A jogger, in Paris on November 14, 2020. -

ISA HARSIN

The World Health Organization assures us: containment and the Covid-19 pandemic should not be an excuse to sit on a sofa.

Regardless of age and state of form, the WHO, which published its new guidelines on physical activity on Wednesday, therefore encourages “staying active”.

If we don't, “we run the risk of creating another pandemic of ill health.

The result of sedentary behavior, ”warned Ruediger Krech, WHO health promotion officer.

A problem even before the pandemic

For now, there are no reliable statistics yet, but lockdowns, travel restrictions, gym closures have pushed many people to stay at home and interrupted the habits of regular physical activity.

Above all, even before the pandemic, the majority of people were not moving enough, says the WHO in its guidelines.

Regular physical activity is essential for physical and mental health and for preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

It also helps reduce depression, anxiety and cognitive decline, improves memory and boosts overall brain health.

"Every movement counts", underlines the director general of the UN agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, taking up the slogan of these new directives.

"Being physically active is essential for health and well-being, it can help add years of life and life to years."

Preventable deaths

And everyone can and should move: young, old, pregnant women, whatever their physical condition.

Indeed, between four and five million deaths could be avoided each year if the world population were more physically active, underlines the document.

For the WHO, adults should get at least "150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 to 150 minutes of sustained-intensity aerobic physical activity or an equivalent combination of physical activity. 'moderate and sustained intensity per week to derive substantial benefits'.

Do not forget to weight training twice a week.

For children and adolescents, the agency recommends “at least 60 minutes per day on average of mainly aerobic physical activity of moderate to sustained intensity throughout the week”.

According to the WHO, a quarter of adults and 80% of adolescents do not meet these goals.

A worrying phenomenon because sedentary lifestyle, which appears for the first time in the directives, has consequences on health and can give rise to a whole range of deleterious effects for health.

Globally, this inactivity is costly in direct care: 54 billion dollars, and 14 billion more in lost productivity.

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