"To do anything in France requires a lot of red tape. To join a gym or go on a fun run you need a certificate from your doctor, which they charge you 70 euros."

"To do anything in France requires a lot of red tape. To join a gym or go on a fun run you need a certificate from your doctor, which they charge you 70 euros." That's not true, you can get the certificate from your "family" doctor, and the cost is probably 22 euros, fully returned by the secu + mutuelle (if you have one). So pretty much 0. also you can do quite a lot of things online, pay your taxes, manage your account, order copies for your birth certificates and many more ... you just have to use them before complaining.