1 . An open-air swimming pool in Bedfordshire, England, proved very popular this winter. The Woburn Lido is usually open from May to September, but this year it stayed open to swimmers throughout the autumn and winter months too.

Until the lockdown(封锁) for England was announced on 4 January, outdoor pools were allowed to remain open. “Demand has taken us by surprise.” said Murray Heining, a volunteer at the Woburn Lido. Over Christmas and New Year, in order to keep up with the demand from swimmers, the lido(露天游泳) had to offer extra slots for people to dive in.

Cold-water swimming has grown in popularity in the UK over the past few years. A survey found that 7.5 million people in England had swum in outdoor pools, as well as lakes, rivers and the sea, in 2018. In some areas, such as the river Wharfe in Yorkshire, this new trend has prompted environmental groups to ensure that the water is cleared of pollution and clean enough for bathers.

Some people make it a regular practice; others just enjoy a thrilling dip on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Every year around the UK, people are photographed jumping into icy water, often in fancy dress, and the recent festive period was no exception, despite freezing temperatures.

The Outdoor Swimming Society classifies temperatures below 6℃ as “Baltic” and from 6-11℃ as “freezing”. They advise people to get in the water gradually, so as not to shock the body. Likewise, they recommend warming up gradually, and not rushing the process by leaping into a hot bath when you get out. Instead, they suggest layering up and drinking something warm.

It wasn’t just the water that was cold—many people experienced a white Christmas; snow fell in several counties including Yorkshire and Suffolk. Paul Davies, the UK Met Office’s chief meteorologist (a scientist who studies the weather), said the forecast indicates “the likelihood of the cold conditions experienced recently continuing through January”.

3 . What to look for when finding the perfect workout partner

There are a ton of benefits to having a great workout partner that pushes you to reach your goals. But it can initially be a little difficult to find the right person to work out with.     1    

● Your best friend might not be your best partner. While you and your friend may get on well outside the gym, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make great workout partners. One of the best reasons is that there can be a level of competition, which pushes both of you to work harder.     2     It could push your friendship into some awkward places that end up hurting your relationship.

●     3     Common sense tells us that we should work out with someone who’s at a similar place in hitting the same goals! But that isn’t guaranteed to be the best matchup. In fact, you might do better partnering up with someone who’s better than you.     4     For you, working out with someone who’ s faster or stronger could add a level of competition that causes you to push your limits. For your partner, they’ll have someone who’s motivated to keep up, which is great for them, too.

● Get on the same schedule.     5     You could be perfectly in step with someone, but if you’re never able to work out together, there’s no point. That’s why it’s important to take scheduling into account right from the start.

5 . About one-third of adults globally have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke (中风). Physical activity is known to lower blood pressure. However, many people have trouble keeping to exercise plans.

Yoga tends to be more sustainable (可持续的) than other forms of exercise because it is gentle, can be done with others and helps to relax the mind. Several experiments have found that yoga lowers blood pressure. However, these experiments have typically involved several sessions a week, which may not be achievable for many people.

To find out if yoga helps to reduce blood pressure in the real world, some researchers conducted a new study and analysed the electronic health records of 1,355 people aged 18 to 79 who practised yoga at least once a week. They compared each of these people with at least three other individuals. They had similar characteristics in terms of things like age, gender, and body mass index (BMI), but had no mention of practising yoga in their records. On average, the people who practised yoga had systolic blood pressure (收缩压) that was 2.8 mmHg lower and diastolic blood pressure (舒张压) that was 1.5 mmHg lower than those who didn’t.

This blood pressure reduction probably wouldn’t make a huge difference to most people in the study, since they tended to be young and healthy. They already had normal blood pressure. But at a population level, if average blood pressure declined by this much, it would prevent a significant number of heart attacks and strokes. For example, a 2018 study found that a population-wide average systolic blood pressure reduction of 2 mmHg among middle-aged adults in the US would prevent more than 12,000 heart attacks and 7,000 strokes each year.

Based on the new study, we can’t say for sure that yoga lowers blood pressure, because there may be other explanations for the findings. People who do yoga may have lower blood pressure because they tend to have better diets, not because of the yoga itself. And yoga shouldn’t be seen as the replacement for blood pressure lowering medicines. Nevertheless, yoga is likely to assist in lowering blood pressure if it encourages sedentary (久坐的) people to exercise. “The greatest benefit is getting the exercise-shy to do something rather than increasing exercise in someone who does it regularly,” an expert says.

6 . “Age is just a number” is a saying that some people might disagree with, but for healthy and fit great-grandmother Anne Sheppard, nothing could be more true.

At 100 years old, Anne can kick, crunch and do full push-ups. And she is always exercising with other fitness fans who are almost 70 years her junior in the gym. South Melbourne-born Anne worked at the local clothing factory while her husband Max was away at work with the army. When the couple retired in 1981, they signed up to their local gym, where Anne is still a member 40 years later. “I feel stronger and fitter than before!” Anne says in an interview from her gym in Melbourne. She has just finished a rigorous training class — one of five group courses she attends throughout the week. “I just love it and I want to keep going as long as I can,” she smiles. “It’s part of my life now — my husband has passed away and now I’m on my own. The gym is my second family and I’d be lost without them.”

“Anne is a superstar —no matter where she goes, everyone is attracted to her! I know she inspires us to do whatever we set our minds to. We’re all jealous because we want to get to 100 years old and be like her,” says Jan, a friend of Anne in the gym.

Exercise has always been an important part of life for Anne. Despite going to the gym three days a week, Anne also keeps active in other ways, and regularly walks to and from the local supermarket. Life has now slowed a little bit for Anne. As for her next personal best, her goal is to keep going to the gym. That’s how Anne enjoys her life.

Recently we have had a discussion about

10 . 81-year-old Erika lives in Langenfeld, Germany, with her husband. She never used to be ________, but after her two kids grew up and left the ________, she found herself bored.

________, her daughter signed her up for a gym membership. “The first five years, I was not as ________. Then, I slowly started to do more and ________ took part in rowing competitions,” Erika said.

It has been 20 years since Erika first ________ that gym. These days, she works out twice a day. When COVID-19 began, she had to find a new way to ________ her workout desire. That's when her daughter ________ some technology-related apps to her!

She ________ participating in various workout challenges online, and it didn't take long before people ________ her. As her Internet followers grew, Erika has become a perfect ________ for the young to keep active for the benefit of their ________.

“If I can change people's stereotypes(刻板印象) about the old, it makes me very happy,” she said. Meanwhile, she often ________ younger folks through her social networks, trying hard to ________ the joy of fitness.

“I would have never ________ to get this many inspiring ________ and followers,” Erika added. “These apps have helped me to stay up-to-date with ________ and what the younger generations are ________ these days.”

Erika is showing everyone how ________ it is to grow and evolve in our lifetimes. Twenty years ago, she ________ imagined that she would be motivating people half her age on social media Now she's made it.