Fitness

With wildfires causing air pollution in the GTA and across North America, is it safe to exercise outdoors? Professor Ira Jacobs offers his expert advice

The air in Toronto and across parts of North America has become so polluted due to forest fires in Quebec and Ontario that Environment Canada recently issued an air-quality advisory, suggesting people with asthma or heart disease, older adults and children wear a face mask when outside to reduce exposure to smoke particles. In response, many organizations have decided to reschedule outdoor activities or move them indoors.

Ira Jacobs

Ira Jacobs, a professor of exercise physiology in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and the director of the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport, spoke with faculty writer Jelena Damjanovic about how everyday fitness and exercise routines can be modified to suit such conditions. Jacobs’ area of expertise includes physiological responses and adaptations to environmental extremes.

Should we exercise outside when the air is smoky from wildfires? What are the risks?

The short answer is no. The main issues of concern are the absolute amount and size of the particles in the air that are associated with both acute respiratory health risks, as well as accumulating increases in those risks with repeated exposures.

The other important aspect is our body’s ventilation rate – how much air is being drawn into our lungs. When it comes to the effects of the forest fires on our outdoor air quality during the last few days … the news is actually fairly bad. Reports indicate that over 90 percent of the air particulate content of forest fire smoke consists of very fine particles that are about less than 2.5 microns in size (about 40-50 times smaller than a grain of sand). The smaller the particulate size, the deeper down into our lungs that those particles can be drawn and deposited. And the deeper they go, the greater the pulmonary/respiratory health risks.

The health risks are compounded because most of us become primarily “mouth breathers” when we exercise, so some of the body’s natural particulate trapping and filtering mechanisms in the nasal cavity become ineffective at the high ventilation rates that we generate during exercise – at least 10 times the normal resting ventilation rates, and much higher for athletes who are training or competing.

What’s a good alternative?

Much of the problem is avoided – or significantly reduced – by exercising indoors, particularly in more recently constructed buildings that are well sealed and where the indoor air is recirculated and cooled as part of the recirculation process. Some large older buildings draw in outdoor air continuously and cool it after it has been drawn into the building – so given today's air-quality challenges, it’s good to know what the status of the air circulation is wherever you’re exercising indoors.

Even in this worst-case scenario, appropriate filters can be installed to trap the particulate matter of concern. In summary, for now and until the air quality index improves, exercise in a air-conditioned building or at home.

For those not easily dissuaded, are there any adjustments they can make to reduce the risks of exercising outdoors?

Reducing the duration of exercise at high ventilation rates will commensurately reduce the risk.

And wearing a respirator like a N95 that traps particulate matter that is less than 2.5 microns in size is also effective, but admittedly not very pleasant on a warm day. And some people find that a respirator or any face mask seriously impedes the ability to maintain the kind of exercise intensities that high-performance athletes need to maintain their training effects.

Fancy footwork: Dance takes centre stage at Hart House

siddiq22 — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:01:50 +0000

Fancy footwork: Dance takes centre stage at Hart House

siddiq22 Wed, 04/26/2023 - 11:01

Cutline

This spring, Hart House is home to all kinds of dance – from championship events to performances and classes to learn a wide variety of genres (supplied image)

Topic

From a popular dance festival to hosting the qualifying round for Canada's national breakdancing championship, the University of Toronto's Hart House is centre stage for dance this spring.

�鶹��Ƶ will welcome some of the best breakdancers (known as "breakers") in Canada on April 29 when Hart House Theatre hosts the Ontario Open – the qualifying rounds of the Canada DanceSport (CDS) National Championships, which will be held in Vancouver in June. The winner of that series will progress to the World Dance Sport Federation's World Breaking Championship, taking place in Belgium in September.

The event comes as the status of breaking (also called "b-boying" and "b-girling") is steadily rising – the sport will even be included in the summer Olympics for the first time next year when the Games are held in Paris.

