Rio 2016 Paralympics - Making the benefits of sport and exercise accessible for all

OTTAWA, Aug. 10, 2016 /CNW/ - 85% of Canadians don't get enough exercise¹, which puts them at increased risk for virtually all chronic health conditions. For people with disabilities, who make up nearly 14% of the Canadian adult population², their risk of developing inactivity-related illnesses is even higher.  

What is being done to help people with disabilities achieve the physical, psychological and social benefits of exercise to help them to live longer, healthier and more independent lives?

Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis, principal investigator of the Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP), director and founder of SCI Action Canada, and a CIHR-funded researcher, is an expert on physical activity behaviour change among people with physical disabilities and the general population. She is currently studying how to increase the number of people with disabilities participating in sport and exercise, the quality of their participation experiences, and the psychological benefits of exercise among people with spinal cord injury.

To book an interview with Dr. Martin Ginis, please contact:

David Coulombe
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563
[email protected]

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

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¹ TEDx McMaster U - Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis 
² Statistics Canada : Disability in Canada: Initial findings from the Canadian Survey on Disability

SOURCE Canadian Institutes of Health Research

David Coulombe, Media Relations, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 613-941-4563, [email protected]