1 . How to overcome gym anxiety

Here are some practical tips to help you overcome anxiety in the gym and create a positive, empowering experience for yourself.

Set realistic expectations

The first step in overcoming gym anxiety is to set realistic expectations. Understand that everyone starts somewhere and that the gym is a place for personal growth and improvement.     1     Every individual in the gym is on their own unique fitness journey.

Plan ahead and familiarise yourself

    2     Before heading to the gym, plan your workout routine and familiarise yourself with the equipment you intend to use. Research exercise techniques and watch instructional videos to gain confidence and knowledge. By doing so, you’ll enter the gym with a sense of purpose and direction.

Start slowly and gradually

Ease into your gym routine by starting with exercises and machines you are comfortable with.     3     Taking small steps will not only help you build physical strength but also improve your mental resilience (韧性), empowering you to tackle new challenges.

    4    

Having a gym partner can provide huge support and motivation. Consider finding a friend who shares your fitness goals or seeking guidance from a personal trainer. A supportive companion or an expert can provide guidance, encourage you during workouts, and help remove anxiety by offering tips and feedback.

Practice mindfulness techniques

Mindfulness exercises can be powerful tools to fight anxiety in any setting, including the gym.     5     Focusing on your breath and being present in the moment can help calm your mind and remove anxiety. Additionally, practicing mindfulness during your workout can enhance your mind-body connection, allowing you to fully involve yourself in the experience.

2 . Playing tennis might add years to your life, according to a new study of Danish men and women. The study found that adults who frequently participate in tennis or other racket (球拍) and team sports lived longer than people who were spending a lot of time sitting down. They also lived longer than people who took part in activities such as jogging, swimming and cycling. The results raise interesting questions about the role that social interactions might play in enlarging the benefits of exercise.

No one doubts that being physically active improves our health and can extend our longevity (寿命). But whether some activities might be better than others remains in argument. One widely publicized 2017 study of more than 80,000 British men and women found that those who played racket sports like tennis tended to outlive those who jogged.

The researchers widened their inquiry and looked at a variety of sports and their associations with life. To start, they turned to the same data resource they had used for the jogging study, the Copenhagen City Heart Study. The study’s participants had all completed health exams and lengthy questionnaires about their lifestyles and whether and how often they took part in some sports common in Denmark, including cycling, swimming, running, tennis, soccer and, perhaps unexpectedly, badminton.

According to the data, cycling added an average of 3.7 years to riders’ lives, compared to sedentary Danes. Running added 3.2 years while tennis 9.7 years. These associations remained unchanged even when the researchers controlled for people’s education, socioeconomic status and age.

“Why and how some sports might add more years to people’s lives than others is impossible to know from this kind of observational study,” says Dr. James O’Keefe, a study co-author. “But we know that social support probably has unique effects on helping people get more benefits from the exercise.”

For now, people who run or ride alone might consider finding a group or partner to work out together. “Raising your heart rate is important for health,” he says. “But it looks like connecting with other people is, too.”

3 . On February 13, 2023, Wu Yibing made history, beating John Isner in a thrilling three-set final at the Dallas Open to become the first man from China to win an ATP title（ATP巡回赛冠军）.

Brought to a tennis court for the first time at just five, initially encouraged by his parents as an exercise to lose weight, Wu soon had his talent discovered by his provincial junior team, kicking off a journey that would change the fate of men's tennis in China. In 2017,Wu Yibing shot to prominence after winning the US Open boys’ tournament at 18 to become the first Chinese to win a major junior title, raising high hopes for the “Wonder Boy” to change the fortune of Chinese men in a sport long dominated by women's success on the professional stage.

In 2018, Wu won his first ATP Challenger title in Shanghai. However, the highly competitive nature of men’s professional tennis hit the rising Wu with a tough reminder after multiple injuries-to his elbow, lower back, shoulder and wrist-forced him to be away from the ATP Tour for close to three years.

He made his return last year and won three ATP Challenger titles before qualifying for the US Open. “Looking back, I feel like I wouldn't have been here if not for the ups and downs over the past few years. I take all the setbacks and struggles as a lesson that helps me mature mentally now,” said Wu.   “Of course there were a lot of doubts because I had surgery and the recovery wasn’t going well. The championship today was a payoff for all the hard work and everyone who’s supported me along the way.”

5 . Tempo (节奏) runs scare me. Those long and hard efforts always look impossible when I see them on paper.

I remember one 50-minute run_______. I saw it on my training plan and immediately created a laundry list of_________for why this was just not going to work, why I wasn’t fit enough, why I wouldn’t_______ — why I would fail.

Before I even laced up my shoes, I’d already _______ myself I couldn’t do this. Instead of using the warm-up to find my pace, _________for success, and get excited to make the best of it, I adopted a_________mind set (心态), revisited my list of excuses and_______ further into the bad-attitude trap. I quit the workout_________even before I started. After that, I shortened more workouts and my fitness moved backwards soon.

The _______, I realized, was that I treated my entire training plan like a tempo run — hard, fast and________. I felt that if I didn’t hit a workout early, I wouldn’t be able to________.

I realized I needed to treat my training like my favourite________: the long run. I love settling into a relaxed pace, enjoying the route and__________on only one goal — finishing. I love that I can have a bad mile in the middle and still end ________ .

Now, when I set a new goal and__________a new training plan, I have what I call “the long-run mindset”. I’m not ________for immediate results, as I have been in the past. I ________more about the big picture and my long-term goals as a________. Yes, there is still an important place for hard, fast tempo runs, but I have__________ my attitude, to think bigger than short-term ________ and instead work toward lifelong success.

8 . Being an Olympian (奥运会选手) demands focus, determination, and a competitive spirit. Plus, representing your country is a lot of pressure. However, two athletes recently showed the world another quality that is definitely worth championing.

Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi were competing in the high jump on Sunday when they reached a stalemate (僵局). Both men had managed to jump over a surprising 2.37 meters with no faults along the way. However, after three attempts neither managed the next level of 2.39 meters.

An Olympic official suggested a jump-off between the two friends and rivals (竞争对手) to determine who would get the gold medal. But Barshim had another plan to reward their efforts.

“Can we have two golds?” he asked the official.

The official agreed and the two men jumped for joy. This was the first time a gold medal had been shared since 1912. “He is one of my best friends, not only on the track, but outside the track. We work together. This is a dream come true.” shared Barshim.

The decision to share the medal was particularly meaningful to Tamberi. The Italian had suffered an ankle injury that prevented him from competing in the Rio Olympics in 2016, and it nearly put an end to his career altogether. So this year he brought along his cast to this year's Olympics with “Road to Tokyo 2021” to inspire him along the way.

For Barshim, the gold has topped off his already impressive medal collection, having received a bronze and a silver medal in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

Despite all the glory of receiving a gold medal for their countries, their achievement means so much more. These two individuals, trying to do their very best for their countries, have provided a wonderful example to all those competing in sports. They've summed up exactly what it means to take part in a global event with a generous and compassionate (有同情心的) spirit.