Scientists have found that even adding just an additional 500 steps each day brings significant health benefits in later life,     1     (cut) the risk of a stroke and heart problems.

The new study analysed health data for 452 people     2     used an accelerometer device similar to a pedometer, worn at the hip (臀部),     3     (measure) their daily step count.

    4     (compare) to adults who took fewer than 2,000 steps per-day, people who took about 4,500 were 77 per centless likely to experience a cardiovascular (心血管) event in the 3.5 years follow-up. It means that every additional 500     5     (step) lowered the risk of heart issues by 14 per cent.

“We were surprised to find that every additional quarter of a mile, or 500 steps, of walking had such a strong benefit     6     heart health,” said Dr Erin Dooley, an     7     (assist) professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health.

More up-to-date research     8     (find) that health effects can be steady after 4,500 steps, while others suggest between 6,000 and 8,000 is the sweet spot for fighting chronic illness like heart problems and cancer. “Steps are an easy way to measure physical activity, and more daily steps were associated with a     9     (low) risk of having a cardiovascular disease-related event in older adults,” added Dr Dooley, the lead author of the study. “    10    , most studies have focused on early-to-midlife adults with daily goals of 10,000 or more steps, which may not be available for older individuals.”

According to some records,Tai Chi dates back as far as 2,500 years.It’s a practice that involves a series of slow gentle physical movements,and    1    (control)breathing.It originated as     2    ancient martial art(武术)in China.Over the years,it    3    (become)more focused on health promotion and restoration. It may be     4     (benefit)in improving balance and preventing falls in older adults and people with Parkinson’s disease. A study    5    (carry) out in 2021 to evaluate a10-week Tai Chi intervention in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic as a possible way to help improve their mental and physical health. The 30 participants were between the ages of 60 and 78 and hadn’t previously practiced Tai Chi.    6    the results suggested,Tai Chi could possibly help people cope with COVID-19 and the negative effect in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.The authors explained that Tai Chi can be practiced    7    (easy) at home or in groups,    8     (make)it useful during pandemic conditions.This    9    (suggest)was not based on studies of Tai Chi during the COVID-19 pandemic but instead    10    past research about the general effects of Tai Chi.The authors said that future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of Tai Chi during the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide more valid and reliable data.

Exercise might seem like a chore sometimes,     1    (particular) when we get told so often that we should exercise more. But we need to get up and start moving. Many of us spend too much time     2     (stare) at screens. Most teen girls don't meet the standards for physical activity. Getting     3     (scold) about this, though, doesn't really help. And that's too bad, because exercise can be both fun and good for the body and the brain.

Exercise is not only good for your muscles,     4     good for your bones. Getting exercise     5     (help) teens build tough bodies. And teens who exercise more often grow up into adults with much     6     (strong) bones.

Exercise can increase how much oxygen and blood gets to the brain, and even how the brain is structured. Working     7     can produce chemicals in our bodies that might help prevent depression. And a workout after learning something can help us form and keep a great number of     8    (memory).

So maybe it's no surprise     9     so many scientists study exercise. There are some scientists, for instance, who study what makes winning runners so fast.     10    (other) study running lizards and astronauts in space to find out how to keep humans healthy both on and off planet Earth.