Get active

Regular physical activity is good at any age!

Regular physical activity, combined with a healthy and varied diet, is an excellent way to keep fit and look after your health and well-being.

Getting regular exercise is beneficial for your mental and physical well-being. It is good for your self-confidence and socialisation. It is a good way to stay independent. It keeps your muscles active and supple, and improves your balance and coordination in general.

It is also a good way to control your weight, your heart rate, and your lung capacity. The effort you make when you engage in regular physical exercise, such as playing a sport, improves your endurance, reduces shortness of breath, and generally improves your fitness. As a result, performing basic, everyday activities, such as going up stairs, doing your shopping, etc., is easier.

Exercise is also a great regulator when you have a chronic illness such as diabetes or a joint disease.

Take preventive action

Physical activity and sport are recommended at any age, but they must be done regularly, and adapted to your physical condition.

Regular, low-intensity exercise is more beneficial for your health than occasional, high-intensity exercise. It is better to engage in some form of physical activity every day rather than once a week. Similarly, breaking your physical activity down into two 30-minute sessions a day is better than exercising for one hour in one go.

Before starting or resuming a physical or sporting activity, we recommend that you see your doctor so that they can check your state of health.

Exercise should be seen as an essential part of your everyday life: when done regularly, walking, gardening, raking up dead leaves, manual work, recreational sport, swimming, cycling, etc., are all good forms of exercise.

Precautions

To exercise safely, here are a few precautions to take to avoid injury and health problems:

• Get regular medical check-ups.
• Prefer gentle sports like walking, calisthenics, dancing, swimming or golf.
• Warm up before any physical activity and don't overdo it.
• Stretch regularly after exercise.
• Drink plenty of water during exercise.
• See your doctor if you suffer from headaches or pain in your chest, joints or muscles.
• Also monitor your heart rate and respiratory rates; they should return to normal fairly quickly after exercise, i.e., within 10 minutes or so.

Prefer low-intensity sports

Every sport has its advantages and disadvantages. The important thing is to engage in a physical activity that is appropriate for your age and ability.

Prefer sports that are gentle on your body, such as calisthenics, walking, cycling and swimming. These are all safe sports. The main thing is to be reasonable. Nonetheless, there are other sports that are just as safe, such as moderate-intensity rowing or cross-country skiing, archery, golf, dancing, tai-chi, and aikido.

As we age, our bodies become more fragile and, for older adults, some sports carry a higher risk of physical trauma and are therefore less recommended. These include racket sports, in which effort is often longer and more intense, or certain contact sports, such as boxing and karate.

Whichever sport you choose, it is important to do it in the right conditions, using appropriate protection such as a helmet, etc.