“Of course, physical activity is recommended even when one suffers from heart failure or is undergoing chemotherapy treatment,” says Sébastien Guéton-Lestrade, sports educator employed by the AK 29 Santé association. This 49-year-old professional has specialized in health sport for six years.
Since a 2016 law, physical activity has been recognized as a non-drug therapy. It can be prescribed to people recognized as having long-term illnesses (ALD) by health insurance. However, the sessions are not reimbursed, they remain the responsibility of the beneficiary.
Case-by-case sessions
“The prescription details the points on which to work and specifies the contraindications”, explains Sébastien Guéton-Lestrade, holder of a state diploma in sports education and five university degrees in the medical field. “Each pathology requires specific exercises. Thus, for multiple sclerosis, we will work on muscle building and endurance, but not intensively. The goal is to avoid overheating the body. Conversely, for colon cancer, the intensity is more important, ”he describes.
“Forcing and hurting yourself is no use. The regularity of physical exercise is much more important than the intensity ”
Progress is recorded in a logbook which liaises with the prescribing physician. The AK Santé 29 association is also working with Dr Laure Jacolot, from the Sport santé service at the Quimper hospital. Currently, around forty people in ALD benefit from sports support with AK Santé 29.
Three pillars to be on top
To keep in good physical shape, the professional advises to work on three axes: endurance (cycling or walking), resistance (muscle strengthening with weights or elastics) and stretching (stretching of muscle fibers). In any case, you have to be kind to your body. “Forcing and hurting yourself is no use. The regularity of physical exercise is much more important than the intensity, ”he insists. Last recommendation for people whose work is done in a seated position: “Get up regularly!” The prolonged sitting position is deleterious and the body must be put back in motion several times a day ”.
A sacrificed youth?
Asked about the sports practice of young people, the one who has also been an aikido teacher for twenty-five years does not hesitate to sound the alarm. “In my club, 30% of members did not register again at the start of the last school year. The dropout from sports practice affects all sports. The doctors I talk to warn me about the growing proportion of obese or diabetic adolescents from the age of 14, ”he laments.
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