2 . Enjoying your workouts can be a complete game changer when it comes to keeping a consistent exercise schedule and avoiding burnout.     1    

The Heart Matters magazine gives a few recommendations on how to make exercise more fun, such as asking others to join you and exercising for a specific cause, like a marathon for raising funds for an organization.     2    . But why?

Research shows that enjoying your exercise can be important for its long-term effectiveness. When you are positively engaged in something you choose to do and want to do as opposed to something you have to do, it changes your mindset. A positive mindset during exercising is absolutely essential.

    3    . You are more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it. Most people would rather make a habit of something that brings them pleasure as opposed to something boring. So, what do you find enjoyable? What is fun for you?

There are so many types of exercise that people can do.     4    . Running is an excellent form of exercise, as is walking. Dance classes can be super fun as well, and so can sports. Playing sports is a form of exercise that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Thinking outside the box is a must, since gyms and workouts that require lots of equipment aren’t always available or possible, and depending on these to exercise can possibly leave you without a workout at times. Team sports like basketball, tennis or football with friends are great for your fitness.     5    , or choosing other types of exercise like rope jumping, surfing, rock climbing or belly dancing. Those are all excellent forms of exercise, and your mind and body will thank you for years to come.

3 . Tai chi is a gentle Kongfu art that started in China. It uses slow and safe movements to create and balance inner energy (called Chi).     1    . It’s believed to have received more and more attention since the 19^th century.

Tai chi is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. It puts very little harmful stress on muscles(肌肉) and joints(关节), making it generally safe. It’s an exercise that can be easily done for less able people.     2    .

A 2019 review of studies suggested that tai chi might reduce the risk of falls in older people.     3    . Sideways and backwards movements can help to strengthen muscles required for good stability(稳定). It also improves people’s sense of space.

Tai chi is good for people’s body. Research shows that practising tai chi is usually good for knee health.     4    . So people will sit or stand a little comfortably. What’s more, although Tai chi is so slow and smooth, it can improve both upper body strength and lower-body strength when practised day by day.

    5    . Research has shown that the brain has the ability to change through your life, growing new cells(细胞), making new connections, and even increasing in size. Tai chi does good things in these changes. Besides, Tai chi reduces people’s stress and worry, and increases confidence.

6 . The gym can be scary for a beginner. Whether you’re a fitness green hand or getting back in the game, not knowing what to do in the gym can be a very real fear.     1     Here are some ways to get started in the gym.

Chat with the staff. The fitness staff is friendly and ready to help! A simple “hello” to a staff member when you walk in the door can really promote your mood.     2     It’ll be much easier to go back to the gym regularly if you know that some friendly people there are waiting.

    3     Don’t know what to do in the gym? Don’t be afraid to ask for help—that’s what the staff members are there for! A quick tour of the equipment or even some practice on the machines can be extremely beneficial. A trainer will provide you with a complete demonstration to get you feeling comfortable in no time!

Get started on a simple machine. If you’re unsure where to start, sticking with the basics is a great way to go. Walk on the treadmill (跑步机) that you may be familiar with and start at a gentle pace.     4     Even if you don’t have a sweat part, you’ll have still moved your body and gotten used to the gym equipment. And that’s a hopeful start.

Try a 30-minute circuit. Circuit training is a super effective way to train, whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced gym-goer, and is the perfect solution when you don’t know what to do in the gym. It allows you to work multiple muscle groups in one workout. The best part: It’s a preplanned workout.     5    

8 . Doctors have long known that diet and exercise are the best ways to stay healthy. But few people get enough exercise. Only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. More than 80 million Americans over age 6 are entirely inactive. People leading a sedentary (久坐的) life pay a price. They are at higher risk for serious health problems. These include heart disease and cancer.

Health experts want people to know about the benefits of exercise. They believe it can lead to slower aging, better moods, stronger vision—the list goes on.

This year, the U. S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is starting a major study. It will record in detail what happens inside a body in motion (运动). Through its research，the NIH hopes to prove scientifically that exercise is good medicine.

The project will run for six years. A group of about 3, 000 sedentary people will take part in the project. They will range from 11-year-olds to the elderly. The group will begin an exercise program. Their blood, fat, and muscle will be studied before and after each workout. Scientists will look for clues to how the body changes with physical activity. A group that doesn't exercise will also be tracked. Experts will compare the two groups. Studies show that many positive changes happen in the body during and after a workout.

One of the best pieces of news is that much of what we already do counts as physical activity. “Sweeping the floor, watering the plants, washing the car—all that is exercise,” says Jack Berryman. He is a retired professor of medical history at Washington University School of Medicine, in Seattle. “Physical activity includes all movement, not just throwing a ball through a basket.”

Bamman hopes the NIH study will help doctors give each of their patients a detailed workout plan. In the meantime, here is a prescription (处方) for good health: Get active!

10 . The gym has never been the sort of place I like to be. 1 don't have fond feelings for the smell of sweaty bodies.     1     I have long been troubled by arthritis(关节炎).

A few months ago, I had a medical examination. As suspected: 20 pounds overweight and high blood pressure. The prescription? Exercise. The thought of sweating it out in a gym only made me feel more powerless over my body. I felt bad for myself. And then I got angry -----at my condition and my laziness.    2     I decided I wanted to invest in my health. But how?

I was raised in New Jersey and spent summers "down the shore." I had always found water to be healing (治愈的).    3     I loved that feeling, so I decided the pool would be my best bet for exercise. And, not for nothing, the National Institutes of Health says water is one of the best fitness choices for folks with arthritis. So I marched over to the pool during my lunch break.

Three lanes (泳道). Twenty-five meters. Two other swimmers in the water. One was swimming so fast that I thought I accidentally joined a master’s group. The other one was swimming along, carrying tiny water weights. And then there was me. I jumped in and swam a lap.    4     I sucked it up, and did another. Sure, it was hard, but I wasn’t tied to a machine. I was just moving through the water with ease. I fell in love with the water.

I will likely never be the fastest person in the pool.    5     With each swim, I get stronger, more efficient, and more graceful. Exercise stopped feeling so annoying when I decided to work out for my health.