{"id":13728,"date":"2026-04-23T09:35:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T13:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/?p=13728"},"modified":"2026-04-23T15:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:25:03","slug":"every_step_counts_how_movement_fuels_well-being","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/every_step_counts_how_movement_fuels_well-being\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Step Counts: How Movement Fuels Well-Being"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>In collaboration with Sylvie Bernier, Olympic diving champion and president of Quebec\u2019s Tables on Active Living and Healthy Eating.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Staying active and eating well are timeless foundations of health. At any age, regular movement and balanced nutrition protect cognitive function and nurture overall well-being. Life\u2019s daily challenges may slow us down, but even the smallest gestures\u2014taking the stairs, walking to the store\u2014help sustain vitality. Choosing activities that fit our pace and preferences is not just exercise; it\u2019s an investment in quality of life, today and tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>For Sylvie Bernier, this truth is personal. On her doctor\u2019s advice, she turned to diving to ease severe asthma that had limited her since childhood. The sport transformed her life. Today, she channels that same energy into community initiatives, building bridges between municipalities, organizations, and policymakers to promote active living and healthy eating across Quebec.<\/p>\n<h2>Science Leaves No Doubt<\/h2>\n<p>Research consistently shows that physical activity is one of the most effective non-drug interventions for health 1; 2:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It strengthens the heart, muscles, and balance, reducing the risk of falls.<\/li>\n<li>It improves sleep and stabilizes mood.<\/li>\n<li>It slows cognitive decline, sharpens executive function, and boosts brain plasticity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bernier insists: \u201cMovement can feel intimidating if you didn\u2019t grow up in an active environment. But it\u2019s never too early or too late to start. Every step matters. The benefits of walking appear quickly and become especially solid after just a few months of regular practice. Even more encouraging: <strong>reaching about 3,800 steps a day is linked to a roughly 25% reduction in the risk of developing a neurocognitive disorder\u2014half of the maximum effect observed at around 9,800 steps3<\/strong>. A simple yet motivating example that shows how movement, even modest, can make a real difference for health, independence, and quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>For her, the golden rule is simple: activity must be enjoyable and sustainable. \u201cThe best exercise is the one you love and want to repeat. The body adapts beautifully to movement throughout life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>1 <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1155\/2013\/657508\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1155\/2013\/657508<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-025-03955-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-025-03955-6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>3 <a href=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/en\/2022\/10\/07\/walking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-dementia-cardiovascular-disease-and-cancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/en\/2022\/10\/07\/walking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-dementia-cardiovascular-disease-and-cancer\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Practical Tips from the Expert<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Pick activities you enjoy\u2014pleasure drives consistency.Start small: even a few minutes daily make a difference.<\/li>\n<li>Focus on regularity, not performance: \u201cMoving is a gift to yourself, not a competition.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Adjust intensity or duration to your abilities without losing the joy of movement.<\/li>\n<li>Break up sedentary time: move for a few minutes every hour.<\/li>\n<li>Seek guidance: kinesiologists and occupational therapists can help ensure safe, effective practice at any age.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bernier adapts her message for all generations: \u201cAfter the Olympics, I became a sports ambassador for youth. Today, I also reach out to older adults whose abilities are changing, just like mine.\u201d For those over 65, she recommends consulting a kinesiologist when possible. Professional support ensures activities include balance and strength training\u2014two essentials for preventing falls and maintaining mobility.<\/p>\n<h2>Moving at Your Own Pace<\/h2>\n<p>Physical activity is more than exercise; it\u2019s a lever for autonomy, confidence, and quality of life. As Bernier sums it up: \u201cMoving is an investment in your independence, your well-being, and your life\u2014at any age, in any circumstance.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Resources :<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/luciapp.ca\/fr\/public\/dashboard\/home\/detail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Application Luci par Lucilab<\/a> \u2013 Free program supporting healthy lifestyle habits.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/safe-seniors.com\/fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SAFE<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Exercise program for healthy aging.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/observatoireprevention.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Observatoire de la pr\u00e9vention (ICM) <\/a>\u2013 Reliable information for maintaining overall health.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kinesiologue.com\/fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des kin\u00e9siologues du Qu\u00e9bec<\/a>\u00a0 \u2013 Directory to find a certified<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In collaboration with Sylvie Bernier, Olympic diving champion and president of Quebec\u2019s Tables on Active Living and Healthy Eating. Staying active and eating well are timeless foundations of health. At any age, regular movement and balanced nutrition protect cognitive function and nurture overall well-being. Life\u2019s daily challenges may slow us down, but even the smallest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":13747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,67,1,72,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accompagner-un-proche-en","category-information-generale-tnc-en","category-non-categorise","category-prevention-promotion-sante-cognitive-en","category-vivre-avec-la-maladie-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13728"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13739,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13728\/revisions\/13739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alzheimermontreal.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}