SCI Physical Activity Counselling

Providing tailored counselling is an effective tool to promote and increase physical activity levels in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). This project aimed to:

  1. Co-create theory- and evidence-based best practices for SCI physical activity counselling
  2. Co-develop and evaluate online training modules on these best practices

This project was conducted by an international expert panel, including SCI researchers, counsellors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, recreation therapist, personal trainers, inclusive educational expert, and people with SCI.

The best practices for SCI physical activity counselling are available in English, Dutch, and French (refer to the Downloadable Resources).

Our SCI physical activity counselling modules are available to everyone. To register, please click here.

Partners

The members of the expert panel include:

Femke Hoekstra*

Heather L. Gainforth*

Kathleen A. Martin Ginis*

Rogier Broeksteeg

Stephanie Corras

Delaney Collins

Electra Eleftheriadou

Sonja Gaudet

Emily E. Giroux

*Project Leads

Shannon McCallum

Jasmin K. Ma

Erica de Passillé

Diane Rakiecki

Shannon Rockall

Rita van den Berg-Emons

Anniek van Vilsteren

Megan Williamson

Jereme Wilroy

Funding

This work was supported by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.

 

 

Downloadable Resources

Full Guidelines:

Summaries:

Publications

Hoekstra F, Gainforth HL, Broeksteeg R, Corras S, Collins D, Eleftheriadou E, Gaudet S, Giroux EE, Kuipers LS, McCallum S, Ma JK, de Passillé E, Rakiecki D, Rockall S, van den Berg-Emons R, van Vilsteren A, Williamson M, Wilroy J, Martin Ginis KA. The co-development and evaluation of an e-learning course on spinal cord injury physical activity counselling: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Med Educ. 2024 Mar 6;24(1):240. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05141-7. PMID: 38448881.

Hoekstra, F., Gainforth, H. L., Broeksteeg, R., Corras, S., Collins, D., Gaudet, S., Giroux, E. E., McCallum, S., Ma, J. K., Rakiecki, D., Rockall, S., van den Berg-Emons, R., van Vilsteren, A., Wilroy, J., & Martin Ginis, K. A. (2023). Theory- and evidence-based best practices for physical activity counseling for adults with spinal cord injury. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 1–13. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790268.2023.2169062

Hoekstra F, Martin Ginis KA, Collins D, Dinwoodie M, Ma JK, Gaudet S, Rakiecki D, SCI Exercise Counselling Panel, Gainforth HL. (2023) Applying state space grids methods to characterize counsellor-client interactions in a physical activity behavioural intervention for adults with disabilities. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 65, 102350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102350

Contact Information

Femke Hoekstra, PhD