6 French Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy That We Should Bring to the US

2. Exercise for pleasure, not punishment.

Forget about boot camp type athletic classes or challenges in France. There is a simple life rule that transcends all facets of life in France, and that is pleasure. If something doesn’t bring you any pleasure, drop it! If exercise is not motivating, too difficult, too hard on the body, the French move on to something else. There is a high preference for sports such as skiing (fun!), cycling (scenic), swimming (invigorating), hiking (quasi spiritual), yoga and pilates (calming), and walking (convenient and easy). Boot camps may exist, but they certainly aren’t widespread. It’s about feeling great during and after your chosen activity. The golden rule of moderation applies here as well. There is no need to go to extremes — either pushing yourself too hard, or not enough. Make sure you do something you enjoy several times a week and fill in the gaps with lots of walking.

3. Keep moving!

Finding the closest parking spot to one’s destination should become an official national sport in North America. The French don’t avoid walking, in fact they pursue it. Whether it’s a walk to the local market for a weekly shop or a stroll to school with the kids, the French insert little pockets of walking throughout the day and the week. At the end of the month the tally is high, legs are more toned, metabolism is revved, and the extra sweet treat is offset with exercise that fits into even the busiest schedule. Add in a few flights of stairs every week (or several times daily if you live in one of many no-elevator Parisian apartment buildings!) and you can figure out why the French don’t go the gym that often and still manage to stay slim and fit. They are not slim and fit because they starve, they are slim and fit because they eat in moderation and take every opportunity to insert exercise into daily life, without ever having to wear lycra!

4. Make your abs in the cuisine not the gym!

You can exercise yourself to the ground (trust me, I did before I learned the “French” way), run marathons, race in triathlons and do all the strength-training you like, but if you are going to feed yourself junk food and overload on low-quality carbs and sugar, all your effort will be wasted. Aside from the fact, you will feel lousy from too much exercise and not enough nutrition to fuel yourself properly. Take a cue from the French and eat mostly whole, natural, unprocessed foods. They will keep you fueled, satisfied, and keep your hard earned muscle tone on display!

5. Healthy relaxation is part of the puzzle.

The French are masters at listening to their bodies. They know when to stop eating, they know when they need to move a bit more and they definitely know when they need to relax, unwind, unplug and just take it easy. With at least several weeks of vacation a year (usually up to about five weeks), they have plenty of opportunities to unwind with either a leisure activity such as hiking or more proactive approach to relaxation such as massage, sauna, Jacuzzi time, extra sleep or even a beauty treatment (facials, manicures, anything goes). Relaxing means bringing more balance to life and regrouping in order to feel good, stay healthy and enjoy life to the max. Don’t be scared of taking time off – write it down in the calendar and your mind and body with say merci!

6. No age limit, ever.

There is something refreshing about the French approach to aging. Life doesn’t stop in your 50s or 60s, instead it takes a turn for the better. More experience, more knowledge of oneself, more acute listening to your body. There is no reason the French don’t start a new sport or activity later in life, in fact it is the norm. Taking the plunge into something new well into middle age keeps your brain alert, your body active, and hopefully give you something new to love!