In ten years, the proportion of physically active French women decreased by 16% according to the Esteban study of Public Health France. Only 53% of women now meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for physical activity, compared with 70% of men.

And as many combine the lack of sports, static work and a lot of time spent in front of the screens, they risk developing more chronic diseases.

To prevent this, health authorities recommend at least 30 minutes of daily endurance physical activity 5 days a week for an adult , to which must be added muscle strengthening and relaxation exercises twice a week.

A more alert brain

By promoting the dilatation of the vessels, the sport induces a better irrigation of the brain and reduces the pressure in the arteries, "which reduces the risk of stroke ", notes Dr. Christophe Delong, sports doctor at the Sainte Hospital -Perrine (Paris).

Several studies have also shown that moving regularly boosts intellectual performance, including memory , the potential for creativity , as well as the ability to reason and focus.

Lower blood pressure

Physical activity lowers resting heart rate and high blood pressure. This impact seems to correlate with the intensity of the efforts made.

According to the European Association of Cardiology, a light activity in the workplace reduces the threat of infarction by 11%, while a moderate activity reduces it by 22% compared to sedentary work, such as office work.

The same goes for hobbies: gardening reduces the risk by 13% and cycling by up to 24%. An American study, published in late 2013 in the journal "British Medical Journal", also suggests that sport is as effective as drugs to prevent heart attacks in cases of coronary heart disease.

A lower risk of diabetes

30 minutes of sports a day halve the risk of diabetes . During exercise, the muscle cells draw more sugar in the blood, which prevents the rise in blood sugar and the appearance of insulin resistance which gradually deteriorates the pancreas.

In addition, the sport stimulates the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in self-control. His practice helps to limit nibbling , so taking kilos. However, we know that overweight is the bed of type 2 diabetes. The higher the proportion of body fat , especially at the abdominal level, the greater the risk of diabetes.

A shield against cancer

The WHO estimates that a half-hour of sport per day decreases the incidence of breast and colon cancers by 25%. By fighting against overweight, it also has a protective effect vis-à-vis cancers of the uterus, kidney and pancreas.

"Many studies have also shown that it decreases the risk of breast cancer recurrence," says Dr. Séverine Alran, head of the outpatient surgery unit at the Institut Curie. Relapses are 20% less in women who perform 3 hours of exercise per week, and less than half in those who grow up to 9 hours of weekly exercises.

A stronger skeleton

"Some sports are good for the health of the bone," says Professor Bernard Cortet, a rheumatologist at the University Hospital of Lille, where bone tissue is subjected to impacts and compression forces, preventing the demineralization and appearance of the bone . osteoporosis ".

Walking , running and step reinforce the bones of the legs and the spine. Ball sports, such as squash and tennis, strengthen the bones of the shoulders and arms.

A weapon against depression

Physical exercise removes the specter of depression by reducing inflammation in the brain and reconnecting the mind and body, according to Australian researchers at the Black Dog Institute.

Their study, published in October 2017 in the "American Journal of Psychiatry" establishes that an hour of gymnastics or weekly yoga is enough to reduce depressive disorders ... and even to avoid them in 12% of patients. In contrast, no effect on anxiety was observed.

Namely: the site www.mangerbouger.fr offers many tools to facilitate daily physical activity and exercise ideas easy to achieve.