Prevention is better than cure.
However, 95% of French adults are exposed to a deterioration in their health due to a lack of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle, a phenomenon aggravated by the confinements linked to the health crisis. To remedy this, the French Federation of Cardiology (FFC) organizes Course of the Heart since 1975, the largest prevention-health operation organized in France, in order to make the French want to move again and thus protect their health capital but also keep in shape and boost their morale. The 2021 edition has thus made it possible to collectively reach and exceed 439,000 km!
Everyone has their own way of taking part in the Parcours du Cœur
To encourage the French to move more and put the odds on their side to improve their quality of life and reduce their cardiovascular risks (stress, high blood pressure, obesity, etc.), the FFC organizes the Parcours du Cœur each year, a collective and friendly operation . These are sporting events, at the service of everyone’s health, organized throughout France by municipalities, companies and schools to disseminate messages of prevention, good food practices and healthy living.
In 2021, the FFC innovated by offering a new formula to participate in the Parcours du Cœur despite the health crisis: a “connected” version which allows each person, according to their availability and desires, to participate.
The 2022 edition is both face-to-face, from April 1 to June 30, 2022, and “connected”, from May 1 to 31, 2022, to encourage as many people as possible to participate and make people want to get moving throughout the year. Walking, running, cycling without a spirit of competition: the challenge is to accumulate individually and each at their own pace a maximum of kilometers which will be added to the overall counter. Registrations are open until May 31 with a symbolic participation of 2 euros on parcoursducoeurconnectes.fr. Each participant then registers his kilometers traveled on the website where the counter is updated regularly.
For 2022, the objective is to reach 1,100,000 km, the cumulative distance of the coasts of the 5 continents!
« The classic Parcours du Cœur and the connected version are complementary and make it possible to diversify the audiences. For example, last year, the French Embassy in Denmark set up a team to take part in the connected Parcours du Cœur. The Journeys of the Heart in real life, however, remain essential to take advantage of proximity, to be able to individualize the messages and advice according to each interlocutor. » explain Dr. François Paillard and Mr. Joël Giraud, Co-presidents of the Parcours du Cœur Commission.
Key figures
- In 2019, 750,000 people took part in 1,150 cities, 2,888 schools and 58 businesses.
- In 2021, exclusively connected edition, 3,822 participants collectively covered more than 439,056 km, more than the distance between the Moon and the Earth!
- The school Parcours du Cœur were maintained in 2021 and 147,821 students participated in 1,080 schools.
- In 2022, 938 courses for the general public, 1,515 schools and 42 companies.
Move to maintain your health capital
Physical activity is one of the most effective preventions against many diseases (cancer, type 2 diabetes, etc.) including cardiovascular diseases, which still kill more than 400 people in France per day. However, only 5%[1] of adults have sufficient physical activity to be protective. In addition, women are more exposed to a lack of physical activity, 70% of them are below all activity levels identified to be healthy, compared to 42% of men.[2]. However, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death for women in France. Add to that, a sedentary lifestyle is also bad for health and has been accentuated with the confinements linked to the health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between four and five million deaths could be avoided each year if the world’s population were more physically active. Because we don’t have to wait to be sick to take care of ourselves, prevention is our best ally and at any age.
Podcasts to go further
After the first season of podcasts presenting how the heart works, the FFC is launching, in partnership with Radio France, a second season focusing on good practices for taking care of your heart on a daily basis and thus preventing cardiovascular disease. On the program for the five episodes of this new season: testimonials from actors in the field, advice from a cardiologist and a vox pop. The first episode ” Move to take care of your heart,” with Doctor François Paillard, cardiologist at the University Hospital of Rennes and 1is Vice-President of the FFC, is already available.
Program of the next episodes:
- In May: Diet, Overweight and Obesity, with Dr. Francois Paillard
- In May: Tobacco, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease with Pr Daniel Thomas, Professor of University Cardiology at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Vice-President of the ACT and Honorary President of the FFC
- In June : Hypertension, stress and cholesterol, risk factors for cardiovascular disease with Pr Alain Furber, head of the cardiology department of the CHU d’Angers and President of the FFC
- In July : Cardiovascular disease and recurrence with Pr Gérard Helft, cardiologist at the CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière and professor of cardiology at the Sorbonne and President of the “Gestures that save” commission of the FFC
Find all the news of the French Federation of Cardiology on www.fedecardio.org / Facebook / Twitter / Linkedin / YouTube
The French Federation of Cardiology has been fighting against cardiovascular diseases for 57 years. Recognized association of public utility since 1977, it is financed almost exclusively thanks to the generosity of the public.
Present throughout France, its four missions are: supporting prevention, funding cardiovascular research, supporting heart patients and promoting life-saving gestures.
In April 2020, the French Federation of Cardiology received the Don en Confiance label intended to preserve and develop a relationship of trust with donors and benefactors. The French Federation of Cardiology will never compromise on the ethical rules which govern the will of the donor and the benefactor, the search for efficiency, transparency and disinterestedness.
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