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Alarming figures on the lack of physical activity
It’s no secret that we’re too inactive 😅. Nevertheless, the National Health Security Agency was surprised by the results of its survey. Indeed, it was the agency that cross-referenced several studies conducted on the issue between 2011 and 2020. The findings are alarming, 95% of adults (excluding pregnant and menopausal women), don’t do enough sport.
📌 “When we started the study, we didn’t think the figure would be so high. We know that we live in a society that’s quite inactive, but when we start to look at the details, the increase in risk is marked,” explains Professor Irène Margaritis, head of the nutrition risk assessment unit at Anses. |
Adults are more affected than others
One observation was made: adults with a low level of education and those under 45 are the most affected. This is even more evident for women: 70% compared to 42% for men in this sample. Moreover, when we sit for more than 8 hours a day, we make our situation worse. So let’s not even imagine if we accumulate both... Yes, I feel particularly targeted here 😅!
>>> Read our advice on how to take up sport
“A sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity are risk factors that aren’t very dependent on each other,” explains Prof Margaritis. “They have specific effects on each other. The problem is when the effects are cumulative.” |
The need to practice a sport
The lack of physical activity is alarming and for simple reasons: we increase the risk of having health problems by developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease, etc. However, what’s highlighted in this survey isn’t that we are lacking in motivation for sport and that they’re just big slackers 😬. Yes, there are people who don’t like sport, but if we aren’t active enough, it’s mainly for a systemic reason...
The main reason for this lack of physical activity
I think many of us are aware of the risks of a lack of sporting activities. Nevertheless, if the figure is so high with awareness of the issues, it’s because there’s a simple reason for all this: work 😥! Certainly, our leisure activities based around screens are partly responsible for our sedentary lifestyle. However, if we sit for 8 hours a day, it’s not for pleasure and to channel hop on TV all day. No, it’s because we have a mandatory professional activity that we can’t escape 😓...
Working from home is an added risk
I admit that I’m one of those people who love working from home. However, it’s a new and additional source of inactivity. We move less to get to our place of work, even if it means going by car. Because yes, any movement is good for you, well, obviously it’s better to go by foot than in a vehicle 😬.
👉 Sometimes I don’t go out for several days when I’m working, and I end up with just 500 steps recorded on my phone, as opposed to the 10,000 we should all be doing every day... Oops, 🥴!
>>> Read; I'm afraid of going to the gym
Unattainable goals?
It’s not surprising that you can’t do sports when you have a demanding job, when you lack the means, when you’re a mother and when you already have health problems. There are certainly ways of taking up a sport, but we’re not all equal when it comes to this 😟. And the Professor is well aware of this, she doesn’t say that these results were published in an individual order. No, it’s a report to rattle the public authorities 🔔.
Changing our social model
Today, the situation is sadly simple: cars are still the preferred means of transport because public transport isn’t up to the task, our sleep time has been shortened, and working hours have been extended, school time doesn’t allow us to organize a sporting activity alongside it, etc.
That’s the real problem: society, as it’s organised today, doesn’t allow us to be physically active and reduce our sedentary lifestyle 😒. It’s up to institutions and companies to review their model to allow us to rediscover our bodies in motion. One thing’s for sure, when I was on holiday, I had no problem doing my 10,000 steps and having time to do physical activity 🙃...
We can only hope that things will change, especially with the 4-day week and improved transport. From our side, let’s do our best depending on our health to take care of our bodies that sorely need to move 🤸♀️.
Editor’s note: The time problemThe problem we all face is the lack of time... It’s not always possible to free up an hour or two to do some sport and let’s face it, after a busy day, it’s really hard to go running or to the gym! Try to take the stairs as much as possible, walk a little, and take advantage of weekends to go for a walk in the countryside. Contact with nature is very good for your body and your morale. If your days are too busy, if you no longer have time for yourself, for your desires, if you feel unwell, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a psychologist to take stock of your situation. Together, you can put in place new habits that will enable you to be happier. 🤗 Understanding yourself, accepting yourself, being happy... It’s here and now! #BornToBeMe |
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