1 . The Netherlands is the only country in the world with more bicycles than residents. By 2022, the Netherlands has had a total of about 23 million bicycles, with an ownership rate of 1.35 bikes per person. One study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that in the Netherlands cycling prevents about 6,500 early deaths each year, and that Dutch people have 1.5 years longer life expectancy (预期寿命) due to cycling.

“The time spent cycling was about 74 minutes per week for Dutch adults aged 20 to 90 years old. The time was fairly stable over adulthood and reached its apex in the early days of retirement, in one’s 60s. The death rate reduction, which was a direct result of the average time spent cycling for a certain age group, was therefore also the highest among the seniors who just retired,” said Jeremy Smith, an expert from NIH.

What is it that makes cycling so beneficial? Obviously, cycling is a form of exercise. It is a great form of cardio (有氧的) exercise, which gets your heart pumping and helps strengthen the heart muscles. Doing cardio exercise may also help lower your blood pressure.

Furthermore, solid evidence proves the link between cycling and better thinking skills. Even younger adults claim that a bike ride helps shift their thinking to a higher level — and research backs them up. In one small study, young men are required to cycle for 30 minutes every day for 3 weeks. They also completed a series of cognitive (认知的) tests before and afterward. After cycling, they scored higher on memory, reasoning and planning, and they were able to finish the tests more rapidly than before.

Besides all the benefits mentioned above, cycling, as many Dutch put it, is a way of life. In their simplest form, bikes are tools for travelling. But they’re so much more. They are cognitive improvement, environmental protection, satisfaction and an expression of freedom. They bring people of the same passion together and connect them to a greater journey of life.

2 . Do you like to exercise?     1     Do you prefer playing a team sport, like volleyball or baseball? Or do you like to run for miles and miles all by yourself? Maybe you would rather lift weights or do push-ups or sit-ups!

You know that exercise is good for your body. It helps you grow stronger. It can also help keep your heart and other important organs in excellent shape. But can it make you smarter?

Maybe! The work you do at school every day is like exercise for your brain. Learning and thinking can help you become smarter.     2    

Some researchers point out that exercise stimulates the body’s nervous system, causing it to release chemicals that make us feel happy and calm. This helps to explain why many people feel more alive and active after exercising.     3     On the whole, you can work or study at a higher level after exercise.

Others point to studies that show that exercise can stimulate the growth of new brain cells. As your brain gets bigger, the areas in connection with memory and learning get bigger and brain function improves.

    4     Experts believe that as little as 15-30 minutes per day three times a week may be enough to improve brain performance. Thirty to sixty minutes per day four to five times a week is even better.

Exercise is good for your body in so many ways, so include as much exercise as you can into your daily or weekly routine.     5    

3 . If sticking with an exercise habit is a challenge for you, there may be an app for that. In a University of Pennsylvania trial, smartphone games helped subjects become more active.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three versions of a game that recorded how many steps they took each week. The first version placed them in direct competition with others. In the second version, they worked as a group to gain points. In the third, players earned points on their own but were asked to choose a friend or family member to be their supporter. This person received an e-mail each week reporting on the player's performance in order to help cheer her or him on.

On average, all three groups took more steps than usual. That said, certain versions of the game worked better for people with different personality traits. For instance, players who were more outgoing and more motivated to persevere with their goals tended to accumulate more steps in the competitive mode. In contrast, quiet players responded well to the game whether it was competitive, cooperative, or supportive. A third type, made up of those who were prone to take risks with their health and safety (by not wearing a seat belt, for example), was not helped by the game at all.

So though not all of us benefit, exercise gamification can work—and work especially well when you keep your personality in mind as you choose from among the many available apps.