During last year’s Spring Festival, I organized a badminton match for my large family. I came up this idea because we tended to overeating and failed to do enough exercise during this period these years. “My proposal won support from my uncles, aunts, several cousins or especially my grandparents.” When asking by my father why I chose this sport, I said almost everyone could play the badminton. The match, what lasted for the whole afternoon, ends without a winner. But after the match, we were quite “energy and relaxed.” Festivals are occasions for happy, but they can never be achieved without health.

4 . If this time last year you had told me that an exercise bike would save me, I’d have_________ you were wrong. I’d have protested that I’m not athletic at all. My coordination is lacking and my _________ is like tortoise.

In Grade 7, my physical education teacher watched me, eyebrow _________ , as I tried my best to follow the gymnastic training. “You’re doing pretty well in my class,” he said, “for someone with no _________ for sports at all.”

In high school, I wasn’t _________ for a single team. I was bookish and slow, and that_________ of being better suited to quiet reading and leisurely walks _________ with me for a long time.

I discovered jogging in my late 20s, and I enjoyed the feeling of quiet accomplishment—without the fear of _________ teammates. I tried yoga and always prioritized _________ pursuits over physical ones.

It was,__________, my gradually worsening mental condition that finally forced me to rethink about exercising. This winter, under pandemic, I found myself __________ under the weight of exhaustion. I knew __________ had to change. I needed an outlet to release the __________ of months of online conferencing and on-and-off solo parenting at home. Jogging in the morning wasn’t enough to __________ it.

I __________ an exercise bike and hoped to have positive results. Since early March, I’ve hardly __________ a day on my bike. I’m not the fastest, but I stick to it. I’m finally learning that movement isn’t __________ about athleticism. More than anything, it’s the feeling of accomplishment when you insist on something __________ outside of your comfort zone.

Athletes find glory in sports. For the rest of us, the __________ is more personal: better sleep, improved mood and boosted confidence. It was never about talent. That’s what I wish my physical education teacher had told me. If only he’d said, “You’re doing really well in my class. Look at your __________ ”

5 . Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Lose Weight

Many of us are starting (or restarting) exercise in hopes of losing unwanted pounds.     1    . But if the main idea is to lose weight, your New Year’s resolution could be very well backfire.

Sometimes exercise fails to meet our weight-loss expectations.     2    . In a study of 30 overweight people who participated in a 12-week exercise program and were interviewed afterward, this response was typical: “It was quite disappointing that I didn’t lose a single pound.”

Perhaps the biggest problem with exercising to drop pounds is that it turns physical activity into punishment—a price we have to pay for a slimmer body. How many times have you heard someone say (or said yourself) “I’ll do extra exercise” after eating too much during the holidays or at a celebratory dinner? We treat exercise as a form of self-punishment for being “bad” in the past.     3    .

The takeaway is that we see exercise positively and actually do it when we focus on our well-being rather than our weight.     4    . Others may find exercise makes them feel physically and mentally stronger. The benefits of physical activity are well beyond these aspects. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, colds, etc. It can also improve sleep, make. you energetic, and prevent aging. What’s more, exercise can prevent weight gain and improve your appearance.

    5    . It’s perhaps the most important thing you can do for your health. But to improve the chances of success, focus on how movement helps you feel better physically and emotionally—and forget about how it moves the needle on the scale.

When I was young, I was really a quietly girl without any interest in sports. Nor I know what volleyball was. However, a competitive match in the 2016 Olympic Games totally changed me. I still remember the wonderful moment where Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team defeated all the other teams and win the gold medal. Instantly, they became my heroine and I even imagined me to be one of them. Apart for playing for fun, I’ve also mastered several skills, like passing the ball and cooperate with my teammates. It’s volleyball which shows me what the courage and perseverance can achieve.

The doctor told me and my brother that we had to get more exercises.

We all tried exercising at the gym, riding bikes, and lift weights. We hate all of them. We had to find an activity what was fun, if we were going to stick to them. One day we saw a poster for dancing lessons in our community center. We decided sign up. After the first lesson we knew we had been found our exercise program. It was lots of fun. It wasn’t long before we formed the dance team, and competed against another dancers in the city.

Now we get all the exercise we need.