4 . Most of us already know exercise can do wonders for our physical and emotional health, and reduce the risk of getting a number of diseases. But new research shows that exercising holds even more heart health benefits for people who suffer from anxiety or depression.

Researchers analyzed more than 50,000 patients in the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank database. Just over 4, 000 of the patients analyzed had suffered a major cardiovascular (心血管的) event, like a heart attack. In conducting the study, researchers compared the rates of major coronary (冠状动脉的) events among patients who reported that they exercised at least 500 metabolic equivalent (代谢当量) minutes per week with those who exercised less.

According to the research, people who completed the recommended amount of physical activity per week (150 minutes) were 17 percent less likely to suffer a major cardiovascular event than those who exercised less. Out of the people who achieved the recommended amount of 150 minutes per week, those with anxiety or depression had a 22 percent risk reduction, compared with a 10 percent risk decrease in those without either condition.

Michael Emery, who is the co-director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, explains the reason physical activity is so beneficial. “Exercise is medicine both physically and psychologically, and these factors interact. As a result, when you are more physically healthy, your psychological state is stronger, and when you are mentally more healthy, your physical state is improved,” he says. “This latter connection is both direct, the connection between hormonal stress levels and the physical state; and indirect, better healthy habits such as eating.”

Emery stresses how being physically active is important, even if you don’t reach the target of 150 minutes’ exercise of medium intensity level each week. He says taking the stairs, walking an extra bit from the car, or developing a community to help support your physical fitness needs is a great start.

9 . For those who can stomach it, working out before breakfast may be more beneficial for health than eating first, according to a study of meal timing and physical activity.

10 . Back in January, I was determined to get fit seriously.     1     But then just as I was close to giving up again, I discovered a brilliant new way to make exercise better: by turning it into a video-game.

Zwift is essentially a cycling game that you control by riding your real bike, which is equipped with a device called a turbo-trainer. This makes it like an exercise bike. As you ride, the trainer sends signals to your computer or tablet to control the character on screen.     2     For example, as you’re cycling up a hill in the game, you can actually feel the different levels of resistance on the bike.

After signing up for a £12/month subscription, you can participate in virtual cycle rides in 3D-recreations of real places, like London or in fantastical fictional locations invented by the game designers.     3     As you cycle along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, other real human cyclists appear alongside you, sharing the journey. Though it is obviously only a game, just seeing the character move is surprisingly motivating.

    4     Go a little faster and you’ll be rewarded with a little achievement marker. If you ride harder, you might win a race against another real player and unlock a new item in a regular video game, which can never be matched by a traditional exercise bike.

I’m not the only person who has noticed this.     5     Today there are many other companies chasing the same audience, and they all offer their own unique twists on the formula.