Physical activity, your health's best ally

The benefits of physical activity on health and longevity have been widely demonstrated over the past few decades. More than just a leisure activity, regular physical activity (PA) is one of the WHO's public health objectives. Furthermore, sedentary behavior, a consequence of inactivity, is now the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, surpassing addictive behaviors. At the intersection of research and prevention, the Pasteur Institute of Lille is scientifically committed to promoting healthy aging and raising awareness of this public health issue.

Physical activity: a public health issue

Beyond preventing chronic diseases, physical activity and sport improve sleep quality, allow for better management of stress, depression, and anxiety, contribute to healthy aging, and protect against loss of independence. For all these benefits that contribute to the well-being of the population, the practice of physical activity and sport is considered a public health priority by the WHO.

Engaging in physical activity is an appropriate response to combat sedentary lifestyles, physical inactivity, and all the associated chronic diseases. It is a crucial action, especially in an era marked by a sharp increase in sedentary behavior in our society, linked in particular to the growth of the service sector and the rise of digital technology.

Physical activity first and foremost helps to achieve good physical fitness and reduces the risk of lower back pain and other musculoskeletal problems. Beyond improving athletic performance, this also makes daily life easier in terms of movement and mobility.

Benefits for both young and old

This is why public health policies encourage the promotion of physical activity at all ages of life, in a regular, sustainable and adapted manner, and to combat sedentary behavior in daily life.

The current lifestyle of children and adolescents leads to increased physical inactivity and contributes significantly to the alarming rise in overweight and obesity among this population. Physical activity is the key to combating sedentary behavior in young people and making them more physically active.

For older adults, the development of physical activity, or adapted physical activity, is a tool for preventing falls, the leading cause of accidental death in people over 65. Furthermore, physical activity promotes socialization, thus combating isolation and depression. It also helps maintain or increase muscle strength and endurance, leading to improved flexibility and balance, as well as cardiorespiratory endurance, thereby contributing to delaying or reducing the loss of independence.

Physical activity to combat chronic diseases

Cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease… The Pasteur Institute of Lille is researching treatments and fighting against numerous chronic diseases. Furthermore, it is scientifically proven that physical activity plays a role in preventing and combating these disorders, regardless of the age or health status of the individual.

Studies and scientific research show that regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer, as well as a decrease in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Furthermore, it has been recognized as a non-drug therapy by the French National Authority for Health (HAS) since 2011.

The World Health Organization defines a chronic disease as a long-term (6 months or more), non-communicable condition requiring regular management and having a major impact on the patient's daily life. In France, 20 million patients suffer from chronic diseases, representing one-third of the population. According to the WHO, these conditions are the leading cause of death worldwide (86% of deaths in Europe), even though some of them are preventable through the adoption of healthy behaviors: engaging in physical activity or sports, eating a varied and balanced diet, avoiding tobacco, and consuming alcohol in moderation.

Cardiovascular illnesses

Physical activity protects against cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction and angina pectoris), regardless of age.

Canadian scientists from Queen's University studied the records of more than 19,000 men and their cardiovascular disease risk factors, discovering that those who regularly engaged in physical activity reduced their risk of sudden death by more than half.

The Pasteur Institute of Lille has made the fight against cardiovascular disease a priority in its longevity research program. The leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease has one million people suffering from heart failure in France alone. The search for treatments is urgent, while prevention is also a major strategic focus for researchers.

Cancers

Numerous studies have demonstrated that moderate or intense physical activity reduces the risk of colon, rectal, lung and breast cancer.

In 2017, the National Cancer Institute (INCa) published a review of the knowledge on the benefits of physical activity for patients with cancer, and many figures on the reduction of the risks of developing cancer: 25% for colon cancer, 27% for breast cancer, 20% for lung cancer… Adapted physical activity has also been included in the treatment protocol for women with breast cancer since 2020.

Cancer research at the Pasteur Institute of Lille is conducted within the Joint Research Unit CANTHER – Heterogeneity, Plasticity, and Resistance to Cancer Therapies. This unit aims to better understand the mechanisms of resistance to cancer treatments, with significant progress made in recent years in targeted therapies. To date, cancer remains a scourge that claims more than 150,000 lives each year in France.

