The CFDT Retraités Lozère carried out an action as part of Blue Week. A meeting in two stages: physical exercises and awareness of physical activity.
“In 1970, according to a study, the French took 10,000 steps per day, or 6 kilometers. 53 years later, we walk an average of 1,000 steps per day, or 600 meters. Everyone is concerned: men, women, children, retirees. There is a public health problem there.”declares Jean-Pierre Allier, general secretary of the CFDT Retraités Lozère, as a prelude to the local action carried out on 1is October in Mende, as part of Blue Week.
This week’s theme, “Moving together to keep the flame alive”, is taken up during the meeting which takes place in two stages: physical exercises and awareness of physical activity. For this, the CFDT Retraités Lozère called on Mobil’Sport, a system which offers rural areas a sporting service via a mobile structure, a van containing sports equipment, and a professional sports instructor.
On board, around thirty sports. Mobil’Sport is like a real traveling gymnasium. Those present engage in balance exercises, throwing frizbees, skill with a ball projected against a small trampoline that must be caught and returned, “sit-stand” gymnastics performed as quickly as possible, etc. After these exercises, time for awareness.
Daily activities to stay in shape
Aurélien Rambier, sports instructor at Mobil’sport, explains why it is important to exercise physical activities, especially as we age. “What is physical activity? »asks Aurélien. The exchange with the assistance reveals the first elements: climbing the stairs rather than taking the elevator, cleaning or gardening, for example. “We often tend to reduce physical activities to sporting activities. It means forgetting household chores, in particular”observes the sports instructor. Another observation: we are too sedentary and too inactive.
We spend more and more time sitting or lying on the couch. “We must maintain physical activity for our brain, for our muscles and for our heart. If you have to sit in front of a computer screen, get up and do some physical activity, even if it’s short.”notes Aurélien.
During the presentation, the sports instructor develops several important pieces of information.
Physical inactivity kills more than tobacco and is responsible for 5.3 million deaths worldwide. Practicing physical activities helps reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. The cost of physical inactivity is estimated in France at 140 billion per year. All this would be avoided by practicing physical activities of moderate intensity of 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes per day while avoiding two consecutive days without activity, according to the National Observatory of Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle (Onaps ). “Daily physical activity prevents falls in elderly people and helps them remain independent for longer”concludes the sports educator.
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Bringing physical activities everywhere and for everyone
Mobil’Sport is a tool designed for rural areas, to make the practice of physical and sporting activity accessible everywhere and for everyone, young and old alike.
Mobil’Sport compensates for the lack of supervision, sports infrastructure and equipment. Mobil’Sport is present in 18 departments.