Geoff Reyes, lead organizer of the
Ontario Open breaking championship at
Hart House (supplied image)

Geoff Reyes, a graduate of �鶹��Ƶ's civil engineering program in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has been involved in the Canadian breaking scene for many years – the former Varsity athlete and dance instructor, who is the breaking sports director for CDS and the president of Breaking Canada, is the lead organizer of the Ontario Open at Hart House.

For Reyes, the founder of Ontario-based breaking groups How Hip Hop Helps and You Be ILL, returning to Hart House will be like a homecoming.

“During my time at �鶹��Ƶ, Hart House meant community and gathering. I taught breaking with the �鶹��Ƶ Dance Club and hip hop dance at the Fitness Centre," Reyes recalls. "My dance group, as well as my students, performed at the Hart House �鶹��Ƶ Festival of Dance."

Hosting the Ontario Open is just one of many ways Hart House has supported and showcased the art form of dance over the years.

“There’s a substantial dance community at �鶹��Ƶ, and Hart House Theatre is a key part of this,” says Doug Floyd, Hart House Theatre's director of theatre and performance art.

The theatre often hosts and collaborates with dance groups of all genres, including student-led ensembles such as the Silhouettes Dance Company – one of the largest �鶹��Ƶ dance troupes on campus – who will perform at Hart House Theatre later this year. Another student-run dance group, the Only Human Dance Collective, often rents the Hart House Theatre to run classes for students of all experience levels.

The University of Toronto Dance Team – which won three consecutive dance competitions in March against 28 teams across Canada, are another campus group taking to the Hart House Theatre stage to wrap up their season, presenting some of their best dance pieces in a performance on April 29.

Such collaborations are key to Hart House's ongoing commitment to programming dance, says Michelle Brownrigg, Hart House Theatre's senior director and chief program officer.

“Community and academic partnerships are so important,” she says. “For example, we have several collaborative workshops with �鶹��Ƶ's Institute for Dance Studies, with most recent support to their keynote on disability and dance earlier this year."

Kiki Ballroom Alliance (supplied image)

Some of those partnerships include the one with Breaking Canada, rehearsal space for vogue dance group Kiki Ballroom Alliance and initiatives with Dance Immersion that focus on the African dance diaspora in tap and jazz dance – a connection that was fostered by Seika Boye, director of the Institute for Dance Studies.

Hart House Theatre's longstanding association with dance is highlighted each year through the annual Hart House �鶹��Ƶ Festival of Dance – one of the largest university dance festivals in the country, the showcase offers a wide variety of performances across genres, including jazz, ballet, ballroom, modern, hip hop, musical theatre, Irish, Latin, belly dancing and k-pop. This year's event ran from March 31 to April 1 and included 60 different dance numbers.

“Some dance groups have their own large shows, but some don’t – so the festival is even more important for those smaller companies," Floyd explains.

“With such an abundance of dance groups associated with �鶹��Ƶ, participation in the festival is a great opportunity for dance groups to interact, collaborate and promote their own work and ventures.”

Breaking Canada holds a class on breakdance at the Hart House Fitness Centre (supplied image)

Dancers don't have to be onstage to enjoy some fancy footwork at Hart House, which offers several popular classes at the Fitness Centre, including Zumba, cardio dance party, Afro cardio dance, Bollywood and k-pop.

Those who get inspired by the breakdancing competition can take a new breaking class this spring. Breaking Canada, in partnership with Canadian Women & Sport, will be offering B Thee Rise, a national b-girl initiative where participants will learn the fundamentals of breaking with guidance from leading b-girls.

“Whether you’re a novice to breaking or looking to improve your abilities, this program is inclusive, safe and most of all, fun,” says Vanessa Treasure, director of fitness, wellness and recreation at the Fitness Centre.

With its focus on experiential learning through the arts and active living, Hart House's longstanding pas de deux with dance offers something for everyone on campus – from showing off skills in the spotlight to learning new moves for the first time.

