Physical Activity Researcher

New Year Bonus Episode - Plans for 2021

This is a short bonus episode, in which Olli and Noora reflect back on 2020 and reveal some plans for 2021. Check out and hear more about the new podcast series, openings for internships and much more.

Working with Validity in Qualitative Research (Pt1) - Drs Ronkainen & Wiltshire

There is a long tradition of debates on how to address the quality and rigour of qualitative research. In sport and exercise psychology (SEP), the relativist perspective has been the dominant viewpoint in these debates.
In the absence of published critiques of the relativist perspective in SEP, Drs Ronkainen and Wiltshire wrote a paper Rethinking validity in qualitative sport and exercise psychology research: a realist perspective. They argued that the relativist approach becomes problematic when attempting to reject the “anything goes” problem because of the assumptions of internal, multiple, and mind-dependent realities. Drawing on realist literature in other fields of social science, they proposed using realist principles of ontological plausibility, empirical adequacy and practical utility in working with threats to validity.
The podcast episode provides an overview of the debate, arguments of the paper, and the story behind the writing. 
Dr Gareth Wiltshire is a lecturer at Loughborough University with broad interests related to the social determinants of health. His work is largely informed by concepts and theories derived from sociology but is proactive in engaging with researchers, practitioners and ideas across different disciplines such as medicine, education, psychology, philosophy, social marketing and behavioural science. He has specialist knowledge in qualitative research having utilised a range of ethnographic, interview and visual methods in the past. You can find out more about Gareth's work on his personal website.
Dr Noora Ronkainen is one of the hosts of the Physical Activity Researcher Podcast and creator of Meaningful Sport. She is a senior researcher the University of Jyväskylä and works a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions research fellow in a project "Learning and Being in Sport: A Phenomenological Investigation".
 

The most important changes in WHO guidelines are... Dr Emmanuel Stamatakis (Pt1)

2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour
The World Health Organization (WHO) released in 2020 updated global guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for children, adolescents, adults, older adults and sub-populations such as pregnant and postpartum women and those living with chronic conditions or disabilities.
 
 

Flow in Sport, Exercise and PE – Dr Trish Jackman (Pt1) - Meaningful Sport Series

Today we are discussing flow in sport, exercise and physical activity. What do we know about these highly rewarding experiences? What are the current trends and challenges in the research on flow? Might flow be experienced differently in different types of sport and exercise? And how does flow relate to other dimensions such as embodiment, spirituality, 'being in the zone' and peak performance?
Dr Trish Jackman is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at University of Lincoln, who shares her thoughts on flow in sport and exercise from a research and a personal perspective.
Trish and her colleagues have published several articles on flow. You can access their recent work here:
Psychological States Underlying Excellent Performance in Sport: Toward an Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States
Optimal experiences in exercise: A qualitative investigation of flow and clutch states
You can follow Trish on Twitter @Trish_Jackman

Finding Meaning in Movement after Retirement from Elite Sport – Kriss Akabusi MBE (Pt2) – Meaningful Sport Series

This is the second part of our discussion with Kriss Akabusi, MBE, on Meaningful Sport. Kriss is an Olympian, Motivational Speaker and Businessman. In his outstanding athletic career, he achieved three Olympic medals, as well as World, European and Commonwealth titles.
In the first part of our discussion, Kriss shared some stories from his elite athletic career and boundary situations in that journey, and we discussed the tough world of elite sport. In this second part, we move to explore the meaning of sport in his life after the elite athletic career, and discuss the spiritual dimension of sport. We also explore existential philosophy, especially the works of Heidegger and Nietzsche, and how these thinkers have inspired Kriss and his way of thinking and living his life in and outside of sport.
You can follow Kriss on Twitter at @KrissAkabusi and @AkabusiCompany and find out more about him and his work at www.akabusi.com.
 

