Health Hiking

The commitment of the FFRandonnée

In its Federal Plan 2021-2028, the FFRandonnée asserts a strong positioning in the fields of well-being and health. To meet this objective, its clubs with the Health label offer a welcome, supervision and physical activities adapted to people who are able to walk independently, without the help of a third party or medical equipment, but whose physical abilities have been reduced as a result of :

• A sedentary lifestyle, ageing, lack of self-confidence,
• Excess weight, diabetes, prolonged immobilisation (following surgery or chemotherapy), etc.
• Stabilised chronic pathologies: heart disease, lung disease, etc.

This does not include people with motor (paralysis), sensory ( sight or hearing loss) or mental impairments who require special equipment and support for people with disabilities.

Health Hiking session: relevant audience

Today, all scientific studies agree that regular, moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking, has numerous health benefits.

The target groups are people who are able to walk independently but who, for physiological, pathological or psychological reasons, walk more slowly, for shorter periods of time and less far.

Whether you're a sedentary person, want to return to physical activity after a health incident, or have stabilised a chronic condition, clubs with the Health label can now safely welcome you and these groups.

• Are you in good health, but your doctor is urging you to take regular exercise? They want to protect you from a sedentary lifestyle that can lead to a number of serious diseases,
• Are you undergoing treatment? Ask your doctor for advice, but remember that moderate exercise can be an integral part of your treatment, just like your medication, and sometimes the first thing prescribed before the others,
• You can contact your regular doctor, who will give you a Certificate of Fitness and Aptitude, usually with recommendations and limits,
• Do you feel lonely or insecure? Would you like to get together in a group and share a friendly moment? Then join a club with the health label - the best thing for your morale!

By joining a club with a health label and attending regular health sessions in the discipline of your choice - hiking, Nordic walking or aqua walking - you'll get back in shape and enjoy being active in a pleasant, friendly environment and in the safest possible conditions.

The Health label

A guarantee of quality

 
In 2010, the Medical Commission created this specific label to guarantee users, prescribers and health professionals a level of health safety: the "Health" label. Since 2021, the Health label has been extended to Nordic Walking and Aqua Walking, with the "Nordic Walking Health label" and the "Aqua Walking Health label".

This specificity ensures legitimate recognition by all. It gives a guarantee of security in terms of Health Sport to the federation that meets the specifications.

A club with the Health label means :

• Regular outings

• Cultural walks

• Shorter, gentler sessions

• The pleasure of getting together with friends

• A warm and friendly atmosphere

• Outings adapted to my physical condition

• Supervision by a trained and competent activity leader

Associations with the Health label can easily be identified by the logo. In practice, this means that:

• It is a club affiliated with the FFRandonnée whose Health label has been awarded by the departmental, regional and national health teams of the FFRandonnée,

• It is a club with at least one activity leader who has completed a training course in “health” or “health walking”,

• All its members have a licence and are insured under the federal contract.

Below are the new documents required to apply for the new 2021 Health Label.

The previous Rando Santé label remains valid. If the club already has the Rando Santé label, it does not need to reapply for the hiking label. However, it must apply for the "Health Nordic Walking" or "Health Aqua Walking" disciplines.

We have carried out a report on Rando Santé activities in certified clubs for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, which you can view by clicking on the link opposite.

NEW PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING THE HEALTH LABEL

The departmental and regional committees are now involved in the examination of label applications from FFRandonnée clubs.

They support clubs from the beginning of the project or application and give their opinion. The national Health Sport team will use this advice to award the Health labels.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW PROCEDURE 

Contact randosante@ffrandonnee.fr for more information.

Practice conditions

Administratively, the club operates in the same way as all other FFRandonnée clubs.

In practice, the directors and activity leaders draw up a programme of excursions, which they organise considering the physical condition of their members. It's a club like any other, with the same privileges and the same rules. The only difference is the pace: the walks are slower, shorter and last less time.

Additional Health training courses are organised, set up and run by doctors and trainers from the FFRandonnée regional committees. This course is aimed at qualified instructors (CARP or BF in hiking, Nordic Walking or Aqua Walking). This training enables instructors to understand the main problems associated with supervising people with reduced physical capacity, so that they can better manage their groups and reassure their participants.

Find the next training dates online.