(Montreal) Thousands of people will take part this weekend in the 8e edition of La Grande Marche through dozens of municipalities in Quebec to highlight the importance of healthy lifestyles.
Posted at 10:31 a.m.
The event is organized by the Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie, in partnership with the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec (FMOQ), and aims to promote an active and preventive lifestyle.
In addition to the three major events held between Friday and Sunday in Saguenay, Quebec and Montreal, a hundred municipalities answered the call to organize their own Grande Marche on their territory.
A hybrid formula was once again adopted this year to allow participants to complete the 5 km course from the meeting point in their municipality or their home.
The founder, Pierre Lavoie, said he was “very happy” with the participation of the municipalities and affirmed that all regions of Quebec were represented in the event, in addition to joining certain Aboriginal communities.
Mr. Lavoie hopes that La Grande Marche will send a public prevention message to Quebecers and encourage them to move more.
Today, the studies are there: we know that the next evolution in health will go through prevention. We will increase the efficiency of our health and our systems by integrating prevention.
Pierre Lavoie, founder
The founder believes that the burden on the system could be lightened by establishing a preventive culture throughout Quebec, that is to say by promoting an active lifestyle to reduce the risk of possible health problems.
“When we compare ourselves to the Scandinavians, we realize that we have reached the same level as them in terms of life expectancy. On the other hand, they enter their health system 6 to 7 years later than us,” he explained.
Mr. Lavoie thus hopes to encourage Quebecers to prevent, rather than cure, by adopting balanced lifestyle habits as soon as possible. By associating La Grande Marche with the Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec, it also aims to highlight the role of health professionals in this fight.
“The first to take concrete action for prevention are family physicians,” he points out. There are now 10,000 in Quebec, in the field or in their office, who have an influence on the patient, and who can offer him an alternative path. […], instead of prescribing Lipitor and statins to lower his cholesterol. »
As part of their partnership with Le Grand Défi, the members of the FMOQ are called upon to prescribe more physical activity to their patients, in particular by inviting them to join La Grande Marche. Last year, the event attracted 134,574 walkers across Quebec.