‘No one left behind’: �鶹��Ƶ Run Club takes community building in stride

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 18:19:14 +0000

‘No one left behind’: �鶹��Ƶ Run Club takes community building in stride

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 07/14/2022 - 14:19

Cutline

Members of �鶹��Ƶ Run Club pose for a photo at Casa Loma. With its inclusive, community-building approach, the club's popularity has ballooned over the past 10 months (photo courtesy of �鶹��Ƶ Run Club)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

UTogether

Student Experience

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Faculty of Arts & Science

Fitness

Graduate Students

The University of Toronto Run Club upholds their motto – “no one left behind” – every single time its members lace up their sneakers.

With stops at coffee shops and ice cream parlors across the city, co-presidents Emily Nguyen and Ashim Bhattacharya make it a priority to promote an inclusive community where runners of any ability feel welcome to join.

They even take the somewhat unusual step of mixing novice and seasoned runners together in the same groups.

“The most important thing we can do is try to create an environment where people aren’t feeling excluded,” says Bhattacharya, a master’s student in pharmacology from New Jersey who joined the club about three years ago to meet new friends.

Growing up, Nguyen practised ballet but took up running after she moved Toronto from Edmonton to attend university.

“I wanted to apply my athleticism from ballet in a new area,” says Nguyen, who is now studying medicine in �鶹��Ƶ’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

The pair became co-presidents of the club in the summer of 2020, when most clubs and social events were on pause because of the pandemic. They began organizing runs in 2021, navigating shifting public health guidelines.

“Ashim and I, both being health science students, were very public health focused,” says Nguyen.

In addition to putting in place measures to keep members safe, the co-presidents plan and test routes, lead the runs and manage the club’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Run Club co-presidents Emily Nguyen (left) and Ashim Bhattacharya (right) plan and test routes, which often incorporate stops at coffee shops and other attractions (photo courtesy of �鶹��Ƶ Run Club)

Nguyen says the club has seen tremendous growth over the last 10 months due to word of mouth and social media – and, for the first time, is continuing operations throughout the summer season. In the most recent academic year, the club held 72 runs for more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional students from across the university.

Ishika Bangari is one of those runners. An undergraduate student specializing in astrophysics in the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, she heard about the club through a friend and thought its Instagram looked “super cool.”

Although Bangari has run competitively in cross country and track and field since middle school, she wanted to keep it casual when she moved to Toronto – so the �鶹��Ƶ Run Club seemed like a perfect fit.

“I’ve gotten to know Toronto more as a city because of the different routes they pick,” she said. “My course load is so demanding. Run Club gives me an opportunity to step outside of campus.”

�鶹��Ƶ Run Club members gather near the front steps of University College – the meeting location for their weekly runs (photo courtesy of �鶹��Ƶ Run Club)

From High Park to the Beach and coffee shop and eateries in between, Bhattacharya and Nguyen plan five-kilometer routes twice a week. In the summer, the group meets at the steps of University College on Wednesdays and Friday. On the weekends, they frequently plan longer routes and special events.

“Doing a lot of runs that don’t start in downtown Toronto has allowed us to explore the city more,” says Nguyen.

The club’s six-kilometre run through the Beach (or Beaches, if you prefer), explored Woodbine Beach Park, Ashbridge’s Bay Park, the Boardwalk and Woodbine Park. For the fall and winter semester, they planned routes that ended at different cafes. And they kicked off their food series for the summer with a route that took the group through Trinity Bellwoods Park and ended at The Big Chill for ice cream.

“A lot of people loved the event,” Nguyen says. “Somebody asked me if we could have ice cream after all our runs.”

As for the actual running, participants are split into three groups with a run leader to ensure the pace stays around 6:00 to 6:30 minutes per kilometer.

“We always make sure to check the back and communicate with each other,” says Nguyen.

Bhattacharya notes that the club’s approach deliberately avoids splitting people up into groups based on their pace.

