A practice on the rise but which is becoming individualized: six months before the Olympics, what relationship do the French have with sport ?

Les pratiques individuelles se développent, notamment le fitness et la musculation. MAXPPP – Stéphane Mortagne

According to a study carried out in 2022, the regular practice of physical activity increased by 6% compared to 2018. But the country still suffers from the absence of a real sporting culture, especially at school, where a lot of things are at stake.

France, land of champions and medals: this is an indisputable reality and one that the French athletes hope to confirm in six months at the Paris Olympics. The latest ranking from the Greatest Sporting Nation site places France in 2nd position behind the United States and ahead of China in terms of podiums obtained in 80 sports in 2023, a range which goes far beyond just Olympic sports.< /p>

But what about daily practice ? While the authorities, led by President Emmanuel Macron, are urging the French to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day Today, the latest Credoc sports barometer tells us that after the downturn linked to the covid pandemic and confinements, it has started to rise again. 60% of French people practice regular activity in 2022, i.e. 6% more than in 2018. A rate which rises to 81% if we take into account daily travel modes ( walking, cycling…).

24% of sports practice at home

Other encouraging statistics, 49% of those over 70 practice regularly, i.e. 8% more than in 2018, and 70% of those under 40 have regular activity at least twice per week.

Click to enlarge. Midi Libre – Sophie Wauquier

The report, however, highlights a move towards more individual practices "because the pandemic has favored exercise more in autonomy and in a natural environment than'in a traditional structure ." 24% of practitioners do sports at home and 12% with the help of tutorials.

In a 2019 report, France is also considered one of the countries in Europe devoting the most time to sport in school timetables (14%) but too much part of these hours are lost in setting up activities or traveling to often distant facilities. 

30 minutes of physical activity per day at school: still far from the mark!

Implemented last year, the 30 minutes of daily physical activity in primary schools has not yet been implemented. #39;an assessment from the ministries concerned.  "If there is an investigation, we will all lie and say that it is done but in reality we must not dream, there are few schools where it's really applied because there are no dedicated resources or staff and we cannot ask a teacher to give up 30 minutes of French or math to get the students moving. , admits a school principal from Gard. 

Also read: Sport at a standstill in France and the region

This highlights a persistent problem of loose links between school and sports. And a sports culture that is undoubtedly less developed than among our European neighbors. In Spain, strong identification around local clubs is thus maintained through extracurricular activities. In Finland, the notion of performance is disappearing in favor of issues of socialization and learning: the very widespread orienteering to learn to find one's way in space.

Michel Cymès: "it must be part of a healthy lifestyle"

The German model, often highlighted because it gives pride of place to sport and culture in the afternoon, is however called into question due to the overload of classes in the morning and activities that are essentially extracurricular and therefore sources of inequality depending on family income. 

As the Olympics approach, the desire to make things happen in France takes different forms. This is the case of the Collective "For a France in shape", which joined forces with organizers to accelerate the fight against a sedentary lifestyle. Member of this collective, the doctor and host Michel Cymès recalled on France 5 that “physical activity must be part of a healthy lifestyle. We have to get out of "I'll do some when I'have time" because sport is the best antidepressant.

The example of the failed turn after the World Cup 98

Concerning the impact of the Olympics, he wants to believe in it "because it's a huge sounding board" but concedes: "If one year after the Olympics, France does not move further, the cause will be lost."

Sociologist Patrick Mignon recalls, for comparison, the missed appointment during the 98 Football World Cup: "Remember the enthusiasm , the content of major parades, integration, the promotion of football as an element of social elevation, the link between clubs and local authorities: all of this has not really been built afterwards and in 2010, we fell from a height. Will there be a cultural heritage of the games ? This will depend on the grassroots mobilization of all stakeholders.

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