Why You Should Give Yourself Time to Move!

Only a little over half of women in France (53%) get the WHO’s recommended level of physical activity, which is at least two and a half hours per week of moderately intense activity or one hour and fifteen minutes of intense activity, according to a study published June 9, 2020 in the Santé Publique France weekly epidemiology newsletter. These results come from data gathered in mainland France between 2014 and 2016 and show an improvement in the proportion of physically active men when compared to 2006-2007, but a decrease among women. And yet, physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are risk factors for chronic illnesses. The situation is even more dire among children, with only half of boys and a third of girls getting enough physical activity (at least one hour per day at moderate to high intensity). The difference is even wider in adolescence: only 15.7% of girls get 60 minutes of physical activity per day between the ages of 15 and 17. Daily screen time has greatly increased in the past few years for both adults and children. Eighty percent of adults say they spend three hours or more per day in front of a screen outside their work time, compared to 53% in 2006–2007, with an even higher increase among women. The percentage of children who spend two or more hours in front of a screen every day increased from 66% to 77% during the same time period. Girls and ladies, it’s really important that you find time to take care of yourself so you can live longer in good health! And if you really don’t have time to exercise, you can fit physical activity into your daily routine by doing simple things to get moving: walk or ride your bike to work or take public transportation. Stay standing while riding public transportation and get off one stop before your regular one to walk a bit more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand up while making phone calls. Put your trash can on the opposite side of the room from your desk. Park down the street from your house. https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/blocs-home/bulletin-epidemiologique-hebdomadaire-9-juin-2020-n-15