We are excited to share valuable references with the Sport for All community, carefully selected by the TAFISA Knowledge Exchange Commission. This global team of experts, practitioners, and leaders works collaboratively to exchange ideas, best practices, and innovative approaches to promote public health, inclusivity, and engagement through Sport for All. These curated resources are designed to inspire and support your efforts in building more inclusive, healthy, and active communities. Each reference has been thoughtfully chosen to provide valuable insights and practical tools for your initiatives.
You can click on each box to review a brief summary, explore the key keywords, and access a link to the full resource for further details. We hope these references are helpful in your work and spark new ideas to advance the global Sport for All movement.
Authors: Pekka Oja, Aamir Raoof Memon, Sylvia Titze, Danijel Jurakic, Si-Tong Chen, Nipun Shrestha, Sowannry Em, Tena Matolic, Tommi Vasankari, Ari Heinonen, Jozo Grgic, Pasi Koski, Sami Kokko, Paul Kelly, Charlie Foster, Hrvoje Podnar & Zeljko Pedisic
Summary: This systematic review summarises the evidence about health benefits associated with recreational sports. Endurance activities are associated with reductions in all-cause mortality, while football and handball are associated with improvements in body composition and cardiovascular health.
Key words: health benefits; participation in sports
Authors: Milton, Karen, Cavill, Nick, Chalkley, Anna, Foster, Charlie, Gomersall, Sjaan, Hagstromer, Maria, Kelly, Paul, Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy, Mair, Jacqueline, McLaughlin, Matthew, Nobles, James, Reece, Lindsey, Shilton, Trevor, Smith, Ben J, and Schipperijn, Jasper
Summary: This provides an overview of the best evidence available to advocate for, inform, and guide physical activity policy and discussions, highlighting eight effective investments: school programs, active transportation, active urban design, healthcare, public education (including mass media), sport and recreation for all, workplaces, and community-wide programmes.
Authors: Leon Straker, Verity Booth, Verity Cleland, Sjaan Gomersall, David Lubans, Tim Olds, Lindsey Reece, Nicola Ridgers, Michalis Stylianou, Grant Tomkinson, Kylie Hesketh, Active Healthy Kids Australia Working Group
Summary: This editorial highlights changes in the physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns (including screen time) of Australian children during COVID-19, with a focus on reimagining the best ways to support children and young people in staying physically active.
Authors: Karim Abu-Omar, Guillaume Chevance, Antonina Tcymbal, Peter Gelius, Sven Messing.
Summary: This commentary introduces a framework that links physical activity promotion to both human health and planetary sustainability. The framework encourages promoting activities that not only support individual health but also lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-based transportation.
Summary: The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. Findings showed that global progress in physical activity surveillance, policy, and research has been modest, with large inequalities between countries and world regions.
Key words: guidelines and recommendations; health promotion; measurement; public healthAuthors: Irene Nabutovsky, Roy Sabah, Merav Moreno, Yoram Epstein, Robert Klempfner, Mickey Scheinowitz
Summary: This pilot study looks at how integrating high-intensity strength training into cardiac rehabilitation programmes highlights its potential to enhance muscle strength, exercise capacity, and quality of life, supporting a balanced approach in health recovery.
Authors: Ilan Green, Eugene Merzon, Shlomo Vinker, Avivit Golan-Cohen, Ariel Israel, Mickey Scheinowitz, Reuven Ishai, Shai Ashkenazi, Eli Magen
Summary: This large population-based study found that individuals who engaged in regular physical activity were significantly less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, with the likelihood decreasing as activity frequency increased. These findings highlight the potential protective role of physical activity against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Author: Cora Burnett
Summary: The study examines the lived realities of women in post-Apartheid South Africa, highlighting how ideology, culture, influential figures, resource availability, and democracy influence gender roles and opportunities in the country.
Authors: Thomas De Bock, Jeroen Scheerder, Marc Theeboom, Bram Constandt, Mathieu Marlier, Tom De Clerck, Annick Willem
Summary: This study investigates how the dual mission of providing Sport-for-All and high-performance sport affects the Sport-for-All projects of Flemish sport federations.
Authors: Stuart J.H. Biddle, Nanette Mutrie
Summary: It covers the fundamentals of exercise psychology, including discussion about mental health, theories of motivation and adherence, and how to design successful interventions for increasing participation in physical activity.
Authors: Antonina Tcymbal, Sven Messing, Rachel Mait, Roberto Galindo Perez, Taiyeba Akter, Ivo Rakovac, Peter Gelius, Karim Abu-Omar
Summary: This systematic review aims to identify brief physical activity questionnaires and present data on their validity, reliability, and readability for use in surveillance.
Authors: Stuart J.H. Biddle, Martin S. Hagger, Sami Kokko, Montse C.Ruiz, Taru Lintunen, Keegan Knittle
Summary: The study explores how major sports events can leave a lasting impact on population-level physical activity, examining the role of behaviour change science in understanding and influencing physical activity following such events.
Key words: Major sports events; legacy; physical activity; behaviour change
Authors: Marloes de Brabandere, Ini Vanwesenbeeck, Liselot Hudders, Verolien Cauberghe
Summary: The study compares different strategies used by fitfluencers-specifically, content with instructional captions containing exercise or workout guidance versus self-focused captions emphasizing the fitfluencer's appearance-to influence body image and exercise motivation among adolescents. The results suggest that instructional captions do not differ significantly from self-focused captions in their effects on body satisfaction and exercise intentions among adolescents.
Authors: Stuart J.H. Biddle, Trish Gorely, Guy Faulkner, Nanette Mutrie
Summary: This book discusses various aspects of psychological knowledge related to physical activity, including motivation, psychological determinants and outcomes, and intervention strategies based on psychological theories.