Diabetes

Practicing sports also reduces the risk of developing diabetes and helps to better balance blood sugar levels (glycemia).

Researchers claim that regular physical activity allows patients already affected to better cope with this disorder on a daily basis, to limit complications related to the pathology, and therefore reduce the risk of premature death.

Conversely, a lack of physical activity can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while active individuals see this risk decrease by 33 to 50%. For people with type 2 diabetes (90% of all diabetics), physical activity is an integral part of treatment, just like a healthy, balanced diet and good blood sugar control. This type of diabetes often develops in adulthood, particularly in obese individuals, those with high blood pressure, and those with a family history of diabetes.

At the Pasteur Institute in Lille, dedicated research teams are working within the EGID (European Institute of Genomics and Diabetes) laboratory to find new treatments. Professor Philippe Froguel's unit is studying, in particular, the activity of DNA and genes in cells, in order to identify specific activators in each organ and develop new weapons to fight this infection.

The Centre for Prevention, Health and Longevity brings all its expertise to health education and the transmission of healthy behaviors.

obesity

As with diabetes, to which it is often linked, numerous studies demonstrate the benefits of an active lifestyle in preventing obesity. By stimulating the use of glucose and fatty acids (two factors in weight gain) through muscle activity, physical activity appears to limit weight gain in middle adulthood.

A global scourge affecting millions of people in all regions of the world, excess weight is the most significant risk factor for premature cardiovascular or cancer-related mortality. Obesity is a subject of study for teams at the Pasteur Institute in Lille. In 2019, Professor Philippe Froguel's research team demonstrated that most genes associated with common obesity are preferentially expressed in the brain, through cerebral reward and addiction mechanisms, and not in energy-expenditure or energy-storage tissues such as muscle and adipose tissue. Common obesity is therefore not a disease linked to a calorie deficit but to an excess of food intake.

Regular exercise remains essential for maintaining physical fitness and stabilizing weight gain in the long term. The energy expended through exercise increases basal metabolic rate and muscle mass, thus rebalancing the energy balance between intake and expenditure.

The role of the Health Examination Center

Le Health Examination CenterIt brings together all the health and prevention activities of the institute: Health Examination Center, International Vaccination Center, Health Check-ups and Prevention Research!

The center notably carries out preventive health examinations, therapeutic patient education (TPE) workshops, and prevention actions for healthcare professionals as well as in nursing homes, encouraging active behaviors in particular.

For young people aged 16 to 25, group activities are offered on several themes, including "Nutrition, Physical Activity and Oral Health".

In 2019, more than 400 consultants benefited from these educational offerings from the Health Examination Center.

From raising awareness about physical activity, the Health Examination Center has notably carried out educational support projects for healthcare professionals, training courses on nutrition and physical activity adapted to specific populations (aging, disability, obesity, early childhood, etc.), advisory services for the general public, and the sharing of expertise with partner organizations. This regional approach aims to share and promote health prevention initiatives widely, thus maximizing your chances of aging well.

Sport and health: Practicing sport safely

To maintain good health, physical activity can be practiced at any time of day, throughout the year, making it a lifestyle habit. It's primarily about being active. The key lies in regularity and daily energy expenditure in relation to energy balance.

Physical activities include daily physical activities: active travel (walking, cycling, taking the stairs…), domestic activities (cleaning, DIY, gardening…) or professional activities when it involves physical work.

This also includes sporting activities at varying levels: the practice of sport or leisure, individual or collective, the practice of adapted sport, in clubs, at school or in competition.

To each their own pace and intensity

Physical or sporting activity can be practiced over different durations, frequencies and intensities. Intensity is characterized by simple markers to observe: light intensity (breathing is almost normal, conversation is possible, the heart is not accelerated), moderate intensity (breathing and heartbeat are accelerated but there is little shortness of breath), and high intensity (breathing and heartbeat are accelerated, conversation is difficult).

Conversely, physical inactivity is defined as insufficient participation in moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity, according to a recommended threshold. These thresholds are defined by the WHO as at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity 5 times a week for adults, and one hour per day for children and adolescents. Similarly, sedentary behavior is defined as a waking state characterized by low energy expenditure (less than 1,6 METs) while sitting or lying down. Physical inactivity has its own specific effects on health.