It’s 9:00 am, the atmosphere is very hot in this vast physical culture hall, located in a chic district on the northern outskirts of Tunis. About fifteen men of different age categories, veterans wearing tracksuits responding energetically to the recommendations of their coach. This proceeds in stages: walking, skipping, warming up, stretching exercises.
Sports enthusiasts find in this letting off steam the best way to release energy, the excess calories of which remain stored in the body, and to free themselves from the daily constraints that make them veritable robots of modern society.
Comfort… always comfort
The current way of life encourages us to discharge our duties with the least complications: cars, machines, robots, elevators, escalators… are all elements that replace human effort. This coveted comfort unfortunately risks altering our health insofar as the limbs of the body are deprived of movement.
Spending most of one’s time sitting in a desk, at the table, in the car, in front of the TV or the microphone… might, in the long run, compromise the psychophysiognomic balance of the individual, hence the great risk of contracting various illnesses, ranging from a simple migraine to myocardial infarction, or catching metabolic-related conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, etc. not to mention the physical disorders linked to neurosis or psychosis, depressive illnesses which are particularly rife in urban areas with a high human concentration.
These movements who quench their thirst
Slim B., a graduate in physical culture and trainer, tells us that the practice of a sport is essential for modern man to counter the functional imbalance between body and mind. This is exhausted throughout the day, while the body remains condemned to forced rest. “We are aware of this and we take this truth into account during the training session because we are dealing with bureaucrats convinced of the benefits of sport and not real sportsmen”.
The session, which lasts forty-five minutes, consists of three phases:
– The warm-up: that is to say the preparation, the warm-up, the stretching movements, the breathing exercises, the skipping…
– The body of the session: relaxation movement… harmonious work requires the performance of all possible movements that are beneficial to the muscles. Each move has specific effects on a given limb. Let us point out, for example, the movements of the arms, those of the abdominals, the legs, the neck, the rib cage…
Return to calm: exercises at the end of the session relating to the relaxation of the muscles.
The session ends with a refreshing shower. It should be noted that in the context of sport and work, the concept of the duration of the physical culture session hardly exceeds thirty minutes. Mr. Slim specifies that three indoor sports sessions per week are more than enough to properly maintain the body and the morale of the beneficiary.
What do Mr. Slim’s followers think? Why did they opt for indoor sports? Are they satisfied with their choice?
A good medicine
• Samy T., 52, engineer and great sportsman, explains to us that sport has been an excellent palliative for his back problems and his weight gain. “I wanted to save the day by playing sports, I signed up last December to train three times a week… since then I feel like I have rejuvenated, the pains are gone “.
• Slaheddine J., 55, banker, signed up for physical culture sessions, on the recommendation of his attending physician who had just discovered that he had a breeding ground for diabetes. “I felt uncomfortable. I ate too much and moved little. Since I decided to practice sport, my health has improved significantly.
Currently, I do not take medication, sport is the best medicine… as long as I continue to practice it”.
• An engineer, Mr. Sellati, 48, admits that practicing sport has pushed him to adopt a healthier lifestyle. “I am very satisfied with these physical culture lessons. In this room, we run, we jump, we let off steam… In short, we release the excess calories that we accumulate over the days. The advantage is, following all, concrete; I lost 7 kg in five months. Who says better? “.
And to continue: “Currently, I feel balanced. In the office, I have better control over problems; I would even say that my working conditions have clearly improved, intellectual effort is closely linked to good physical health”.
Joy and joy of living
Not far from the men’s gymnastics hall, whistles sound from time to time accompanied by oriental music; it’s the aerobics room for ladies, run by Imen, a young teacher of physical education, specializing in aerobics and oriental dance. Her group is made up of regarding ten women whose age varies between forty and sixty years old and who invest themselves enormously in the rhythms of the music while dancing and gesticulating.
Teacher, 44-year-old Fekria A., says she is well placed to confirm that aerobics contributes positively to the development of body and mind. “Through my training, I am called upon to pass on knowledge to students. A good formula had to be found that would encourage me to carry out this task properly with patience and understanding. Thanks to sports and dance classes, I look forward to achieving such ends”.
Lamia S., 53 years old and a civil servant, recognizes, for her part, that sport allows her to evacuate the overflow of stress and negative energy accumulated during her working days. “I feel completely recovered following having spent a whole day of work where the nerves remain tense either by the constraints of the job or by nervousness at the wheel. After the training session, I find once more the joy of living and the good mood”.
And our interviewee concludes: “Any emancipated woman is supposed to practice sport in order to ensure the proper maintenance of her body and her mind, to keep a healthy mind in a healthy body. Isn’t it desirable to stay young and take care of your figure for as long as possible? So the motto is easy, go to the gym!”