“Imagine you show up and it’s like, ‘Oh I’m with the slow people?’” he says.

Members explore the Moore Park Ravine during a run. To maintain its inclusive atmosphere, the club eschews the idea of organizing participants by pace (photo courtesy of �鶹��Ƶ Run Club)

The community and social aspect of the club is something Nguyen and Bhattacharya say members value.

“It’s been really great to see some of our runners who haven’t had running experience come and form friendships, healthy habits and be able to achieve their goals,” says Nguyen, adding that the activity has also had a positive impact on her mental health.

“When I go to the runs, I put all my school aside. I’m in the moment with my peers, enjoying the run, the fresh air and taking in the sights of the city.”

Bangari, too, has formed friendships through the club – even joining Midnight Runners, another local Toronto run club, with another member.

Bhattacharya, for his part, says a particular highlight is watching friendships being formed through the club he helped organize.

“It’s one thing to show up and run, but it’s another thing to hang out and do something after it.”

With gyms closed, online programs to keep �鶹��Ƶ community fitness – and spirits – high

lanthierj — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:54:18 +0000

With gyms closed, online programs to keep �鶹��Ƶ community fitness – and spirits – high

lanthierj Tue, 01/11/2022 - 15:54

Cutline

(Photo by hobo_018/Getty Images)

Topic

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Fitness

Health

If you’re looking for ways to keep physically active despite the closure of indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities, experts at the University of Toronto have got you covered.

“Our faculty’s mission is to develop and advance knowledge about the interactions of physical activity and health,” says Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. “Having to hit the pause button on our sport and recreation programs – just as they were starting to fully reopen – is difficult, but we’ve been down this road before and are ready to pivot once again to support our students and community as best we can.”

Although the reintroduction by Ontario of COVID-19 restrictions means buildings operated by the faculty’s Sport & Rec program are closed and indoor sport and recreation activity paused until at least Jan. 26, virtual fitness programs remain available to �鶹��Ƶ students and Sport & Rec members.

“We know that physical activity is a critical tool for maintaining overall wellness – now, more than ever,” says Beth Ali, executive director of athletics and physical activity at �鶹��Ƶ. “We will continue to provide online programs for different interests and abilities in an effort to support the wellbeing of our students and the broader �鶹��Ƶ community.”

Virtual Fitness Studio, a partnership between Sport & Rec, Hart House and �鶹��Ƶ Mississauga, offers daily, live workouts and access to an extensive on-demand library of workouts that can be used any time.

MoveU Anywhere! workout videos promote physical activity and a healthy active lifestyle – no equipment required. They have been benefitting all of �鶹��Ƶ’s community since the pandemic started in 2020.

“It’s really important for people to stay physically active during these trying times,” says Adrian Lightowler, manager of fitness and performance at Sport & Rec.

Lightowler says you can get the same benefits from working out in your home as you would in the gym – it just requires a bit more creativity. The online workouts require no special equipment. All participants need to do is pick a class that fits their schedule.

“Gym regulars are going to get a good workout out of these classes, but for those who don’t go to the gym regularly or ever, this is an opportunity to get in some exercise in the comfort of their own homes,” he says.

And – in case you missed it – here is a collection of tips, tricks and research KPE experts shared when it comes to staying happy and healthy during the pandemic:

Stay Active

(Bruno Nascimento via Unsplash)

Is it safe to keep exercising amid COVID-19? Does it help build immunity? How do you motivate children and seniors to stay active indoors? Experts Ira Jacobs, Catherine Sabiston, David Frost and Daniel Santa Mina weigh in.

Eat well

(Photo by Brooke Lark via Unsplash)

Having trouble staying physically distanced from your fridge? How can you eat healthily while keeping your grocery bill in check? Sport nutritionist Katherine Jessop shares some advice on the dos and don’ts of pandemic eating.

