Regular exercise is incredibly effective in preventing many chronic, cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.

The physical benefits of sporting activity

Regular exercise is incredibly effective in preventing many chronic, cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.

Sport strengthens the heart and regulates blood pressure

Regular physical activity improves and regulates the functioning of the cardiac system, dramatically reducing all cardiovascular risk factors. Indeed, one of the main benefits of sport is that it improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, optimising blood circulation by vasodilating the blood vessels. With training, the heart will beat more slowly at rest and therefore tire less. The reduction in resistance during blood circulation will also lead to a drop in blood pressure.

Sport can reduce high blood pressure and ‘bad’ cholesterol levels by up to 50%, as well as regulating blood sugar levels, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes. Over time, it helps to make the heart stronger and less fatigued during physical effort. What’s more, regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle and makes the blood more fluid, preventing blood clots. There are many benefits to keeping your heart strong and healthy for a long time to come.

Sport increases bone capital

Activating the body will stimulate the action of cells in their bone-building role. This regeneration will strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.

As a general rule, between the ages of 35 and 50, we lose between 7% and 12% of our bone mass. Regular physical activity is beneficial for improving your bone density. This strengthening of bones and muscles is highly recommended to limit the onset of chronic conditions such as low back pain, inflammatory rheumatism, osteoporosis and arthritis. Weight-bearing activities (walking, jogging, tennis, in-line skating, etc.) and lifting (weights, for example) are best for strengthening bones.

Sport helps maintain muscle mass

Sporting activity increases strength, endurance and muscle volume, so helps prevent injuries and various types of hip, knee and back pain. All important benefits for healthy ageing.

Sport prevents joint problems

Regular exercise promotes the nutrition and mobility of cartilage, preventing joint pain and osteoarthritis.

 Sport promotes digestion

As well as making eating more enjoyable and improving your appetite, practising sport helps digestion and is an effective remedy for constipation.

Sport helps you breathe easier

Practising endurance sports such as cycling or swimming helps to increase lung capacity, which in turn helps to combat asthma problems.

Sport gives you a slim, toned figure

Regular exercise will help you burn calories and thus facilitate weight loss. For slimming purposes, cardio sports such as swimming, cycling, elliptical training or running are best. On the other hand, if you want to tone up your body, you’re better off doing sports with a strong muscular component, such as dance, gymnastics, Pilates, cross-training, etc. Better still, doing high-intensity interval training (like HIIT) helps you build muscle while burning fat.

The mental benefits of sporting activity

The benefits of sporting activity are not limited to improving physical fitness. According to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, physical activity can have a number of beneficial effects on the mind.

Sport conveys a feeling of general well-being

We all know that feeling that comes over us after an intensive session of sport. We feel drained… but also completely relaxed and serene. This feeling is linked to the fact that physical activity increases the level of serotonin in the blood, a neurotransmitter in the brain that promotes relaxation and a good mood. It also increases the secretion of endorphins, euphoric hormones in the same family as morphine.

Both physical and mental well-being, thanks to the secretion of hormones such as endorphin, which generates a real feeling of pleasure, sometimes even euphoria. In fact, it’s often the case that once you’ve practised enough, you can’t do without sport. So, rather like the effect of a drug, you feel the need to rediscover that state of well-being that comes with physical effort.

Sport, a quality stress reliever

Sport has a calming effect thanks to endorphins, substances produced by our brain. What’s more, it allows you to clear your mind and forget your everyday worries.

As a result of the action of endorphins and this general sense of well-being, stress and anxiety levels are significantly reduced by taking part in sporting activities. Exercise also promotes better sleep. It induces physical fatigue and leads to mental relaxation, resulting in a more restful night’s rest. Cardiovascular exercise is the most effective way of increasing the quality of deep slow wave sleep, the most important phase for physical recovery.

In this period of instability and adaptation, let’s take advantage of all the benefits of physical activity on our mental health… whether it’s a long walk, a bike ride or a workout at home! Putting physical activity at the heart of your priorities is a simple measure that everyone can take to look after their health and well-being. And with all the above in mind, it’s easy to see how physical activity can be a real therapy, effective at any age and at any level… So what are you waiting for, get your trainers back on?

Sport improves mental performance

Endurance sports improve oxygen transport in the body and therefore oxygenation of the brain, which optimises brain activity.

Sport instils willpower and tenacity

The goals we set ourselves in or through sport are rarely easy to achieve, and often require perseverance and patience. In a way, this is also true of everyday life: practising sport can help us to move forward more serenely when faced with personal or professional problems, giving us greater self-confidence.

Sport helps you sleep

There’s nothing like a bit of physical activity to help you relax and relieve the stresses of everyday life. Good physical fatigue is the guarantee of deep, restful sleep.

