In 2020, two out of three people said they regularly exercised or played sports. Regular sports participation is more frequent among men (71% versus 60% for women) and decrease with age, firstly around the age of 30, then again after the age of 50.

Activities requiring little equipment or those that can be practiced outside of a club or a structure were the most popular: 34% of those aged 15 or more regularly did gymnastics, dance or fitness, 25% walked, ran or did athletics, and 18% cycled or did sliding sports. Less frequently, 9% of those 15 years or older participated in racket or precision sports, water sports, or team sports, and 3% in combat sports.

Taking into account all kinds of physical activities (including strolls, bathing for leisure and relaxation), either done regularly or occasionally, nine out of ten people exercised or played sports at least once over the past year. Health, well-being, pleasure or contact with nature were the main reasons for doing so. However, motivations were not the same from one person to another and revealed four typical profiles: sportsmen and women exercising for pleasure, older on average (36%); people who play sports primarily for health reasons, often alone (29%); the core of sportsmen and women, who train intensively with two-thirds of whom having a club membership (20%); and the more occasional sportsmen and women, more often attracted by adventure and thrill and more likely to belong to underprivileged social groups (15%).