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October 20, 2023
The City of Paris, Ville de Paris and sportswear company ASICS have signed a two-year partnership to improve Parisians’ physical and mental health by boosting the accessibility of sport in the city. The ‘Paris, Bouge ton Esprit’ (Paris, Move Your Mind) initiative includes a series of free sporting events for Parisians, with a particular focus on groups that research shows are the least active in the city: the elderly, young people and women.
In France, one in four people struggle with mental health issues. According to a YouGov France study, 88% of Parisians believe in the positive impact of physical exercise on their mental health. Although Paris has an active population, with an average of 280 minutes devoted to physical activity per week, 48% want to practice more sport and 61% say they want to be more attentive to their mental health. Almost one in two Parisians have already experienced mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, chronic fatigue, sleep problems and depression. These disorders are often linked with a stressful pace of life that is frequently seen in cities.
The partnership was launched last week on World Mental Health Day (October 10) in an effort to boost mental well-being by increasing sport and physical activity opportunities. “With ASICS, we uphold people-centred values and our collaboration will allow even more of our fellow citizens to have access to all the benefits that regular sport brings to physical and mental health, regardless of the sporting level,” said Pierre Rabadan, Deputy Mayor of Paris, in charge of Sport and the Seine.
As part of the partnership, ambassadors will be engaged in awareness-raising campaigns to spread the message of physical activity and its benefits on mental wellbeing. In addition to supporting mental health, the initiative’s activities will also seek to increase confidence and relieve stress.
Starting on November 9, events will be regularly set up in Paris with sessions accessible to all and free of charge with the aim of integrating physical activity into the everyday lives of Parisians. Citizens will be able to register for the sessions through a dedicated online platform. Additionally, across the city from 2024, sports venues will be renovated to be more inclusive and public places will be made more suitable for sporting activities. One of the locations announced is the Pershing Stadium, which is set to become a hub and safe space for people with disabilities to engage with sport and physical activity.
“ASICS was founded in 1949 on the belief that sport and exercise are good for the body and the mind,” said Eddy Ferhi, Marketing Director of ASICS France. “ASICS is an acronym for the Latin ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘a Sound Mind in a Sound Body’. We believe that our purpose is more relevant today than ever before, and we want to support more people to be physically active to improve their mental wellbeing. ASICS is proud to partner with the City of Paris and very grateful for its trust.”
Source: Little Black Book and Le Bonbon
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