Do I really understand the impact that physical activity has on my health? Not just on my figure or my sporting performance, but on my brain, my heart, my mood, my sleep, my longevity? According to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. And yet, more than 27% of adults worldwide do not move enough.
Moving is not a luxury or a discipline reserved for experienced athletes, it is a fundamental biological need. Here's why physical activity is literally the first step in health prevention, and what science says about its effects on my body and my mind.
1. What physical activity does to my body
Regular physical activity acts simultaneously on all the systems in my body. Its effects have been documented by thousands of scientific studies for more than fifty years. Here are the main benefits per system:
2. What physical activity does to my brain
The effects of physical activity on the brain are particularly spectacular and often overlooked. Neuroscience over the last twenty years has profoundly transformed our understanding of this link.
- ●Neurogenesis: physical exercise stimulates the production of new neurons in the hippocampus, the area associated with memory and learning, a phenomenon long thought impossible in adults.
- ●BDNF: the released effort of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, a real fertilizer for neurons which improves cerebral plasticity and protects against neurodegenerative diseases.
- ●Neurotransmitters of well-being: physical activity increases levels of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, the neurotransmitters associated with motivation, satisfaction and mood regulation.
- ●Reduction of perceived stress: regular exercise reduces the response of the amygdala to stressful stimuli and strengthens emotional regulation by the prefrontal cortex.
- ●Quality of sleep: physical activity improves the quality and duration of deep sleep, essential for brain recovery and the consolidation of learning.
3. The benefits figures on disease prevention
The available epidemiological data are clear. Regular physical activity in accordance with WHO recommendations is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of many pathologies:
- ●Cardiovascular diseases: risk reduction of 35% (Warburton et al., CMAJ 2006)
- ●Type 2 diabetes: risk reduction of 40 to 50% (Knowler et al., NEJM 2002)
- ●Certain cancers (colon, breast, endometrial): risk reduction of 20 to 30% (WHO, 2020)
- ●Depression and anxiety: risk reduction of 30%, effectiveness comparable to drug treatment for mild to moderate forms (Kvam et al., J'Affect Disord 2016)
- ●Falls and fractures in seniors: risk reduction of 30 to 40% thanks to muscle strengthening
- ●Life expectancy: active people live 3 to 7 years longer than sedentary people (Lee et al., The Lancet 2012)
4. I'm not sporty, so what?
One of the most common obstacles is the belief that physical activity requires specific equipment, sporting skills or high performance. That's not what the science says. All physical activity counts, including those that I don't think to count.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) refers to all energy expenditure linked to everyday movements: walking to work, climbing the stairs, shopping, gardening, tidying up. These activities represent a significant part of my health benefits.
- ●10 minutes of brisk walking per day has a measurable cardiovascular impact (WHO, 2020)- Climbing the stairs rather than taking the elevator improves cardio-respiratory capacity
- ●An active break of 5 minutes every hour reduces the harmful effects of prolonged sedentary lifestyle
- ●Gardening, cycling for travel, dancing: all these activities contribute to my health capital
5. Physical activity, a key lever in my health prevention approach
Moving regularly is one of the most important decisions I can make for my long-term health. But to act effectively, it is useful to know my starting point: what is my current activity level? What are my brakes? What areas of my health are most at risk?
A health check-up makes it possible to evaluate these elements objectively, level of physical condition, cardiovascular indicators, metabolic assessment, and to identify personalized action priorities. Health prevention begins with self-knowledge. And physical activity, whatever my starting level, is always the first lever to activate.
💡 Tips to remember
- Regular physical activity is the most important health prevention factor most powerful and best documented, it acts simultaneously on the heart, the brain, metabolism and immunity.
- I don't need to be sporty to benefit from it: 30 minutes of walking a day, stairs instead of the elevator, cycling for my trips, all of that account.
- Physical exercise releases BDNF, a neuronal growth factor that improves my memory, my concentration and protects my brain against aging.
- A Regular physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 35% and the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40%, figures comparable to the best drug treatments.
- A health check-up is an opportunity to evaluate my current level of physical activity and to identify the priority levers for taking care of my health. long term.
