1 . If you want to stay in shape, but don’t have the time to go to the gym, the Mobile Gym is a good solution. It’s basically a large bus filled with the latest fitness equipment. You can find everything you need for a complete workout, and here’s the best part — you don’t need to go to the gym, and the gym comes to you!

The Mobile Gym was the idea of Adam Zickerman, founder of Inform Fitness, a popular chain of gyms across the United States. It hit him when he ordered lunch from a food truck one afternoon. So why not put a gym on a truck?

Zickerman experimented with a few designs and then invested $60,000 on making adaptations and fixing machines. He didn’t really need an advertising budget as the bus advertised itself. Carole Pallmeyer, for instance, found herself driving behind the Mobile Gym one day. At first she thought it was a regular bus with ads for a gym. But then she realized the bus itself was a gym, so she booked workout sessions for her entire family. “We are all busy, but we know the bus is coming and make sure we are home at 4:30 for the workouts,” she said. “You forget you’re on a bus because the workouts are tightly scheduled.”

Unfortunately, it is illegal to use the fitness equipment while the bus is moving, so you don’t get to save time by working out during the rush time. It operates only once a week, only two clients (客户) can be accommodated at a time on the bus. And it doesn’t come cheap. Sessions start at $100, while in-house workouts are $65. But the Mobile Gym appears to be a big hit.

“There are so many benefits to having the Mobile Gym come to you,” Zickerman said. “Only five to seven exercises complete a total-body workout when performed using our special equipment.” He also added that a 20-minute workout might sound easy, but it is really difficult and provides instant results. “It is very challenging and clients understand quickly why rest is important between workouts ”

4 . People who play games —such as cards and board games —are more likely to staymentally sharp in later life, a study suggests. Those who regularly played non-digital gamesscored better on memory and thinking tests in their 70s, the research found.

Psychologists at the University of Edinburgh tested more than 1,000 people aged 70 formemory, problem-solving, thinking speed and general thinking ability. The participants thenrepeated the same thinking tests every three years until aged 79. The group were also askedhow often they played games like cards, chess or crosswords —at ages 70 and 76. Researchers used statistical models to analyse the relationship between a person’s level ofgame playing and their thinking skills. The team took into account the results of anintelligence test that the participants sat when they were 11 years old. They also consideredlifestyle factors,such as education, socio-economic status and activity levels.

People who increased game playing in later years were found to have experienced lessdecline in thinking skills in their seventies —particularly in memory function and thinking speed. Researchers say the findings help to better understand what kinds of lifestyles and behaviors might be associated with better outcomes for cognitive(认知的)health in later life.

The study may also help people make decisions about how best to protect their thinkingskills as they age. Dr Drew, a psychologist in Edinburgh, said: “These latest findings add toevidence that being more engaged in activities during the life course might be associated with better thinking skills in later life. For those in their 70s or beyond, another message seems to bethat playing non-digital games may be a positive behavior in terms of reducing cognitivedecline.”

The connection between playing board games and other non-digital games later in lifeand sharper thinking and memory skills adds to what we know about steps we can take to protect our cognitive health, including not drinking extra alcohol, being active and eating ahealthy diet.

Researchers have found that tai chi could slow down Parkinson’s disease by years. Tai chi, with its slow movements,     1     (know) to benefit physical and mental well-being. The researchers     2     (conduct) a five-year study on people with Parkinson’s. They discovered that the condition became worse     3     a slower speed in those who practiced tai chi. They observed fewer falls, and     4     (little) dizziness (头晕) and back pain in the tai chi practitioners. They also noted that the cognitive function of the test participants who     5     (regular) practiced tai chi became worse more slowly.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder     6     (affect) the nerves and muscles. It steadily causes uncontrollable movements,     7     symptoms (症状) include shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance. People with Parkinson’s may have difficulties walking and talking. One of the most famous people with Parkinson’s was Muhammad Ali,     8     heavyweight boxing champion. The researchers suggest that tai chi is one of the most helpful ways     9     (keep) symptoms of Parkinson’s at bay. They said: “The long-term     10     (benefit) effect of tai chi on Parkinson’s could extend the time without disability, leading to a higher quality of life, a lower burden for caregivers and a reduction in drug use.”

10 . One of the first things that Harvard University professor Daniel E.Lieberman points out in his new book Exercised is the double meaning of the word. Not only does it mean voluntary physical activity,but as an adjective,exercised suggests being worried, anxious or tired.And there lies the problem with exercise. Most of us just don't like doing it.

Lieberman pursues a double course in"Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do ls Healthy and Rewarding'". The professor presents an in-depth look at how humans evolved from hunter-gatherers who didn't have to think twice about getting enough exercise, to those of us who have to push ourselves away from our couches and devices. The parts of the book devoted to biology and evolution can be a bit hard to understand, although Lieberman often introduces them nicely with anecdotes.

Throughout his book, Lieberman discusses the origins of exercise, a modern pursuit.In the 1700s, Samuel Johnson didn't consider the words"play"and"exercise"worthy to be included in his dictionary. Although children have always played and sports have been a "human universal,exercise outside the context of sports was extremely rare until relatively recently, Lieberman writes. He also considers various contemporary forms of exercise and their benefits: running (which he does), walking, dancing, weight training, games and even cage fighting. He drops in on a Swedish company in Stockholm whose CEO requires a weekly "sports hour"to be participated in by all employees.

However, Lieberman's primary viewpoint- that exercise is indeed good for you-comes with an important warning.It must be enjoyable.The paradox（矛盾的情况），he writes，"is that our bodies never evolved to function optimally（最佳地）without lifelong physical activity but our minds never evolved to get us moving unless it is necessary, pleasurable or rewarding.

Exercise,he writes should be social."None of us is an island when it comes to health. Our well-being is interconnected. Some is better than none.Keep it up as you age."