Context
Physical and sports activity (PSA) is a determinant of physical and mental health in its own right. Our society is marked by a sharp increase in sedentary lifestyles, linked in particular to the tertiarisation of jobs, the increase in inactive travel, and the rise of digital technology. However, physical activity is a major determinant of the state of health of individuals and populations at all ages of life. It contributes to improving the state of health and its benefits, allowing people to live better with the disease and better support the treatments. In addition, physical and sporting activity has been recognized as a non-drug therapy by the Haute Autorité de Santé since 2011.
Goals
The promotion of health and well-being through physical and sporting activity meets a dual objective: on the one hand, the fight against sedentary lifestyles and, on the other hand, the development of regular physical and sporting activity. The objective of the National Sports and Health Strategy (SNSS) is for the greatest number of people to integrate the practice of physical and sports activity into their daily lives in a regular, sustainable, and appropriate manner to improve the state of health of the population.
This requires a general mobilization of ministerial departments, sports federations, local authorities, and private actors (particularly companies) that this strategy intends to bring together. The benefits of regular physical and sporting activity are now fully recognized. The actions will also promote intervention in primary prevention to maintain everyone’s health capital. In secondary and tertiary prevention, to act at least in support in the event of a deterioration in the state of health and to optimize the course of Care for people with chronic diseases, patients suffering from long-term conditions, and people with disabilities.
Measures
- Promote physical and sporting activities among children, young people, and students at all educational times: From the start of the 2019 school year, as part of the “I learn to swim from 4 years old” plan, experiments will make it possible to amplify and optimize learning to swim from an early age. From 2019, experiments will enable the deployment of “Sports Confidence Classes” in some territories, linking classes in the morning with the practice of APS in the afternoon.
- Develop the practice of physical and sporting activities in the workplace: From 2019, promotion of sports concierges in companies and administrations (offer of turnkey sports services to employees and agents).
- Promote the practice of physical activity and sports for seniors: From 2019, retirement preparation courses will gradually integrate the presentation of recommendations for the practice of APS and will present the practice offer suitable for seniors. By 2021, deployment throughout the territory of territorial sports projects, including the theme “APS and seniors/seniors” and APS programs built specifically to intervene in nursing homes.
- Develop the practice of physical activity suitable for people with chronic diseases: From 2019, as part of the “relevance and quality” courses set up in the “My Health 2022” strategy, the Ministry of Health will work with the HAS, the Inca, and the CNAM to develop an optimized, global pathway for women operated on for breast cancer, including in particular adapted physical activity.
- Reinforce doctors’ prescription of adapted physical activity: By 2021, an online platform will allow everyone to identify the APS and APA offers oriented towards the different publics suffering from chronic pathologies and proposed on the national territory.
- Label the sport-health centers: In 2019, 100 Sport-Health centers will be identified on the national territory. A commitment charter will make it possible to support and monitor these new spaces in proximity and for the benefit of the population.
- Increase the number of people with disabilities practicing physical and sporting activity: The adoption, in 2019, of the sports disability strategy will make it possible to support the development of sports practice for people with disabilities in an inclusive logic. It will specify the objectives in terms of sports practices and performance. The actions will be piloted and implemented mainly by the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Solidarity and Health; other ministries also carry out actions in this field (education, higher education, research, ecology, work, justice, etc.)
Also Read: Diabetes: Why Physical Activity Is Important