Snack ... on exercise

(Photo by Andrey Popov/123RF)

Slipped up and ate two bowls of ice cream instead of one? Here’s some good news: Even short exercise “snacks” improve blood sugar regulation following a meal, according to a KPE study.

Healthy body, healthy mind

(Photo by baona via Getty Images)

Professor Catherine Sabiston unpacks the well-documented relationship on how exercise and the simple act of moving your body can improve mental health – and offers several tips for people seeking to ramp up their activity levels while staying at home.

�鶹��Ƶ students help keep youth, seniors and special needs groups active during lockdown

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:36:30 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ students help keep youth, seniors and special needs groups active during lockdown

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 01/26/2021 - 10:36

Cutline

In an effort to promote physical activity in the community during lockdown, Mandy Chung, a second-year student in �鶹��Ƶ's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, made a "movement break" video for her former scouts group (image via Vimeo)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Coronavirus

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Fitness

Mental Health

Undergraduate Students

When Ontario went into its second COVID-19 lockdown last fall, Premier Doug Ford emphasized that heading out for exercise would be encouraged since it’s essential for maintaining physical and mental health.

So, students of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) got to work to help get Torontonians moving.

Under the faculty’s KINections program, students filmed themselves performing movement breaks called Movement Minutes for a variety of community partners, including schools, youth groups, children with special needs and seniors’ homes.

“Making these videos provided students with an opportunity to connect with the communities around them, share their knowledge and bring some positivity in these strange times,” says Barb Brophey, senior athletic instructor at KPE who’s been helping coordinate KINections’ community engagement initiatives.

Students could either suggest who they wanted to work with or were matched with a community partner through KINections. Mandy Chung, a second-year kinesiology student, made a video for the 5th Unionville Scouts Group, which she once belonged to. The video will be used by the scout’s youngest members, Beavers and Cubs.

“Knowing that the pandemic has affected us all mentally, socially and physically, I wanted to help support the community somehow,” says Chung. “I thought making a Movement Minute video was an excellent opportunity to engage kids in physical activity and maybe put a smile on their faces.”

Sara Sutherland and Anna Khouzam, both in their third year of kinesiology, made videos for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to complement their Fit & Flex program, a recreation group program for clients of the hospital to improve their function, motor skills and promote overall wellness.

“Clients of the program typically have two six-week blocks on and two six-week off blocks during the year, so the Movement Minute videos have been an excellent resource for those who have been on an off-block,” says Darlene Espinosa, an occupational therapy and physiotherapy assistant in the child development program at Holland Bloorview. “It has given them an opportunity to follow along familiar exercises with new and inviting faces.”

The benefits of the collaboration extend to clients beyond the Fit & Flex program, adds Espinosa. Typically, all children at Holland Bloorview get paper copies for a home exercise program, but now they will have a bank of videos they can access when they need a movement break.

“I decided to get involved in the Movement Minute initiative because I wanted to give back during these crazy, uncertain times,” says Sutherland, who submitted 12 videos to Holland Bloorview. “It’s been incredibly rewarding and I am so grateful for the opportunity to connect with others and help them be physically active in the safety of their homes.”

Khouzam says she enjoyed the experience so much that she is now working on a video for the Clinton Street Junior Public School’s classes for children with development delays.

Anna Khouzam (left) and Sara Sutherland (right) are both in their third year in KPE and made several videos for the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s Fit & Flex program.

Linda Trinh, an assistant professor at KPE, is embarking on a similar project in her KPE330 course that will count toward students’ grades.

“We have partnered with four community organizations [that] will provide an overview of their mission, what their needs are, as well as the outcomes that are desired from a physical activity intervention,” says Trinh. “As part of the course, the students will be tasked with designing physical activity interventions to meet these priorities.”

The course tries to partner with different organizations every year and choose organizations that speak to the diversity of the Canadian population, including groups that may struggle to adopt and maintain physical activity, according to Trinh.

