With the cold weather drawing nearer, few people will choose swimming as a daily or usual activity.
Good for your brain.
Swimming is one of the best activities you can do all year round, which benefits your body and your mind. Swimming has been found to increase blood flow to the brain, which leads to more oxygen.
Work your muscles.
Every time you swim, it is like doing a mini-resistance workout. Each kicks and pull works your muscles more than you could imagine, especially your arms, shoulders and gluteus — the muscles that are inactive all day when you’re sitting at your desk.
Lift your spirits.
While swimming is an individual sport, it is also very social. You can meet people from all walks of life when swimming. Have a chat in the lap pool, join a swimming club or get involved in social water sports to get to know people in your community. Besides, the great thing about swimming is that you can do it — rain or shine. Although your backyard pool, the river or beach cools down over winter, most inside swimming pools run heated pools year round, so you’ve got no excuse to stop swimming.
| A．Meet new people. |
| B．Benefit your body. |
| C．These chemicals can control your thought and action. |
| D．However, swimming in winter is of great benefit in cold days. |
| E．And that means you’re experiencing better memory and sharp mind. |
| F．Exercise gives off chemicals in your body called endorphins (内啡肽). |
| G．Swimming also works your abs (腹肌)and will reduce your waist line. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The fitness movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around aerobic exercise (有氧运动). Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities, and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize on this emerging interest in fitness, particularly aerobic dancing for females.
A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most major cities. However, their focus was not on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts. These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially from the aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits. In recent years, however, weight training has again become increasingly popular for males and for females. Many current programs focus not only on developing muscular strength and endurance but on aerobic fitness as well.
Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics. However, in recent years, evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well. The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends that weight training be part of a total fitness program for healthy Americans. Increased participation in such training is one of the specific physical activity and fitness objectives of Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives.
1. The word “spas” most probably means “________”.| A．sports activities | B．places for physical exercise |
| C．recreation centers | D．athletic training programs |
| A．the promotion of aerobic exercise |
| B．endurance and muscular development |
| C．the improvement of women’s figures |
| D．better performance in aerobic dancing |
| A．Positive. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Negative. | D．Cautious |
| A．had become an essential part of people’s life |
| B．may well affect the health of the trainees |
| C．will attract more people in the days to come |
| D．contributes to health improvement as well |
【推荐2】Ten fitness exercises you can do at home
Walking
An effective walking workout at home will help to strengthen your legs, while getting some low impact aerobic exercise as well. If you don’t have any stairs available, just walk around the house a few times —it may not be very exciting, but it will do the job!
Jumping jacks
These are always fun, as they bring back memories of being a kid! Who hasn’t done jumping jacks for fun as a child? Well, surprise —they are also great cardio exercises, and good for warming up, too.
Push-ups
These are probably not the most favorite exercise of many people, but while they can be hard to do, you can find easier ways to do them. You don’t need to pretend you’re “Rocky”, and do them with one hand: just do what works for you. Do them on your knees, instead of keeping your legs straight. Or, do them by standing up against a wall. You will build up arm strength and work out muscles in your chest area.
Leg lifts
These are great for building up strength and muscles in your legs. If you find it hard to do the exercises with your legs straight, try bending them slightly.
Crunches
It’s the best exercise for building up and strengthening belly muscles. When you’re just getting started, don’t worry about getting your head all the way up. So long as you’re going up until you feel the stretching of the muscles, you will see some benefit.
Jogging in place
Jogging is a great exercise for your heart. You can jog in place at home while watching TV or listening to music. The only equipment you will require is a good pair of shoes, to eliminate any stress to your legs.
Squats
These are wonderful exercises for your legs and bottoms. You can even just try these by sitting and standing up again from a regular chair, if you’re finding them to be too difficult. As long as you’re able to do a few repetitions, you will provide some benefit to your body.
Dancing
Dancing is a wonderful exercise, which is great for your heart. Not only that, but it can lift your spirits as well, and give your overall feeling a boost.
1. Which column does this article belong to if in the newspaper?| A．Health. | B．Entertainment. | C．Travel. | D．Advertisement. |
| A．Walking. | B．Push-ups. | C．Jumping jacks. | D．Squats. |
| A．Walking and Push-up. | B．Leg lifts and Crunches. |
| C．Squats and Dancing. | D．Dancing and Jogging in place. |
【推荐3】Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.
Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”
Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.
Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.
1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear | D．Uncaring. |
| A．It improves focus. | B．It is a waste of time. |
| C．It can keep a body in shape. | D．It helps to reduce the risk of diseases. |
| A．It contributes to creativity. | B．It encourages problem-solving. |
| C．It builds relationships between people. | D．It improves people’s awareness of safety. |
| A．How to Start a Garden | B．Choose a Garden or Not |
| C．What Plants Grow Best in a Garden | D．Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits |
