1 . Running and walking are both excellent forms of exercise. Those who regularly do either usually have healthier hearts, stronger bones and lower body weights than those who do little exercise. But does it matter whether you spend time walking or running? Arguments can be made for both, and which is right for you depends on your goals and your present fitness level.

“The key difference between running and walking is how many calories you are burning — not per mile, but per minute of exercise,” says Paul D. Thompson, a doctor at Hartford Hospital. “Running is a more efficient movement and it’s more demanding on the body, so it burns more calories per minute,” Thompson says. “But if you’ve got the time to walk long enough to burn the same amount of calories, then walking is fine.” That said, if your final goal is to lose weight, chances are that neither running nor walking alone is going to do the trick. Research has shown that it needs to be done along with calorie control.

In a recent study that analyzed data from nearly 50, 000 people, researchers found that runners’risk of heart disease was 4.5 percent lower than that of those who were inactive. But walkers who burned the same amount of calories daily had a risk level that was 9 percent lower than those who were inactive.

“Running gets the reputation for causing injuries because many people who are just starting to run try to do too much too quickly,” says Carol Ewing Garber, a professor at Columbia University. “And they often get injured as a result. If you want to progress from walking to running, do it slowly, gradually increasing your speed, distance and the frequency of your runs?”

Running may be more highly-intense and calorie-burning than walking, but walking is a great way to ease into exercise and make sure you are staying physically active every day. The bottom line is that getting exercise of any kind is beneficial — if you keep doing it.

“The best exercise is the one you are going to do,” Thompson says. “There are extra benefits to be gained from running, but what’s most important from a public health point of view is that everyone gets out and does some kind of exercise?”

2 . Simon James is a super-trail runner (越野跑步者) who encourages people to reconnect with nature in the name of exercise. He has completed Super Trail in the Alps, the Andes and the Himalayas. A late-night bet with a client (客户) got him tied to running.

“In 2006, a business client challenged me one evening in a bar to a 36-hour walk across 54 miles of the West Highland Way, and I foolishly said ‘yes’,” James said. “He then rang me the next day to tell me we would be running it.”

At the time, James was 20 kilograms overweight and the longest he had run before that was just under 8 miles, but he managed to finish that run and has never looked back.

According to a report, two-thirds of adults in the U. K. are overweight, one-fifth suffering from depression (抑郁). The huge influence caused by modern lifestyle has worsened these issues. We are aware of the importance of exercise in everyday life, and no amount of virtual meetings can make up for direct social contact. James said, “Only one thing can fix these problems — trail running.”

What is unique about trail running, he explained, is that “it reconnects us to our beautiful nature and connects our physical, mental and spiritual aspects, as well as providing us with an experience which can connect us to other people”.

Inspired, he quit his city life of working 16-hour-plus-days as a banker, and spent more time in trails and mountains.

James is now in charge of the trail running company Run the Wild. He said every run has been a gift following a physical operation in 2015, even though his doctor told that he could hardly run again. He said, “The outdoors is such a great place for us all to experience.”

5 . Are you looking for a fun way to improve your fitness? Look no further than tennis! This fast-paced sport offers more than just a good time on the court. Here are a few reasons why you might want to pick up a racket (球拍) and start swinging.

Become more agile (敏捷的) and flexible. Tennis, as you may know, demands quick reactions, swift changes in direction and agile movements.     1     That’s why tennis players show a greater ability for flexibility and agility compared to people who lead a less active life.

    2     Tennis is one of those sports that can get your heart pumping and blood flowing. A study performed by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that sports with rackets, like tennis, can help lower their player’s risk of heart disease.

Strengthen your mental wellness and growth mindset. Tennis training encourages discipline and requires a person to be in what is known as a growth mindset. It can help improve your psychological resilience (适应力), which is the ability to thrive when being exposed to hardship.     3    

Strengthen your overall strength. Have you ever noticed that tennis isn’t just about the arm movements?     4     The constant running, swinging and hitting the ball builds muscular strength and endurance. Because of this, tennis can make you physically as well as mentally strong.

Build social interaction. Some sports can be played or done on your own, such as swimming. Tennis is not one of them.     5     According to a report, the social interaction that happens while playing tennis with someone else is beneficial to mental wellbeing. Why? Because just being on the court with someone else can make you feel less alone.