“For example, this year we partnered with a multicultural community centre for newcomers to Canada, older adults, pediatric rehabilitation and long-term care homes,” she says.

The students will be allowed to choose a community partner to work with while designing a remote physical activity. “I find that students are most excited about the project when they get to work with an organization they are truly passionate about,” says Trinh.

She adds that the pandemic has created challenges to becoming physically active or maintaining physical activity.

“Engaging in physical activity is more important than ever for physical and mental health,” she says.

“Some of our community partners have ceased their physical activity programs and we are trying to get the students to come up with creative solutions to move these programs online for broad reach.”

'I never expected to lose 100 pounds': Student leans on friends, �鶹��Ƶ staff to achieve fitness goals

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:55:27 +0000

'I never expected to lose 100 pounds': Student leans on friends, �鶹��Ƶ staff to achieve fitness goals

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 12/18/2019 - 15:55

Cutline

Nirupan Sivakumaran (left) poses with friends Tom Yun and Cassidy Bereskin after losing 100 pounds in less than a year at �鶹��Ƶ's Goldring Centre, where he worked with a nutritionist and personal trainer (photo courtesy of Nirupan Sivakumaran)

Elaine Evans

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Fitness

Trinity College

Undergraduate Students

When Nirupan Sivakumaran first decided to visit the gym at the University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, he never imagined how drastically his life would change.

Sivakumaran, who was a student at Trinity College, had been overweight for as long as he could remember. He had attempted various workout plans throughout his life but had never found one that stuck. The day he walked through the doors at the Goldring gym, he weighed in at 280 pounds.

“Anything high impact would hurt me,” he says.

Through sheer determination, Sivakumaran kept at it, using the low impact elliptical day after day – and eventually shed 100 pounds in under a year.

He was encouraged by staff at the Goldring Centre and made full use of the diet and exercise resources available to students. You could find Sivakumaran front row at every nutrition seminar, notepad and pen in hand.

“He was extremely driven toward his goals,” says Eric Williamson, a lead nutritionist at the Goldring Centre. “He had his eyes set on the prize and didn’t let anything stand in his way. I found it very inspirational.”

Sivakumaran also caught the attention of Kurtis Haupt, a strength and conditioning supervisor and personal trainer at Goldring. Together, they developed a plan tailored to Sivakumaran’s specific needs.

“Sivakumaran showed up every time eager to improve and to learn about his body,” says Haupt. “He committed to his journey with 110 per cent and spent endless hours each day on the elliptical and eventually moved on to weights.”

Nirupan Sivakumaran before his weight-loss journey, with Tom Yun and Cassidy Bereskin (photo courtesy of Nirupan Sivakumaran)

Spending his days at the Goldring Centre surrounded by Varsity Blues and other athletes provided an extra layer of motivation for Sivakumaran. “Being in that environment makes you want to go harder,” he says.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the 100-pound milestone that hit him the hardest. “When I reached 199 pounds, it was a symbolic victory,” he says. “I was now in the one hundreds. It was a huge mental shift. I hadn’t seen those numbers on a scale since middle school.”

Sivakumaran is still wrapping his head around his transformation. “Its not just about me losing weight,” he says. “It’s a whole identity shift. My weight was ingrained in who I was. Suddenly I’m this fitness guy and it’s a lot to process – a lot for me, a lot for my friends and family.”

He adds that he couldn't have succeeded in his weight-loss journey without the support and mentorship of his friend and fitness mentor, Toshimi Kan. Kan is a student at the University of Tokyo and was previously on exchange at �鶹��Ƶ.

Sivakumaran’s journey isn’t over. In fact, he’s more committed than ever. “I never expected to lose 100 pounds,” he says. “I was just focusing on the day-to-day. I don’t know what’s going to happen a month from now. All I know is that I will continue to give 100 per cent each day.”

Meanwhile, new friends like Haupt continue to support him and cheer him on.

