Marcel Bouchard - Physical Activity as a Lifestyle

You give a lecture called Le mouvement, c’est la vie [Movement Is Life]. What are your tips for healthy aging?

Growing old isn’t a choice, but acting old is. Healthy aging requires us to stack the odds in our favour, and moving helps us do just that. When we’re physically active, we’re mentally active too. A brain in a sedentary body is a brain that doesn’t fully flourish.

Do you have examples of exercises that seniors can do to keep fit?

Move in any way you can. The important thing is to stay active without putting yourself in harm’s way. You might not move as fast, but you still need to keep moving. I always say that you have to take care of your health rather than take care of your illness. People often say that they don’t have time to work out, but they don’t have time to get sick either! We need to focus on prevention, and governments should do the same.

You have done outdoor activities in many regions of Quebec. Which regions were your favourites?

I would say all of Quebec, and really of Canada! Every place has its personality. The landscape, the rivers, the people… That’s what gives each region its colour.
You spend a lot of time outdoors, in summer and winter alike. How does nature affect your mood?

I don’t know what I’d do if I had to stay indoors! If I have a meeting when it’s nice out, I feel like I’m missing out on life! If I can postpone the meeting, I will. I want to be outdoors as often as possible. I’ve always been like that. I love all seasons; I’m not someone who would like to live in the South. Here, we can use the same environment in at least three completely different ways, it’s amazing!

Do you know where your passion for physical activity comes from?

My father was very energetic. As for my mother, she was always scared that I’d hurt myself. And I did have a lot of accidents! You can’t spend all your life being physically active like that without a few scratches. I must say that I was quite reckless! I think it’s in our nature. My father could walk on his hands at age 50! I’ve always liked physical activity, and it’s always been valued by my parents. My father was 45 when I was born, and I’ve never seen him old.

You’ve been a columnist at Salut Bonjour Weekend for 28 years. How have you found this experience?

I loved it! I didn’t miss a single weekend for 28 years! It wasn’t easy at first, because I was suggesting an outdoor column in a time when that sort of thing simply didn’t exist. The team changed seven times while I was there. I became everyone’s grandfather! I did over 1100 columns, and I never ran out of ideas!

You worked as a physical education teacher in college for 35 years. What did you want to convey to the people who were taking your class?

Skills and knowledge. In my scuba diving class, I taught them how to react to stress. I also wanted to teach students to try different disciplines to find the ones that they really like. That was the ultimate goal.