1 . Sports offer so many great benefits not only to our physical health but to our mental health.     1    . So allow me to help you count the ways:

·Playing sports improves our mood.

Any form of physical activity excites the release of chemicals called endorphins (脑内啡), which make you feel happier and more relaxed as well. This explains why you feel so great after playing a pick-up game of basketball or throwing a football. It doesn’t have to be an intense session.     2    .

·Playing sports gives us a promotion of confidence.

    3    , which can be extremely rewarding. These goals might be to win the game, to score agoal, to perform your best, or to simply have fun. Whatever the case, setting these team or individual goals can provide heightened feelings of self-worth and confidence.

·    4    .

Exercising regularly can improve skills like critical thinking, learning, and concentration abilities. And on top of that, engaging in physical activity such as playing sports or cycling may help prevent development of certain cognitive disorders (认知障碍). So pick up a bat, a ball, or a glove and get out there!

·Playing sports provides means for socialization.

Playing team sports provides the perfect opportunity for social interaction. It allows you to spend time and bond with old friends, as well as meet new ones!     5    , whether that should be volleyball, football, hockey, gymnastics, or any others. You’ll harvest many health benefits and have fun doing it.

Under the boundless blue sky, soft grasses wave in the breeze, herds of cows and sheep leisurely grazing on the plains, white round yurts (蒙古包) dotting throughout the endless green, and pearl-like rivers zigzagging to the mysterious distance. This is picturesque Hulunbuir Grassland, ideally     1    (locate) in Hulunbuir City of Inner Mongolia,     2     history can be traced back to 209 BC.

Hulunbuir’s name has been illuminated (照亮) on the national stage, with the 14th National Winter Games successfully drawing a close on Tuesday February 27, regarded as the most significant comprehensive winter sports event in China after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In the past month, Hulunbuir,     3    (remarkable) employing its great geographical advantages,     4    (integrate) the Winter Games theme into its urban landscape through     5    (variety) ice and snow sculptures, transforming the region into a bustling (繁华的) center of sports and cultural activities.

This grand event not only leaves behind memories of thrilling moments but acts as an example of the power of sports in enhancing unity and celebrating diversity. Hulunbuir is home     6     diverse ethnic minorities such as the Mongolian, Daur, Evenki, and Oroqen ethnic groups, weaving its rich heritage into the fabric of this     7    (compete). The opening ceremony,     8    (feature) performances by noted artists from these ethnic groups, showcasing their traditional music, dance, and art,     9    (hold) with flying colors on February 17.

The Spring Festival holiday period witnessed an extraordinary surge in tourism, with Hulunbuir attracting     10     total of 1.67 million visitors. Hulunbuir, a magic wonderland, will continue to shine and bloom in the future.

5 . Scientists are now digging into precisely why exercise holds so many benefits for our mental health and memory. The answer, studies say, lies in our brain chemistry.

Each time you work up a sweat, your body releases feel-good happy hormones (荷尔蒙), including endorphins, dopamine and endocannabinoids, the latter being responsible for the so-called runner’s high. Now researchers are also pointing to myokines (肌肉因子) as an important contributor to the mental health benefits of exercise. When our muscles contract, myokines are released into the bloodstream, helping your muscles and organs communicate. They think this communication increases resilience to stress, reduces symptoms of mental suffering and anxiety and has a direct effect on depression.

A 2021 scientific report published in Neuropharmacology showed evidence that myokines boost brain function, like improving memory and mood. “Myokines reduce systemic inflammation (炎症), which is especially beneficial for people with drug-resistant depression whose low mood is linked to high inflammation,” explains Dr Jennifer Heisz, an expert in brain health and associate professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada.

A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that treatment for depression can be much more effective when physical activity is added to the usual care. Participants found benefits after 12 weeks of exercising for 30 to 60 minutes a day. “While exercise is not a replacement for professional mental health treatment, physical activity can complement and enhance the effects of the treatment,” says lead researcher Ben Singh, a research fellow at the University of South Australia.

“It is amazing to consider how moving our bodies can heal our minds,” says Heisz. Whether you’re cycling, walking around your neighbourhood or doing yoga, getting sweaty is good for your body and mind. To get the biggest overall health boost, the key is to zero in on sports and activities you enjoy, so you’ll keep going back to them.

9 . The rise of body neutrality You define (定义) beauty yourself. You are more than a number in measurement. Love yourself the way you are. Body positive messages like theses seem to be everywhere from social media to TV advertisements.

Body positivity’s aim to boost acceptance and appreciation of a variety of body types and sizes may explain why it has such a broad appeal. While some find the body positivity movement to be helpful, others have begun calling the movement toxic and suggesting it may be time to move on from this way of thinking.

More recently, people have voiced concerns. Some feel that the focus on loving your looks actually strengthens society’s stress on appearance over other values. Much body positivity content in advertisements may bring a stereotype (刻板印象) to viewers because it does little to challenge the hidden assumption that people are valued mainly for their appearance. Therefore, the movement still encourages people to be graceful and engage in beauty practices from head to toe. And if you fail to be body positive, it’s you that are at fault.

Many are now moving away from the body positivity movement and the pressures that come from it entirely, and instead are getting behind the body neutrality (中立) movement. Instead of focusing on physical appearance, body neutrality is a profound idea that we can exist without having to think too much about our bodies.

We are all more than just our bodies. We are complicated beings with a range of emotions and feelings about our bodies. And because body neutrality de-emphasizes (不强调) the focus on appearance, it motivates us to better acknowledge all the things our bodies are able to do. Being grateful for being able to take up your hobbies and appreciating your body for what it’s capable of doing are both examples of body neutrality.

Body neutrality can be beneficial to us. It is associated with the positive body image and mental well-being. The good news is that there are many ways you can develop body neutrality, including writing-based treatment, yoga and spending time in nature.