Particularly exposed to coronaviruses, seniors must respect strict containment measures. However, this should not mean a complete cessation of sports practices, essential for keeping the most sensitive people in shape. The objective of the French Federation of Sports Retirement (FFRS) and the startup Goove is to offer an adapted activity, in order to continue playing sports.
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Playful but serious videos at the RSMC
The French Federation of Sports Retirement offers around forty videos on its YouTube channel dedicated to physical activities adapted to seniors. "We asked our technical executives, so that they offer a set of small videos, rather fun but still serious," explains Gérard Deshayes, the president of the FFRS, in La France Bouge on Europe 1 Friday.
The videos, made by specialists, have been viewed more than 85,000 times. But beyond these, "there has been a huge movement of mobilization, almost everywhere on the territory. Our federation is animated by 6.000 voluntary animators. They also mobilized to make animations to territorially get closer to the seniors ", specifies Gérard Deshayes.
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The important thing in the proposed practice is that it is "always moderate, because we have a population that we are supposed to pay close attention to, physically." This does not prevent working "all physical faculties" with the different videos, says the president of the FFRS. The proposed activities include cardio, muscle building, flexibility, and balance. This last point "is very important, because we know how disabling the fall is," recalls Gérard Deshayes.
A "special containment space" at Goove
For its part, Goove was originally an application "intended for health professionals", as explained by its founder and president, Jean-Paul Sousa. But in the context of containment, the startup stopped this activity to offer, under the patronage of the Ministry of Sports, "a special containment space" accessible without downloading. According to Jean-Paul Sousa, nothing could be simpler, "you just have to log in to access our sessions", especially those aimed at seniors.
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Indeed, if Goove is accessible to all, the application "is aimed at sedentary people, beginners, seniors and the chronically ill" in priority, specifies its president. The objective is to offer an adapted physical activity. "We are on a philosophy of the body in movement, we seek to find simple movements" and not performance, specifies Jean-Paul Sousa. Goove must thus allow "to impose a small routine, and when one imposes it the reflex becomes daily".