2 . Perhaps your doctor has recommended you exercise more, or you’ve been out of shape recently.     1    . But how do you find the motivation, time and resources to get fit, particularly if you haven’t exercised for a while?

For some people, hearing bad news from the doctor is often enough motivation to get started.     2    .

However, finding the time and effort to fit exercise into your daily routine is challenging.     3    . And many people such as office workers, vehicle or machine operators have low activity levels at work and don’t feel like exercising after a long day.

One way to overcome these barriers (障碍) might be to attend a group exercise session or join a sports club.     4    , you can encourage a friend to join you or join an exercise group to make it enjoyable. Having a friend to exercise with or teammates to support you gives a sense of commitment so that you have to be there and will be challenged if you fail to show up.

You don’t need to go to a gym with a lot of fancy equipment.     5    . And rather than improving muscle strength with weights at the gym, you can fill milk bottles with water instead.

3 . Recently, science has been uncovering a link between walking and a lower risk of dementia (痴呆), proving that walking is even good for your brain.     1     Maybe you already love to walk, but you’re getting tired of following your same old route day after day—or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started. Either way, it’s time to embrace the idea of walking with a purpose.

To get started, sit down with a map and make a plan. Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of walking aside from the health benefits? Do you want to meet other people? See new places? Get out into the wilderness or explore a city?     2    

Making friends and socializing is your goal.     3     Ask your friends where they like to walk and go there, since this will introduce you to new places. Look up your local malls which have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall”. These groups are always happy to include one more walker!

    4     Ask about local hikes that get you out of town and into the wilderness or countryside. Folks who are touring in an RV or car can stop to ask about scenic spots that will get them off the beaten path.

Headed to a new city?     5     Many of our great historic cities offer detailed and well-planned walking tours. You can follow the famous painted red band through Boston’s historic landmarks or walk your way through the sites of Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

From the benefits, walking is just plain good for you. Pick up a map and start walking.