It’s not easy to motivate yourself to take up sport. And yet sport and health go hand in hand, even if you have a stoma or suffer from continence problems.

It’s not always easy to motivate yourself to take up sport. We all know the excuses for putting it off until tomorrow: “oh, not tonight, I’m tired”, “I’ve gota errands to run”…

After reading this article, you’ll have no excuse not to take up a sporting activity.

In fact, regular exercise will give you a feeling of well-being, both physically and mentally. So don’t wait any longer and get your trainers on!

Sport and health go hand in hand

We all ask ourselves the question “Honestly, what’s the point of doing sport? Don’t worry, we’ve got the answer for you. Physical activity keeps you fit, but it’s not the only thing you need to do! Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

For some people with disabilities, sport is often one of the first vectors of functional rehabilitation, while for others it’s a tool for promoting independence.

To give you even more motivation, here are some other benefits of practising sport:

• • • Lower triglycerides
    • Increase your muscle mass and reduce your body fat;
    • Maintain your bones and joints, which are essential for all your sporting activities, especially for women whose bone mass decreases over the years;
    • Reduce the risk of cancer, because life is worth living;
    • Increase flexibility and coordination: you’ll have more freedom of movement;
    • Increase in strength of up to 40%, which is not insignificant;
    • Increase in speed of up to 20%.

So you’ve come to the conclusion that sport, in the right doses is good for your body… and good for you…

How does physical activity affect the heart and blood vessels?

When you exercise, your heart beats faster. Blood flows faster through the blood vessels, and as it does so, red blood cells rub against the walls of the blood vessels, releasing nitric oxide and making them more flexible. The same applies to the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.

What’s more, physical activity encourages the development of new blood vessels: a network is formed that can replace failing vessels and, for example, reduce the risk of death in the event of a myocardial infarction. This is known as vascular collateralisation.

Finally, the heart itself adapts. During exercise, the contracting muscles crush the veins and send a lot of blood back to the heart. This causes the organ to expand. With repeated exercise, it becomes more flexible, and consequently beats less quickly. All the studies show that a slower-beating heart has a longer life expectancy.

Sport is good for your morale

Sporting activity releases endorphins that give you a feeling of well-being. So what are you waiting for, to dance to the lyrics of the Creole company? … or something else, depending on your tastes.

This will allow you to travel and get away from your everyday worries.

Sport is also great for your skin

If you want to maintain the elasticity of your skin, don’t wait any longer and do a few sessions of sport to firm up your skin. The more regularly you exercise, the greater the effect on the ageing process.

In itself, sport is good for you! But above all, it should be fun!

What type of physical activity is best for our health?

The first thing to remember is that physical activity or sport has a beneficial effect on the whole body, not just the heart. But for the heart, contrary to what was thought for a long time, endurance exercise alone is not enough. They need to be combined with muscle-strengthening exercises. Endurance exercise will help dilate the blood vessels; muscle strengthening, by increasing overall muscle mass, will encourage more blood to flow back to the heart.

After the age of 60, I also recommend flexibility and balance exercises. Activities such as cycling, Nordic walking or hiking on uneven terrain combine endurance and muscle strengthening. Swimming and running are good for endurance. To strengthen your muscles, simply climb up and down the stairs as often as possible. But whatever physical activity you do, the most important thing is to enjoy it. Otherwise, you won’t stick with it.

How do you find a way to motivate yourself?

The first thing to do is to clear a little space in your diary. As we all know, we never have a slot to give over to sport, but this is about your well-being. So let’s get started, block off a slot and get into your new sports kit.

For those of you who think you don’t have enough time to do sport, the minimum level of physical activity recommended is 30 minutes of brisk walking every day.

How often should I do it?

The minimum is thirty minutes of physical activity every day. During these thirty minutes, which can be broken down into three times ten minutes, you should be slightly out of breath but still be able to talk. This is what happens when you walk briskly or cycle. It’s the minimum amount of physical activity we should all be doing.

Ideally, we should also be physically active three times a week for thirty to forty-five minutes. These three weekly sessions are now an integral part of treatment for all chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and moderate depression.

“As for children, they should move for at least an hour every day – and between Children should be active for at least an hour a day – and between the ages of 2 and 5, for three hours! But very few of them do, and unfortunately the hours of sport they do on Wednesdays or at weekends don’t make up for this. We need to be active every day.

Do the benefits of physical activity last?

Unfortunately not! When you stop moving… in a few months, you’ve lost everything. If you were sporty when you were young, don’t think you’re protected if you stop being active. But the good news is that taking up physical activity or sport is beneficial whatever your age.