The French do not want to move anymore. According to a study conducted by Association Attitude Prévention * among 4,000 people over 18 in eight EU countries, they sit an average of 7:24 a day, two minutes less than the European average. Worse: nearly 15% of them stay seated beyond 10 hours!

The British are at the top of the rankings and are the worst, with an average of 8:13. On the other hand, the exemplary inhabitants remain the Dutch and the Finns, with respective averages of 6:13 and 5:50.

"These are not surprising times when we compare obesity rates in Europe - the United Kingdom has the highest rate," said Professor Jean-François Toussaint, Director of the Institute for Biomedical Research and Research. Epidemiology of sport (Irmes), to our colleagues in Le Figaro.

The risks of immobility too little known

If one of the factors of prolonged immobility is obesity , sitting too long can also result in a lack of oxygenation of the brain, loss of muscle mass, heart failure (with risk of heart attack), disorders of the blood circulation, as well as risks of diabetes or osteoarthritis. More than 600,000 deaths in France are due to sedentary lifestyle.

The French are 67% to underestimate the harmful risks of sedentariness, since they are poorly informed and not very aware. They do not want to make the least effort, and prefer to enjoy their free time by being in front of their screens.

The 18-35 year olds, those who move the least!

According to the study, developing access to gyms, gymnasiums, stadiums and developing new bike lanes would be ideal to encourage Europeans to move more. Today, the most sedentary age group is 18-35 years old. They think more than 80% that a bike plan would motivate them more to move. Older people prefer quieter activities such as walking.

To be healthy, it is recommended to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. For those who prefer walking, it is advisable to do 10,000 steps daily. However, 15% of Europeans admit to walking only 10 minutes a week, according to the Eurobarometer published in Sport and Physical Activity in March 2018.

For Professor Toussaint, "ideally, it should be active more than 8 hours a day.This seems a lot but that's what our metabolism needs."