Identity and Spirituality in Sport – Sam Jarman (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

Welcome back to our discussion with Sam Jarman. Sam played professional golf for about 10 years before transitioning to coaching and specializing in the mental side of the game. In this second part of our discussion, we move to explore the spiritual dimension of sport, questions about finding out who we are, and also discuss the mental health crisis in sport.   
Sam works with teams, coaches and players in a number of sports, helping them learn about the mental side of their games. He has written two books on the subject for golfers, the Three Principles of Outstanding Golf and Take Relief. Originally a golf professional, he has experience working in professional football and rugby environments, as well as amateur clubs and schools. He currently works as the Wellbeing and Performance coach for Buckinghamshire Cricket and BB&O Golf.
Sam brings a different approach to learning about the mental side of sport, emphasising understanding and self-enquiry, rather than prescribing techniques or coping strategies.
You can find out more about Sam and his work at https://samjarmangolf.com/ and https://sportsprinciples.com/.
You will find Sam on Twitter @SamJarmanGolf
 

Elite Sport and Existentialism: A Personal Journey – Kriss Akabusi MBE (Pt1) – Meaningful Sport Series

Kriss Akabusi, MBE, is an Olympian, motivational speaker and businessman. He achieved three Olympic medals, as well as World, European and Commonwealth titles in his outstanding career as a sprint and hurdling athlete. Very interestingly for our Meaningful Sport podcast, Kriss is drawn to existential philosophy and how it can help us in making sense of our lives and our sport.
In this first part of our discussion with Kriss, we start exploring his life as an elite athlete. Why was Kriss drawn to sport? Would he do sport "for nothing"? Were there 'boundary situations' in his elite athletic career that forced him to rethink the way he engaged with sport?
You can follow Kriss on Twitter at @KrissAkabusi and @AkabusiCompany and find out more about him and his work at www.akabusi.com.

Developing a Philosophical Perspective on Sport – Sam Jarman (Pt1) – Meaningful Sport Series

Many of us start playing sport because we just fall in love with it. However, many athletes who progress to a higher level of competition lose the joy of sport on the way and their sport-life becomes filled with worry and anxiety. This is a phenomenon Sam Jarman has encountered in many athletes he has worked with. Sport has become a means to happiness rather than an experience of happiness in itself.
In this episode, Sam tells about his life as a professional athlete and subsequent work on the mental side of sport, including the philosophical perspective that guides his work. According to him, we first need to address the 'Big Questions' about the nature of reality and our beliefs and values before thinking about any techniques to try to solve our problems. And actually, if we confront and address these questions, the other problems might resolve; we (again) just play our sport.  
Sam works with teams, coaches and players in a number of sports, helping them learn about the mental side of their games. He has written two books on the subject for golfers. Originally a golf professional, he has experience working in professional football and rugby environments, as well as amateur clubs and schools. He currently works as the Wellbeing and Performance coach for Buckinghamshire Cricket and BB&O Golf.
Sam brings a different approach to learning about the mental side of sport, emphasising understanding and self enquiry, rather than prescribing techniques or coping strategies.
You can find out more about Sam and his work at https://samjarmangolf.com/ and on Twitter @SamJarmanGolf

Using consumer activity trackers in research? Dr Alexander Montoye (Pt3)

Dr Alexander Montoye (Pt3) - Consumer activity trackers | Accelerometry
Dr Alexander Montoye is working as an Assistant professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Alma College, Michigan, U.S. His main research area involves physical activity monitoring devices. He studies the accuracy and reliability of various physical activity monitors and also uses them as intervention tools to help individuals become more physically active.
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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---

Studying Meaning in Sport Psychology (Pt3) – Dr Matteo Luzzeri – Meaningful Sport Series

This is the third and the final part of our discussion on Meaning in Sport with Dr Matteo Luzzeri. In the previous parts of our discussion, we explored the foundations for the study of meaning in psychology and Matteo's empirical research.
In this last part of our discussion, we review the lessons learned from Matteo's studies. What would he do differently if he had all the time and resources? We then explore Matteo's experiences of doing applied work with athletes and situations when questions about meaning arise. And very importantly, Matteo shares his thoughts on future directions in this nascent line of research on meaning in sport psychology.
Dr Matteo Luzzeri completed his doctoral dissertation in the field of sports psychology from Florida State University. He is also a professional water skier, a coach, and has a very popular water-skiing podcast (http://www.thewaterskipodcast.com/). 
 
