Sport is a lot of effort! Choosing your favorite discipline, giving up sleeping in, agreeing to sweat… So many obstacles that can hinder good resolutions. For the timorous of the cardio session who feel overwhelmed, here are some unexpected physical activities, sometimes unrecognized, which deserve that we sweat. Sports for all ages, profiles and sizes.
“Football while walking”: for lovers of collective play
Football, but in a soft version! Born in England in 2011, designed for players over 50, this amazing discipline attracts with its state of mind. “This football is very collective, made of passes. It’s very nice ! », jubilant Albert Madon, 76, dean of the club of walking foot of the Paris Committee of the FSGTthe Sports and Gymnastics Federation of Labour. “In “walking football”, there is no running, contact and tackles are prohibited, and it is forbidden to play high balls. The game relies less on physical condition than on precision and technique”assures this enthusiast.
“Football while walking” appeared in France in 2016, in Silfiac, in Brittany, thanks to Britons living in Morbihan, then in 2017, in Marseille, at the initiative of the FSGT committee of Bouches-du-Rhône. “While it is mainly aimed at the elderly, this sport appeals to women, thanks to its adapted rules. It is an inclusive sport, open to beginners and veterans alike. We are really in sport for all and not in elitist sport”insists Pablo Truptin, 32, member of the FSGT and host of the Paris club, with Lamine Mallé, 17.
“At the FSGT, we have referenced between 15 and 20 clubs in France, i.e. a few hundred practitioners. This gentle sport is developing. » His team includes a woman, Nadia, former footballers and neophytes who train twice a week. “Football while walking” acts on blood pressure, heart rate, balance, coordination of the limbs”, explains Albert Madon. And to ensure with a smile: “Make no mistake about it, at the end of a match, you sweat a lot! »
Learn more: French Association of Football While Walking (AFFM)
Quidditch: for Harry Potter fans… and others!
For “Muggles”, in other words people without magical powers who would be unaware of the existence of Harry Potter, it should be noted that quidditch was born under the pen of the novelist JK Rowling, the creator of the saga. If in fiction the games take place in the air, the players straddling a wizard’s broom, in reality, the practice is more down to earth! “We don’t have a broom, but a simple PVC tube, held between the legs, which must always remain in contact with the body”, explains Denis Jourdan, vice-president of the Titans Paris Quidditch club.
We will immediately evacuate the statement of the rules, where it is a question of hoops planted on stakes, balls called the “quaffle” (a volleyball ball slightly deflated, to be able to seize it with the hand) and ” Bludgers” (thrown at opponents to temporarily eliminate them), and of course “Golden Snitch”: a small ball to grab. “Originally, the Snitch was a tennis ball slipped into a yellow sock, attached to the shorts! To put it simply, quidditch is a mix of handball, rugby and dodgeball., continues Denis, 34, opening his bag to reveal the essential equipment. This 30-year-old fell in love with this sport by chance in 2014. “I was looking for a bar in the gardens of Bercy when I saw players throwing balls through rings. »
Adapted in 2005 from novels by two American students from the University of Middlebury, Alex Benepe and Xander Manshel, quidditch has been deployed in France since 2011, from Nantes, and today has some 400 licensees. One of the fundamental values of the game, which is played in teams of 7, is diversity. “There cannot be more than 4 people of the same gender in a team on the field. It is the mixed sport par excellence. » For the magic to work, don’t wait any longer: get your brooms!
Learn more:
French Quidditch Federation
Titans Paris quidditch
Kin-Ball: for those who love fair play
It’s an intimidating balloon. A ball with a diameter of 1.22 m for adults (84 cm for children), came from Quebec before bouncing in France, since 2001, where there are about thirty clubs. “Kin-Ball was created in 1986 by Mario Demers, a sports educator who wanted to encourage young people to practice regular physical activity”, recalls Alexandre Hunault, 32, coach of the Paris XIII Kin-Ball club, founded in 2012.
Playful, this mixed team sport requires collaboration between the players. “It’s a kind of volleyball without a net, which is played by three teams of four players. Before being thrown, the ball must be touched by all players. Kin-Ball calls for cohesion”, explains Alexandre Hunault, enthusiastic about the virtues of this discipline, which favors respect for the opponent and communication.
“During a game, which is broken down into seven periods of seven minutes, the players are always on the move. Kin-Ball develops resistance, it’s like doing short cardio sessions, and the mind: you have to be constantly focused! »
Learn more:
Federation Kin-Ball France :
In Paris, the Paris XIII Kin-Ball will offer free initiation sessions on September 14, 21 and 28. Info. : www.facebook.com/paris13kb
Fly Yoga: physical activity in a hammock!
Gently defying the laws of gravity, suspended in a hammock… Here is a discipline that could convince the most recalcitrant. A method developed 15 years ago by Florie Ravinet with a team of physiotherapists and osteopaths, “Fly Yoga” is part of the field of aerial yoga. The postures of relaxation and the exercises are carried out in a specific and enveloping hammock, suspended from the ceiling, at the height of the basin. Intended for all morphologies, it is suitable for all profiles – from children to the oldest.
“We are not in a quest for flexible performance. The goal is to feel good about yourself. From the first session, when you sit in the fabric, you taste this joy of childhood rocking. It is a discovery of oneself through movement. This method is recommended for people who suffer from back pain or joint disorders. says Florie Ravinet. Relaxing, artistic as it can evoke the fluidity of circus arts, this method can also enchant all those who dream of rising and flying.
Learn more: www.fly-yoga.fr
Info. : contact@fly-yoga.
Sports pass
State aid (deduction of 50 euros to join an eligible club), the Sports passlaunched last year for young people and families, is being renewed this year.
To read
Physical activity, an asset for aging well, by Frédéric Chorin, Editions In Press, €12.90.
We want to thank the author of this short article for this awesome material
Kin-Ball, quidditch, fly yoga: how about testing an unknown sport this year?
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