lived experiences of sport, physical activity amongst several groups, including older adults and those with specific health needs, together with work in swimming and aquatic activity.

Questioning Culture and Meaning in Sport – Dr Michael McDougall (Pt1) – Meaningful Sport Series

We cannot create meaning out of nowhere, but we always depend on culture to provide us with a horizon of significance. But what kind of "thing" is culture?
Can we create a winning culture, a healthy culture, or meaningful culture around sport? Or are any attempts to manage culture simply colonialist projects that will inevitably marginalise and silence other meanings that are not part of the "official" narrative?
Dr Michael McDougall completed his PhD focused on a critical examination of organisational culture research in sport at Liverpool John Moores University and teaches psychology at Keystone College in the US. He is researching various topics including cultures in sport and organisational contexts, meaningful work, craftsmanship, and well-being.

The Ontology of the Sporting Human Being – Prof Gunnar Breivik (Pt1) – Meaningful Sport Series

What kind of being is the sporting human being? For Professor Gunnar Breivik, a human being is the homo movens and the homo ludens: a playful and active being that explores the world and its own possibilities. Our guest explains key ideas in Heidegger's work in Being and Time while also arguing that the ways of ‘worldmaking’ disclosed in sport are more ontologically diverse than Heidegger's classic text opened up for.
We explore the four constitutive relations identified by our guest (‘I-Me’, ‘I-You’, ‘I-Society’ and ‘I-Nature’) and their typical manifestations in sport.
And finally, we explore what kind of 'things' are 'meaning' and 'meaningful life' in Heidegger's work.
Gunnar Breivik is Professor Emeritus in Sport Social Sciences at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, where he was Rector of the School 1999-2005. His pioneering work in philosophy of sport over several decades has covered a range of areas including studies of intentionality, knowledge, skills, and other aspects of human experience and action in sport. Moreover, he has conducted many empirical studies in sport and physical activity from psychological and sociological perspectives, including studies on personality in high-risk sports.

Expert Opinion - Sedentary Behaviour | Dunstan | Rebar | Pesola

What are the most interesting things in sedentary behaviour research at the moment?
Professor David Dunstan from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne. His research focuses on the role of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to chronic diseases.
Dr Amanda Rebar is senior lecturer at Central Queensland University, Australia and director of the Motivation of Health Behaviours (MoHB) Lab. She has experience providing evidence-based guidance for community-based programs with a focus on mental health and safety outcomes.
Dr Arto Pesola is working as research manager at Active Life Lab in South-Eastern University of Applied Sciences. He is researching health effects of sedentary behaviour and developing health technologies aiming at making life healthier - with less sitting. 
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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---

What has Covid-19 Revealed about the Meaning of Sport in Our Lives (Pt1)? Dr Mark Nesti - Meaningful Sport Series

What has the COVID-19 pandemic revealed about the role of sport in our lives? We will discuss how existential psychology can help us understand life and sport under the pandemic and what the pandemic has made us aware of about the human condition more generally. And what about applied sport psychology work with athletes these times? What have we learned? 
Our guest Dr Mark Nesti has pioneered the application of existential psychology in sport. He has recently stepped down as Reader in sport psychology at Liverpool John Moores University and is now working as a British Psychological Society Chartered sports psychologist with the first team players and staff at Yorkshire County Cricket club and Aston Villa.
Mark has written extensively on existential psychology, spirituality in sport, and applied work with elite and professional athletes. 

Meaningful Physical Education (Pt1) – Drs ‪Déirdre Ní Chróinín‬ and Tim Fletcher – Meaningful Sport Series

Are children experiencing meaningless PE? How can physical educators actively promote meaningful experiences in PE?  Déirdre Ní Chróinín and Tim Fletcher have spent several years on developing and implementing a framework called Learning About Meaningful Physical Education (LAMPE) which encourages teachers to prioritise meaningful experiences in physical education.
In this episode, we explore the theoretical underpinnings and research findings of the LAMPE project and reflect on how the idea of meaningfulness complements and extends other approaches to understanding experiences in PE and sport.
Dr Déirdre Ní Chróinín is a Senior Lecturer in physical education at Mary Immaculate College in Ireland, and Tim Fletcher is an Associate Professor in physical education pedagogy in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University in Canada.
Information about this exciting work and other collaborators in the LAMPE project can be found at meaningfulpe.wordpress.com. And remember to follow them on Twitter: @meaningfulPE

Nietzsche and Sport: an Odd Pairing (Pt1)? Dr Yunus Tuncel - Meaningful Sport Series

Putting Nietzsche and sport together could seem like an odd pairing. However, our guest Yunus Tuncel argues that there are numerous dimensions that we find in Nietzsche’s work that can help us understand the value of sport in human life. From Nietzsche’s early writings on the Apollonian and Dionysian, to his philosophy of play and to the well-known contemplations on the overhuman, there are several inspirational elements in his work that can help us think about the role of sport in finding meaning in the world where God is Dead.   
The first part of our explorations provides an overview of Nietzsche's thought and then focuses on the Dionysian and the Apollonian forces and thinking about sport through them. Would Nietzsche think that contemporary (elite) sporting culture is going too much towards the Apollonian with our focus on quantifying and controlling everything? Nietzsche celebrated play as a spontaneous, creative and, in a good sense, purposeless and useless activity. Has sport gone too far off from play?
Dr Yunus Tuncel teaches Philosophy at The New School, New York, and in New York University’s Liberal Studies Programme. He is a co-founder of the Nietzsche Circle and a member of the Editorial Board of its journal The Agonist. Yunus is also the founder of Philomobile, which is a travel organisation offering trips to those interested in studying philosophy on the road (http://www.philomobile.com/).