- PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – Physical health, mental health, prevention, sexuality, etc. Whatever the activity chosen, our daily life is always significantly improved.
Unsuspected benefits of sport for health: Move!” The Ministry of Health keeps telling us this injunction. Moving means “adopting an active lifestyle by increasing your physical activity and reducing the time spent sitting.” To move, nothing could be simpler: the ministry cites leisure activities (sport), transport (walking), domestic activities (carrying groceries, vacuuming) or work (handling, construction, etc.). The World Health Organization recommends taking 10,000 steps per day or climbing 8 floors.
In this case, moving is already the same as doing sport. These small gestures, seemingly harmless, really help us to enjoy all the benefits of sport for our health. Neither old age, nor a serious illness, nor a serious disability limit our abilities. We just need to adapt the activity to our profile by asking a doctor for advice if necessary.
Muscle development
Sport develops our muscular capacity. This evidence makes us forget why we need to strengthen our muscles. These organs present everywhere in our body allow us to easily and energetically carry out daily physical activities, avoid certain injuries, strengthen bones and tendons or improve posture and balance. Thus, sport becomes the back’s best friend by considerably reducing the risk of lower back pain. Energy expenditure maintains a healthy weight and reduces the risk of obesity.
From the age of 30, the body loses an average of 0.5% of its muscle mass per year. It is therefore necessary to train the muscles to keep their shape, strength and endurance. Sport slows down the aging process by also regenerating nerve tissue.
Prevention and strengthening of the immune system
Doing sport regularly, for example 30 to 45 minutes five times a week, gives new tools to our natural defenses. Better protected, it can better fight against viruses, bacteria, pathogens, diseases or cancers. Sport limits in particular the presence of colon, breast or prostate cancer. Doctor Denys Barrault, president of the French Society of Exercise and Sports Medicine, points out that Hippocrates already noted, 25 centuries ago, that people who exercise were in better health. “Physical activity improves health even when it is deficient,” adds the doctor.
Exertion helps the body fight inflammation. Sport pushes the body to produce noradrenaline and adrenaline. These are two hormones that regulate the secretion of cytokines (anti-inflammatory) in the body.
Heart regeneration
Regardless of age, sport protects the heart from cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction or angina pectoris in particular). In concrete terms, sport forces the heart to adapt to the effort required. “Thanks to physical activity, the heart slows down, beats harder, contracts more vigorously and increases in volume. These new needs mobilize more blood and the heart moves much more of it in the body”, describes Denys Barrault. More resistant, the heart regulates blood sugar levels better and reduces the risk of diabetes.
Finally, sport helps to dilate the vessels to improve blood circulation. It can reduce high blood pressure by up to 50%.
