2 . A small study out of Skidmore College examined the advantages of morning vs, evening exercise for both women and men. Paul, professor for health at Skidmore, led the study.

“We had the groups divided into evening and morning groups,” he says. “We found women and men answered differently to different types of exercise depending on the time of the day, which surprised us.”

The study showed that for women who want to lower blood pressure (血压), the risk of heart disease or reduce fat, morning exercise works best. Those women hoping for upper body muscle (肌肉) gains or mood (心情) improvement should consider evening exercise. For the men, the findings were somewhat different: Evening exercise lowers blood pressure, the risk of heart disease, and feelings of tiredness. But similar to women, they burn more fat with morning exercise.

“For many people, the best time to exercise will depend on their chronotype,” says Heisz, author of Move the Body, Heal the Mind.

“Chronotype is your body’s natural habit to sleep at a certain time—it’s what decides whether you’re a night owl or an early bird. For the 25% of the population that considers themselves a night owl, getting both enough sleep and enough exercise can be difficult,” adds Heisz.

He continues, “Sleep—which provides your body the necessary time to recover (恢复) and make gains from exercise—should always be the first choice. When it comes to exercise, regardless of research on the advantages of certain exercises at particular times of the day, your results will not be good if it doesn’t allow enough time for sleep.”

3 . You start by running around the school track three times to warm up. This is followed by exercises or long jump for the girls and football or basketball for the boys. That is an average 45 -minute PE class— but do you really enjoy it?

For students at the Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, sports classes have experienced a welcome change. Senior 2 students now learn the traditional Chinese martial art of sword-fighting (中国剑术), making PE the most popular lesson on the timetable. “The classes used to be boring as we just did the same things again and again,” said Xiao Tong. “But now PE classes are such fun. Sword-fighting is so cool.” His classmate Wei Jie agrees. “As well as being fun, we learn about traditional Chinese culture,” she said. The usual morning exercises performed to music on the school playground have been replaced by kicking and punching practice (搏击操) to a pop music by Zheng Xiuwen. “We didn't pay much attention when we heard the old music,” Xiao explained, “But when Zheng's music is played, we get excited.” Mao Min, the PE teacher who introduced the changes, is pleased that the students now enjoy sports lessons more. “The classes encourage healthy lifestyles and I am always looking for creative ways to keep the students active,” he said. Schools offer activities according to what sports facilities (设备) they have. For example, students at the Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University can choose to learn swimming, taekwondo (跆拳道) or volleyball. “I take my volleyball very seriously so I keep fit by playing it,” said Senior 2 student Zhang Zheng. “Students only try hard in sports that interest them.”

4 . What do classrooms, computer desks, cafeterias(自助食堂), and libraries have in common? That’s the places where students spend so much of their time.Although hours of studying burn mental energy，both your body and mind need physical exercise to function efficiently.

The importance of exercise is nothing new.Thomas Jefferson once wrote that to be successful in academic studies, a person should spend two hours on exercise every day, for health must not be sacrificed(牺牲) for learning.A strong body makes the mind strong.

It turns out Jefferson was on to something. A study by researchers at Tufts University found that students who said they exercised at least 3 days a week were more likely to report a better state of physical health and greater happiness than those who didn’t exercise. This and other evidence suggest that the real benefits of exercise may not come right after a workout but from a longer commitment to regular activity.

But experts today do not demand 2 hours of daily exercise.The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people get at least 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.

Walking，jogging and swimming are easy ways to increase your heart rate and improve health.Exercise can also help lower blood pressure and reduce stress. For women, exercise that makes the body and bones bear weight—like walking or running—may reduce the risk of osteoporosis(骨质疏松) later in life.

You’ll likely discover another benefit of exercise as well: greater self-confidence.This may make it easier for you to participate in class and help you perform well in academic and social situations.

5 . Most kinds of physical exercises are beneficial for remaining healthy, but a lot of people prefer running over other forms of physical exercises. This may be because running does not require expertise and specialized equipment.     1     Some runners choose to run for the adrenaline (肾上腺素) and others choose it for the health benefits.

Running is a weight-bearing exercise.     2     It is especially helpful for young children and teenagers whose bones have not completely developed. Running is also helpful in improving joint stability (关节稳定性). It is also considered a great way of losing fat and keeping a healthy weight.

    3     A lot of runners experience a sense of excitement and happiness after a run. Running releases endorphins (释放内啡肽) in your brain, which can improve mood (心情). Endorphins also naturally help manage stress.     4    

While running is considered a great exercise, it should not be the only form of exercise that you perform. Running regularly, especially with improper running shoes, could increase the risk of pain in the knees. It could also cause damage (损伤) to the knee joints.     5     It can achieve a balance of strength between the upper and lower parts of the body.

10 . In this post, we’ll introduce some top robotics competitions open to high schoolers. Keep reading to learn more.

Botball Educational Robotics Program

Level: Regional and national competitions available

Grades: 9th, 10th. 11th, 12th

Over a period of about seven weeks, students learn to code(编程) and develop complex strategies to use artificial intelligence. This allows them to create an autonomous robot together that competes in an annual game challenging against other teams in competitions at various levels across the country.

FIRST: Robotics Competition

Level: Local, regional and national competitions available

Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Teams work together with professional teachers to design, assemble(装配), and test an industrial-sized robot .The robot then competes in a head-to-head field game against other teams.

Robo Games

Level: International

Grades: All ages and backgrounds

This self-claimed “Olympics of robots” and current largest open robot competition challenges participants in a wide variety of events to display various skills. Amateurs, professionals, young and old alike are invited to participate with the goal of winning prizes, expanding educational service, and recognizing robot-builders in the public eye.

Zero Robotics High School Tournament

Level: International, including the U.S. and member countries of the European Space Agency

Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

This fascinating competition begins with robots called SPHERES inside the International Space Station. The first phase of the competition is entirely online, in which competitors code the SPHERES to meet a yearly challenge. Finalists compete in person, onboard the International Space Station, conducted live in microgravity by a real astronaut!