For the previous parts of our discussion, see:
https://paresearcher.podbean.com/e/luzzeri/
https://paresearcher.podbean.com/e/luzzeri2/
 
For Meaning in Sport Questionnaire (MSQ; Luzzeri & Chow, 2020), see:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101783
 
 

What Could 'Deep Ecological' Sport Look Like? Prof Gunnar Breivik (Pt3) – Meaningful Sport Series

Sustainability is a pressing concern in our collective human agenda worldwide. But what would ecologically sustainable sports look like? How much do we need to rethink the way we practise sport or even the fundamental idea of sport?
This is the third and final part of our discussion with Gunnar Breivik who is a professor emeritus at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. Professor Breivik’s work has been foundational in the philosophy of sport, and it was a great honour to have him in the podcast sharing his thoughts. Ecological sport has been one of the key topics of Prof Breivik's recent work. In our podcast, he discusses the works of Arne Næss and Martin Heidegger that have inspired his thinking around 'green sports' before sharing his own vision of what needs to happen for our sport to become more sustainable.
Gunnar Breivik is Professor Emeritus in Sport Social Sciences at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. 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.
Here are also the links to previous parts of our discussions:
Part 1: https://paresearcher.podbean.com/e/breivik/
Part 2: https://paresearcher.podbean.com/e/breivik2/

How Does Gender Inform Meaning in Sport (Pt2)? Dr Anna Kavoura – Meaningful Sport Series

This is the second part of our discussion with Dr Anna Kavoura on how gender informs meaning in sport. In the first part, we explored Anna’s work on intersecting identities in women’s martial arts, as well as her current research project titled "Transforming Gender Boundaries in Sport: An Ethnographic and Participatory Action Research Study in Trans-Inclusive Sport Contexts”.
This episode continues our discussion exploring the dominant gender discourses in sport context and what can be done to challenge them. We also discuss the dilemma of women-only training groups in martial arts. While these groups can be useful for attracting more women to male-dominated martial arts gyms, there are some possible problems with them such as reinforcing the gender binary and hierarchical understandings of gender. What are the ways we can use this strategy well?   
Dr Anna Kavoura has completed several interesting research projects on gender in sport. She completed her PhD in Sport Sciences at the Univerity of Jyväskylä in Finland, which focused on understanding women’s identity negotiations in competitive judo cultures in Greece and Finland. After defending her PhD, she continued working as a postdoctoral researcher at University of Jyväskylä in the PREACT project which focuses on tackling discrimination against gender and sexual minorities in sport and physical education contexts (PI: Dr Marja Kokkonen). She then moved to the School of Sport and Service Management at the University of Brighton and works as a postdoctoral researcher in the "Transforming Gender Boundaries in Sport" project which is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

Sedentary Behaviour in the Workplaces: Do Interventions Work? Dr Abigail Morris (Pt1)

Dr Abigail Morris is working as a Lecturer in Workplace Health and Well Being in Lancaster University, UK.
Her research expertise is in workplace physical activity and sedentary behaviour intervention development and evaluation. She is an interdisciplinary mixed methods researcher with experience conducting both process and outcome evaluations.
She has used a variety of methods including objective activity data, cardio-metabolic measures, self-reported survey data, ecological momentary assessment as well as focus groups and interviews. She is currently involved in designing, delivering and evaluating a Sit Less and Move More (SLAMM) multi-component intervention among call centre workers (2016-2019).
She has also been involved in the delivery and evaluation of Exertime (2018-2019) and Rise and Recharge (2019-2020) interventions which aim to reduce total and prolonged sedentary time and increase physical activity at work among traditional office workers. These projects are technology-based interventions and involve collaboration with national and international colleagues in both the UK and Australia.
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This podcast episode is brought to you by Walkolution GmbH | Work and Walk | The Manual Treadmill Desk. Made in Germany.
Learn more about Walkolution: walkolution.com/
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Autism and Physical Activity – Dr Patrick Jachyra (Pt1)

Dr Patrick Jachyra is working as a post-doctoral fellow at Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in University of Toronto.
His research explores, for example, physical activity participation among young people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Young people with ASD are less likely to be physically active compared to their peers, and increasingly become even less active during adolescence in both scholastic and community contexts.
The combination of declining physical activity, side effects of medication treating core symptoms of ASD, and highly sedentary behaviours position young people diagnosed with ASD to experience reduced psycho-social development and well-being.
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This podcast episode is brought to you by Walkolution GmbH | Work and Walk | The Manual Treadmill Desk. Made in Germany.
Learn more about Walkolution: walkolution.com/
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Adventurous Learning – Prof Simon Beames (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

This is the second part of our discussion with professor Simon Beames on outdoor education, recreation and adventure. In this episode, the main focus of our discussion is on adventurous learning. Together with Mike Brown, Simon has written a book titled “Adventurous Learning: A Pedagogy for a Changing World” which forms the basis of our conversation. We explore both the theory and practice of adventurous learning and finish up with some philosophical remarks on the potential role of adventure and outdoor activities in living a good life.
More information about the Adventurous Learning book can be found here: https://www.adventurouslearning.org/
Simon Beames is Professor of Outdoor studies at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. Before this, he was at the University of Edinburgh for almost 15 years and still retains a .2 position there. Simon is interested in understanding the role of outdoor activities or frilufstliv in addressing the big questions of our societies: sustainability, health and well-being, and diversity and equality issues.

Difference between Evaluation and Research Is... Dr Paul Kelly (Pt1)

Dr Paul Kelly (Pt1) - PA | Measurement | Wearable cameras | Evaluation vs. Research
Dr Paul Kelly is a Lecturer in Physical Activity for Health at the University of Edinburgh. He is based at the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC). Paul previously worked at the University of Oxford, where he completed a PhD in the validity and reliability of self-reported travel behaviour.
His current research focuses on evaluating initiatives aimed at increasing physical activity, and the health benefits (physical and mental) of these initiatives. He is particularly interested in walking and cycling, and is currently involved in evaluating the new 20mph schemes in Edinburgh and Belfast to see how speeds, collisions and walking and cycling may be impacted. He is also involved in multiple systematic and scoping reviews using data from large cohort studies and RCTs. He has a related research interest in improving the way we assess physical activity behaviour and energy expenditure through more valid and reliable measures.
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This podcast episode is brought to you by Walkolution GmbH | Work and Walk | The Manual Treadmill Desk. Made in Germany.
Learn more about Walkolution: walkolution.com/ ---

Does Technology Support or Threaten Meaningfulness in Sport? Dr Emily Ryall - Meaningful Sport Series

It is difficult to imagine any sporting activity that is devoid of technology. But how do new sporting technologies affect the values we ascribe to sport? In this new episode with Dr Emily Ryall, we revisit some of our discussion in a previous episode about the intrinsic/extrinsic values of sport and start exploring how technology can make sport and sport performance appear less meaningful.
Technology is often introduced to make sport safer and fairer. Does it always do this? While in some cases yes, we can also see ‘revenge effects’ of technology whereby it actually increases other risks by giving athletes a false sense of safety.
While we explore the potential adverse effects of technology, we also note how it has enable sport to be more inclusive, particularly in adaptive and disability sports, and has created opportunities for more people to have meaningful experiences in sport.
Dr Emily Ryall is 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.

