What physical activity to do, in Brittany, when you don’t like sport…?

The notion of pleasure is crucial to maintaining your objective over time, without risking getting discouraged or giving up quickly. So try to find an activity that you really enjoy so that it is not a constraint. And if you have a medical condition, consult your doctor first for specific recommendations.

The benefits of physical activity
There are many of them:
– It improves physical condition, endurance, respiratory and cardiac functions, muscle strength, flexibility, balance and coordination.
– It improves mental health, well-being and quality of life: better sleep, reduced anxiety and stress, improved self-esteem.
– It helps fight overweight and obesity, associated with a balanced diet.
– It reduces the risk of developing the most common chronic diseases: cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer (breast, colon, lung). Regular physical activity is associated with a 20 to 50% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease and almost 60% in the risk of stroke. It reduces the risks of colon cancer (around 25%), breast cancer (reduction of 10 to 27%), endometrial and lung.
– It helps maintain bone mass and prevent osteoporosis.
– In the elderly, it prevents falls and helps them remain independent for longer.

If you haven’t practiced physical activity for a long time, take it gradually: start with gentle activities such as walking, swimming or yoga, for example. “These activities allow you to gradually strengthen your muscles, improve your breathing and increase your endurance without risking injury,” underlines the site bretagne-sport-santé.fr.

No need for equipment, accessible to everyone at all times, walking has no equal level of feasibility!

Walking has, in particular, beneficial effects for the heart: it helps, in fact, to lower heart rate and blood pressure. It is also very good for lipid balance [la pratique d’une activité physique permet de diminuer le taux de cholestérol LDL, le « mauvais cholestérol »]and for the endocrine system. Walking is also very good for everything musculoskeletal.

Brittany offers an ideal setting for walking: from coastal paths to fine sandy beaches, there’s nothing like it for invigorating walks.

In Brittany, many clubs or associations offer Nordic walking lessons, “an activity that is both gentle on the joints and beneficial for the cardio” (1).

The use of sticks promotes muscle development in the upper parts of the body. The abdominals, arms, pectorals, shoulders and neck are used in the same way as the glutes and thighs. “Nordic walking is a very complete practice that uses 80% of the muscle chains […] By involving all the muscle chains of the body, Nordic walking significantly increases energy expenditure, up to 40% compared to traditional walking” (2).

However, this activity is not recommended if you suffer from arthritis, especially during an inflammatory flare-up. If you have tendonitis in your upper limbs, or significant rheumatic conditions in your upper body or feet, the use of poles is not recommended. In case of osteoarthritis, be sure to practice Nordic walking moderately.

Brittany has numerous bodies of water: this is an opportunity to try activities such as kayaking, windsurfing or even walking along the coast. A good way to discover the coast in a different way!

Coastal walking, aquatic walking, consists of walking in an aquatic environment (oceans, seas, lakes, etc.) with a height of water located between the navel and the armpits. No need to be an experienced athlete: you just need to adapt your practice to your level and be supervised by a qualified instructor (prior medical advice is required). This activity allows, in particular, muscular and cardiovascular strengthening without joint trauma, promotes blood circulation and improves balance and endurance (3). Do not practice longe-coast alone and find out about the essential safety rules before going (4).

Recommendations
For adults, it is recommended to practice the equivalent of at least 30 minutes of dynamic physical activity per day (e.g. brisk walking) at least five times per week.
For children and adolescents: the equivalent of at least 60 minutes per day including three times per week intense activities.
Source: Ministry of Health.

The parks and forests that dot the region offer natural settings conducive to the practice of yoga, meditation and tai chi. “These gentle activities allow you to work on flexibility, balance and relaxation” (5).

Many municipal swimming pools offer aquagym classes, suitable for people who are not very physically active, which strengthen the muscular system, stimulate the cardiovascular rhythm, improve respiratory tone and blood circulation while having the advantage of be a “non-traumatic” activity.

Doing sports in winter: be careful…
Regular physical activity is recommended, even in winter. However, during this period precautions should be taken:
– cover yourself warmly, in particular the extremities and the head, especially for bald men, who present an increased risk of heart attack to avoid vasoconstrictor phenomena.
– Avoid brutal efforts in the cold without prior warming up to acclimatize to the cold, such as playing sports outdoors or clearing snow from your car.
– Limit your activities in the event of a pollution peak associated with low temperatures, because microparticles and nitrogen monoxide increase the risk of heart attack.
– Pay attention to the slightest symptom: feeling of tightness in the chest, palpitation, shortness of breath or chest pain on exertion, dizziness, and consult without delay.
Source: French Cardiology Federation.

And if you prefer to stay at home to do your sports sessions, many applications can help you, like “Nike Training Club” or “7 Minutes Workout”, for example. Many videos are also available online, on YouTube (we recommend those by Lucile Woodward).

(1), (5): Source: bretagne-sport-sante.fr.

(2) Source: French Athletics Federation.

(3) Source: French Hiking Federation.