“His journey is a great reminder that help of any kind can go a long way for those willing to listen and take action.”

Fitness tracker flaws exposed by �鶹��Ƶ's Citizen Lab and Open Effect

sgupta — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 07:02:40 +0000

Fitness tracker flaws exposed by �鶹��Ƶ's Citizen Lab and Open Effect sgupta Tue, 02/02/2016 - 02:02

Cutline

The Apple Watch was the only device tested that had no issues, researchers said (photo by LWYang via flickr)

Alex Gillis

Author legacy

Alex Gillis

Read the complete report

The report is a collaborative effort between Open Effect, a non-profit applied research group focusing on digital privacy and security, and the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs at �鶹��Ƶ. Open Effect previously published research on the security of ad tracking cookies. It also developed Access My Info, an application that makes it easy for Canadians to file legal requests for access to their personal information.

“I hadn’t thought about the issues too much,” said Gormley, “that somebody could find me using my watch.”

“The upside is they’re so great,” she said. She uses a Garmin device. “I guess we’re maybe a bit blind that there could be a downside.”

The downside, said Andrew Hilts, one of the report’s authors, stems from the fact that each device has a unique identifier emitted constantly via Bluetooth, even after users think they’ve stopped using it.

Hilts, the executive director of Open Effect and a research fellow with the Citizen Lab at the Munk School, said that means anyone – from savvy analytics firms or just someone in a coffee shop – could collect that unique identifier and, in some cases, collect your location and a whole lot more.

“The perception might be, ‘Okay, I’m done with this. I’m turning off Bluetooth,’ but your tracker is still emitting this unique identifier, even if your phone has Bluetooth turned off,” Hilts explained.

“There is a Bluetooth privacy standard in place that provides specifications on how device manufacturers can protect the privacy of their users,” Hilts said. “We’re trying to encourage fitness tracking companies to adopt this standard.” Most devices mentioned in the report do not implement Bluetooth privacy, leaving users vulnerable to location-based surveillance.

“We hope our findings will help consumers make more informed decisions about how they use fitness trackers, help companies improve the privacy and security of their offerings, and help regulators understand the current landscape of wearable products.”

Their findings come on the heels of a report by Professor Guy Faulkner and master's student Krystn Orr of �鶹��Ƶ's Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education that examined the reliability of smartphone pedometer applications.

Released at the end of 2015, that research found an “unacceptable error percentage” in all apps compared with actual pedometers and urged “caution in their promotion to the public for self-monitoring physical activity and in their use as tools for assessing physical activity in research trials”.

Read: Stuck in traffic? These apps think you're walking

The Citizen Lab and Open Effect researchers sought contact with the seven fitness tracker companies whose products exhibited security vulnerabilities. Fitbit, Intel (Basis), and Mio responded and engaged the researchers in a dialogue. Fitbit further expressed interest in exploring the topic of implementing Bluetooth privacy features in its communications with the researchers. Out of the devices studied, only the Apple Watch adopted the Bluetooth privacy standard.

The report’s authors, Hilts, Christopher Parsons and Jeffrey Knockel, reveal a third issue that arose in the Withings and Jawbone devices: users can falsify their own activity levels. The findings cast doubt on the reliability of data for insurance or other purposes.

“Maybe I’m naïve,” Gormley said. “Maybe an insurance company is conducting top-secret research on me and decide they don’t want to give me insurance?”

“Should I be worried?”

(Visit flickr to see the original of the photo used above)

picpath

sites/default/files/2016-02-02-apple-watch-1.jpg

Beat It! Listening to music leads to longer workouts, �鶹��Ƶ researchers say

sgupta — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:00:20 +0000

Beat It! Listening to music leads to longer workouts, �鶹��Ƶ researchers say sgupta Fri, 06/19/2015 - 10:00

Cutline

Lee Bartel (photo by Michael Kennedy)

Michael Kennedy

Author legacy

Michael Kennedy

Topic

Breaking Research