Caring Coaching – Dr Colum Cronin (Pt2) – Meaningful Sport Series

"Coaches have a duty of care that moves beyond protection and involves the development of caring relationships with athletes". This is the position advanced by Dr Colum Cronin whose recent work has advanced care theory and research in sport coaching. But what do caring relationships look like and is it realistic to expect that these relationships manifest also in the world of elite sport, that is often described as ruthless, short-termist and uncaring?
This is second part of our episode with Colum. The first part focused on phenomenological essences of sport coaching, and care was identified as one of these essences. In this episode, the discussion moves from phenomenological ideas about care (as concern) to feminist perspectives on care.
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. His later work has focused on caring relationships in sport coaching and he is the co-editor of the book Care in Sport Coaching: Pedagogical Cases (together with Kathleen Armour). In his research, he uses a range of qualitative methodologies.

What are ISPAH’s Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity? (Pt2) - Dr Reece & Mclaughlin

Dr Reece & Mclaughlin (Pt2) – PA | Promotion | Policy | Investments
What are ISPAH’s Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity?
What is ‘advocacy’ and why is it so important?
What can be learned from other public health wins?
What resources are available for listeners?
https://ispah.org/resources/key-resources/8-investments/
Dr Lindsey Reece and Matthew Mclaughlin
Matthew is doing his PhD at the University of Newcastle, Australia related to health service delivery in large physical activity program in schools. He is the Chair of the Communications Committee at ISPAH.
Lindsey holds a PhD in Health and Medical Psychology and is working as Principal Researcher at University of Sydney. Lindsey has extensive experience in applied research and evaluation, specialising in Physical Activity, Sport and Public Health.
Within her current role as Research Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Prevention Research Collaboration, she is the Director of the SPRINTER (Sport and Active Recreation Intervention & Epidemiology Research) group - an innovative research partnership with the Office of Sport, NSW government. 

What are ISPAH’s Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity? (Pt1) - Dr Reece & Mclaughlin

Dr Reece & Mclaughlin (Pt1) – PA | Promotion | Policy | Investments
What is ‘advocacy’ and why is it so important?
What can be learned from other public health wins?
What resources are available for listeners?
https://ispah.org/resources/key-resources/8-investments/
Dr Lindsey Reece and Matthew Mclaughlin
Matthew is doing his PhD at the University of Newcastle, Australia related to health service delivery in large physical activity program in schools. He is the Chair of the Communications Committee at ISPAH.
Lindsey holds a PhD in Health and Medical Psychology and is working as Principal Researcher at University of Sydney. Lindsey has extensive experience in applied research and evaluation, specialising in Physical Activity, Sport and Public Health.
Within her current role as Research Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Prevention Research Collaboration, she is the Director of the SPRINTER (Sport and Active Recreation Intervention & Epidemiology Research) group - an innovative research partnership with the Office of Sport, NSW government. 
 

Stories of Sport in Ancient Greece (Pt2) – Petter Kukkonen – Meaningful Sport Series

This is the second part of our discussion with Petter Kukkonen, a former Nordic combined athlete and Finnish national team head coach. His search for the next big thing in his life following athletic retirement led him to write a 750-page novel about one athlete's story in Ancient Greece. Almost 15 years of research and writing recently came into completion when his book was published (in Finnish) with the title "Oliivipuut eivät koskaan kuole" (Olive trees never die). This fascinating book forms the main part of our discussion, while we often also switch to discussing the story behind the book.
In the first part, Petter talked about his athletic retirement and the emptiness following it, as well as how he found his new 'thing' in studying history and writing. In this second part, we discuss various things including philosophy, how the main character in the book might reflect Petter's own views on life, what might have happened to athletes in the Ancient world when they retired, and how writing the novel changed Petter as a person.
You can follow Petter on Twitter @PetterKukkonen.