1 . Exercising regularly not only helps you keep slim, but also improves your overall health and well-being. Different exercises produce different results, as they focus on alternate parts of the body. There are four broad exercise categories: endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. Many people often only focus on one exercise type, but including all four in your workout will produce better results and reduce your risk of injury.

Endurance

Endurance exercises increase your breathing and heart rate. By doing endurance exercises, you are working to keep your heart, lungs, and blood-flow system healthy while improving your total fitness. Over time these activities will make everyday activities seem easier.

Strength

If you want to build up your muscles, then strength exercises, which are also known as “resistance training”, are right for you. Even the slightest increase in strength can make a huge difference in your ability to carry out daily tasks. Developing strong muscles also reduce your risk of weak bones.

Flexibility

Flexibility exercises help stretch your body’s muscles. This allows for more freedom of movement for other exercises and can also improve your range of motion, posture, ability to breathe deeply, and blood flow. Also, it reduces the muscle tension caused by stress.

Balance

Balance exercises help prevent falls and are especially important to older adults, helping them stay independent. Most good balance exercises are ones that keep you constantly moving with your feet on the ground. Heel-to-toe walking and standing on one foot are simple ways to improve balance.

6 . The Tokyo Olympics have been postponed until 2021. That delay offers a chance for reflection. The International Olympic Committee wants to make the games more popular with young people. To that end, it is introducing new events, such as skateboarding, surfing and climbing. Why not go further and let national teams compete at video games? Electronic sports such as "Fortnite", are vastly more popular than strange Olympic sports like curling（冰壶）. In fact, they are more appealing than most mainstream sports. Only 28% of British boys aged 16-19 watch any traditional live sports; 57% play video games.

Some may complain that e-sports are not proper sports. Many parents, observing their teenagers sitting on the sofa all day shouting "Quick, pass me the shotgun!" at a screen, would agree. Yet video games are highly competitive, with professional teams that play to packed stadiums. There are perhaps only 200 tennis stars in the world who can make a living from playing in major competitions. By contrast, "League of Legends", a fantasy game played by teams of five, supports over 1,000 on good wages. Its World Championship final last year was watched by 44 million people.

Those against e-sports offer moral objections, too. They are addictive. Prince Harry has called for "Fortnite" to be banned for this reason. They are violent. At a time of global disharmony, it is bad idea to make virtual（虚拟的）killing an Olympic sport. The Olympics aim to promote peace.

Neither of these arguments is convincing. The idea that an activity, rather than material, can be addictive is controversial among doctors, as is the existence of a causal（因果的）link between gaming and violence. And the belief that warlike sports have no place in the Olympics is hard to agree with history. Wrestling was introduced in 708 BC. It is still there.

7 . If you are one of those who think exercise is a waste of time and of no benefit at all to the body, you might have to have a rethink.

Regular physical activity can help protect from some health problems. For instance, exercise controls weight. For the obese （肥胖的），exercise is very important as it helps reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity is, the more calories you burn. When exercise is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases. Besides workouts at the gym, your body can benefit from other forms of exercise such as jogging, fast walking, running, playing games.

Regular physical activity can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Need an emotional lift or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a quick 30-minute walk can help. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Exercise gives you a chance to enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy.

Regular physical activity is a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you haven't exercised for a long time, have chronic health problems, or you have any concerns.

8 . The popularity of niche（小众的）sports has increased, thanks in large part to pop culture interest. From the traditional Japanese martial arts to ancient Greek combat sports. Here are some trendy options you won't want to miss.

Kendo

This Japanese martial art is gaining popularity in China, partly because of Japanese sports manga（日本漫画）series such as One Piece（海贼王）. In many major cities, it's not uncommon to see young athletes carrying the bamboo swords used for Kendo.

Kendo is a form of swordsmanship（剑术）that requires concentration, discipline and constant repetition, but the benefit goes beyond physical fitness. According to the South China Morning Post, practicing kendo can effectively relieve stress and relax one's mind.

Boxing

Some of the greatest English-language writers, like Ernest Hemingway, Jack London and TS Eliot, were hardcore boxers. After reading their portrayals of tough boxers, some readers have been inspired to pick up their own pair of boxing gloves and enter the ring.

Boxing is more than just a workout. Sure, it can give you a lean and strong body. But according to boxing expert Hollywood Hino, it's a kind of addiction as well. Boxing gives you "the challenge of learning technique, as well as the general empowering feeling of hitting something", he told Yahoo Sports.

Parkour

The James Bond blockbuster Casino Royale (2006) introduced parkour to the mainstream, with an intense action scene that shows Bond using skills to go through an urban landscape. That's parkour in a nutshell: the art of moving quickly and creatively through unconventional obstacle courses. Parkour gives young people a way to improve themselves, both physically and psychologically.

9 . National Poetry Competition

Still looking for inspiration to create competition winning poems? Our 2020 Writing Guides are here to help!

Running alongside the 2020 National Poetry Competition, the Poetry Society has presented a series of writing guides by previous winners. You can select from a guide by Ella Frears on poems that explore the unknown, a guide by Pascale Petit, focusing on nature writing, a guide by Eric Berlin looking at poems where the speakers' viewpoints take sudden turns, and a guide by Matthew Caley on poems that use lightness to great effect.

First prize: Susannah Hart for "Reading the Child Protection Policy". Second prize: Ann Pelletier-Topping for "Granddaughter Moves In". Third prize: Natalie Linh Bolderston for "Middle Name with Diacritics".

Thanks for entering. If you have any questions, please email supDort@poetrysociety.org.uk.