Leger/ParticipACTION Poll | Fewer Quebecers dread winter

Even if they are less likely than other Canadians to dread winter, half of Quebecers say they feel the winter blues, according to a survey released by the ParticipACTION organization on the eve of the launch of its Bouge pour ton morale challenge.

“We are the province where people expressed the least resistance to winter,” rejoices ParticipACTION’s director of operations for Quebec, Pierre Morin. In a web survey conducted by the firm Léger among 1,526 adult Canadians from December 9 to 11, 38% of Quebecers said they dread winter because of the negative impact on their mood, compared to more than 50% of residents. from Alberta and Atlantic Canada.

Results that surprised this former recreation animator and service director for the City of Montreal, involved in ParticipACTION since 2008: “I asked myself: does climate change mean that we have reached no longer dread winter? But no, when I look at the figures elsewhere, it means that Quebec would be more open to doing physical activity in winter. »

Nevertheless, getting Quebecers moving during the cold season remains a challenge.

Although a large majority of residents of the province (78%) agree that physical activity improves their mood, 23% of them do not intend to be more active during the winter months. They cite cold weather (41%) and lack of motivation and willpower (37%) as the main obstacles.

In its application through which it offers challenges, rewards and training videos, ParticipACTION finds that users are much less active during the winter, notes Pierre Morin.

The Bouge pour ton morale challenge, which will take place from January 16 to 31, aims to remind the population that “winter is not a dead period for physical activity,” underlines Mr. Morin. “On the contrary, it should be a time to focus on,” he continues. It’s probably one of the best ways to boost your spirits in winter, especially in January. You just have to want it, plan it, give yourself time. Do it in a group, outdoors, on a daily basis. Get moving, it’s so important. »

At Cardio Plein Air, which offers training in parks across the province, winter is also a season when there is a drop in registrations, albeit moderate. “Around 20% to 25% approximately,” estimates its managing director, Thibault Gonnet. The key, according to him, is to dress well by favoring the layering system. Once this factor is mastered, the group effect and the meeting contribute enormously to motivation. “Once the participants have built this relationship, I would say that it is a huge motivational plus to push themselves to say: “Well, it’s cold, but I’m going anyway because they’re expecting me”. “, he notes.

Recognized effects on mental health

“For many people, the fact of moving in a group, with colleagues, is extremely motivating. They are also opportunities to have exchanges, social interactions which are very clearly recognized as being beneficial for mental health, but also for breaking isolation”, confirms Isabelle Doré, assistant professor at the School of Kinesiology. and physical activity sciences from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal and researcher at the CHUM Research Center.

The one whose research program focuses on physical activity and mental health notes that the scientific literature confirming the impact of one on the other is increasingly abundant. “Physical activity is completely beneficial for reducing depressive symptoms, whether or not you have a diagnosed disorder,” explains Isabelle Doré. The literature seems to indicate similar associations for anxiety symptoms and stress-related symptoms. »

She adds that moving would also promote indicators of good mental health such as psychological, emotional and social well-being, as well as quality of life.

But, move how much? For both physical and mental health, at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity sports activity per week is recommended by the World Health Organization. But beyond the frequency, duration and intensity, the context and the reasons for which one practices the activity are important. “Moving to take care of oneself, to be with other people or simply to experience pleasure are healthy motivations that are positively associated with mental health, which would be less the case for motivations related to appearance and weight loss”, remarks the researcher for whom it is important to set realistic objectives.

“One hundred and fifty minutes is a good goal,” says Pierre Morin. It’s 5 periods of 30 minutes or 15 periods of 10 minutes. It’s walking briskly, going outside, skating, moving with the kids, doing a little run. One hundred and fifty minutes in a week, it can be! »