Physical activity and sport, a public health issue

Facilitating and supporting people's access to sport and physical activity is one of the aims of the City of Montpellier's Local Health Contract, at a time when sedentary lifestyles and exposure to screens are on the increase.
Temps de lecture : 3 minutes

Physical activity: a major national cause

Physical activity is more than just playing sports. It's all the body movements produced by muscles, resulting in an expenditure of energy greater than that expended at rest.

In addition to sports practice, this includes daily activities and exercises such as:

  • active travel: walking, cycling, going up and down stairs;
  • domestic activities: housework, DIY, gardening;
  • professional activities (physical work, for example) or school.

At any age, physical activity is a recognized protective factor for mental health. Physical activity and sport reduce stress levels, improve self-esteem and have a regulating effect on mood and reduce anxiety.

Other benefits of regular physical exercise:

  • It increases muscle strength and contributes to the development and preservation of bone capital. In fact, it slows the loss of bone density (osteoporosis) due to aging.
  • It develops flexibility, balance and good coordination of movements.
  • In particular, it reduces the risk of falls in the elderly and fractures of the neck of the femur and wrist, and helps maintain a degree of physical independence.
  • It strengthens cardiac and respiratory capacities.
  • It prevents excessive weight gain in children and overweight in adults.
  • It improves sleep quality, thereby reducing fatigue and episodes of daytime sleepiness (the unwanted and sometimes uncontrollable need to sleep during the day).
  • Participating in a group physical activity is also a factor of social integration. It's an opportunity to get together with family or friends, but also to meet new people.
  • Regular physical activity tailored to each individual helps to prevent or better treat many diseases.
  • Practising physical activity 3h a week or intensely 3x20 minutes a week reduces the risk of premature death by 30%.

A few simple good practices to help you be more active every day

  • Every day, reduce the amount of time spent in front of the TV or computer to combat a sedentary lifestyle.
  • Get more exercise by walking more whenever possible: shopping, getting to work, taking your children to school, etc.
  • Prefer stairs to elevators and escalators.
  • Don't use treadmills and walk alongside them.
  • Take time to cultivate your garden when you have one.
  • Take your dog for a walk more frequently, and for longer.
  • For those who take public transport: get on board one stop after your usual station or get off a little before your destination to force yourself to walk more.
  • For those who drive, park a little further away from your meeting place.

CHU-MSS partnership agreement signed

For several months now, Montpellier's Maison Sport Santé (MSS) has been working closely with the clinical physiology and rheumatology departments at Montpellier University Hospital.

Objective: to encourage changes in behavior and initiate the setting up of an individualized Adapted Physical Activity pathway.

In this context, a partnership agreement has been signed. It enables the presence of an APA professional who can carry out an initial motivational interview with patients within the dedicated services.

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