For a sporty nation: move for 30 minutes with SPART!

Did you see that? A president wearing boxing gloves...

No, don't tell me you missed it?

President Emmanuel Macron and his French Boxing Federation T-shirt: "We're J-200 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games" ... An amusing way for the President to tell us about the Paris Olympic Games and what's at stake. But that's not all!

Our sports president has announced that 2024 will be the year of a major national cause: physical and sports activities (PSA)!

And here, my friends, you know that SPART has been on the case from the start.

So here's a quick summary... Here we go!

‍

Physical activity and sport: a major national cause in 2024

Combating sedentary lifestyles is one of the government's stated priorities.

The French government wants to encourage all French people, whatever their age or level of fitness, to devote 30 minutes a day to physical activity and sport. The campaign highlights the risks and potential solutions to the new scourge of a sedentary lifestyle.

A quick reminder with figures (Anses).

‍Sedentary lifestyle is the 4th leading known cause of death. And yet, whether we're adults, teenagers or children, we're becoming increasingly sedentary.

Among adults, the work environment is heavily targeted, with 95% of French people affected by a lack of physical activity. With the widespread use of computers, the average adult sits at work for 12 hours a day! And that's not all, because even at home our addiction continues: we spend an average of 3/4h a day in front of our screens. The advent of telecommuting hasn't helped matters either...

According to the WHO, people who do not engage in regular physical activity and sport have a 20-30% greater risk of mortality than others. The problem is that only 5% of French people take part in one or more sports on a regular basis.

Conclusion: it's urgent, we're not moving enough! (And if you add junk food to the equation... Can you feel the malaise?) So, after the fruit and vegetable slogan you know by heart, you're now entitled to " Move 30 min every day!"! Easy to remember, isn't it?

Why 30 minutes?

This is what we'll find in the French National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS 2002), and it's also the standard set by WHO Europe in its strategy (2016-2025) on physical activity.

According to the experts, 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%. And by simply doing some housework or gardening, you reduce your risk of mortality by 20%...

Please note: this is not about becoming a regular sportsman or an experienced athlete. No, all you need to do is engage in physical activity for 30 minutes to an hour a day. Is this impossible?

How do you achieve the 30-minute goal?

The government wants to use the momentum of the Olympics to set a good example. And to keep up the momentum, it is mobilizing a number of personalities, often sporting, such as the famous footballer Zinedine Zidane, the basketball player Tony Parker and the media-savvy doctor Michel Cymes. The desire to influence all walks of life and all ages is evident here.

Numerous events will accompany this major national cause: the "Tour de France de collégiens à vélo", a "beach bus", a sports heritage lottery, etc. We'll also be taking part in projects and challenges involving companies (such as " faites vos jeux en entreprise ", in which we're a partner).

At school, the concept of 30 minutes of daily physical activity for our children has already been mooted and then put into motion since 2020 and generalized in 2022.

The state wants to pull out all the stops to make a success of the "sporting nation". It is encouraging all forms of activity to meet the 30 minutes a day (or more) target: walking your child to school, joining one or more sports clubs, going for a Sunday jog, cycling with the family at weekends or practicing activities using online applications (yoga, Pilates, gymnastics, cardio, etc.). But you can also adopt healthy habits such as taking the stairs rather than the elevator, gardening, standing longer in the day, walking instead of taking the car...

While the government is counting on all goodwill, it is also expecting a great deal from companies. Sedentary lifestyles in the workplace are a major problem, and promoting PSA within companies is becoming a matter of urgency.

The sporting nation goes through corporate sport

"Start exercising again! Don't leave your teams to cope with stress and RSI (...) Sport gives you self-confidence and a much clearer mind. Companies need to be aware of this." These were the words of the Minister of Sport, Amélie Oudéa Castéra, in June 2023.

By stressing the risks of work and the benefits of sport, the Minister is appealing to the responsibility of entrepreneurs. Why not take advantage of the excellent results that sport brings to employees? Less stressless illness and lessabsenteeism for greater productivity, commitment and team cohesion...

And to point out the resulting savings: an average of €350 per employee per year in reduced healthcare costs, according to the Minister.

Germany has understood this: 19% of companies are committed to sport in the workplace, compared with 13% in France (according to a Goodwill Management study). The Minister's objective? Catch up, with 1 in 4 French companies adopting corporate sport by the end of 2024.

So if it's for France, we'll be there, of course! Mr. Chairman, Madam Minister, you can count on SPART...

As you can see, the government is keen to make its mark with this campaign.

If the fruit-and-vegetable slogan won people over, it's a safe bet that this one will hit the mark too. But here's hoping that all these efforts go further than just an effective slogan.

And that's where we'd like to get in on the action, to help any company that wants to get involved. Don't hesitate to contact us to assess your needs together, and make corporate sport one of your greatest assets.

See you soon...

By Edmond Kean