1 . As the parent of two teenagers who have played multiple sports over the years, I’ve seen the good, the bad, the ugly and the absolutely cruel.

However, when I think about the value of sports and why my kids continue to play sports, I find that playing sports can help kids become successful adults. Through sports, kids learn how to work in teams, how to challenge themselves to be better, and how to behave when they lose and when they win. Whether kids play soccer, baseball, or football, they learn they are part of a team where one person depends on another.

When my son plays baseball, he’s not the only one who needs to play well; he depends on his defense to make the plays on the field. When my daughter plays tennis, she depends on her partner to cut off the ball at the net and win the point, and the tennis team depends on each person in order to win the overall match and become the champion. Sports also teach children to trust and respect the decisions of someone who understands how the entire team needs to work in order to succeed.

Sadly, though, youth sports have suffered from the “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” attitude. They have become too much of a reflection of professional sports. Winning is a happy result, but the lessons from losing are even more important. When my daughter loses the tennis match, her coach reminds her that she shouldn’t lose heart and that she should learn more from losing than from winning. Losing makes you focus on improving your skills and your strategy. We’re going to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.

I believe that participating in youth sports is much more than building a sound body. Sports are the best way to shape and build more self-motivated and happier children and help them become more self-motivated and happier adults.

2 . The most important in the world for us is our health. If people took away our money, houses, cars, or even our clothes, we could still survive.     1     Then how can we keep healthy?

First of all, we should eat healthily. I usually avoid eating food high in fat, like French fries or cookies, which are junk food.     2     I only eat little meat.     3     It helps us build a strong body. Regular exercise is an important part of keeping me healthy. In addition, I think friends are an important part of one’s health.     4     I always feel better when I am with friends than when I am alone. When I am with my friends, I always laugh. Laughing is also an important part of health. It is good to stay with my friends.

By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at a proper weight and keep healthy. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy. These things sound easy to do, but not many people can manage them.     5    

3 . Try This at Home!

Are you looking for new pastime that will create a balance between physical activities and relaxation? Then yoga may be the perfect choice for you. Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.     1     It’s a great way to strengthen your muscles and make them more flexible.

In the 1930s, Indian Sri T. Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois developed one of the most popular forms of yoga practiced worldwide today. They worked together using an ancient Sanskrit text called Yoga Korunta to create a set routine of yoga movements and breathing exercises.     2    

Ashtanga is different from other forms of yoga. It is a very powerful form of aerobic(有氧的) exercise which creates deep heat in the body.     3     In other forms of yoga, however, the routine can change each time and the stretching exercises aren’t aerobic.

    4     As well as making you stronger and more flexible, it can also help you to stay calm. By focusing on your breathing while doing physical exercise, you are able to get balance between mind and body. In addition, yoga helps to make us healthier so we are less likely to get common illnesses like colds.

Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you’re doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements.     5     After few lessons you’ll stop looking at what others around you are doing. You will stop comparing yourself with others and start focusing on yourself.

4 . Benefits of Sports

Doing sports is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from studies and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven beneficial to overall well-being.

The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious. Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you’re involved.     1     Basketball players focus on strength training; football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs. The training process helps promote physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    2     Playing sports also contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, a high five from a teammate, or a handshake after a match really boosts a child’s confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise self-worth.     3     So after a game, it’s a better idea to ask “Did you enjoy the game?” rather than “Did you win?”

Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up responsibility and leadership.     4     Teamwork involves both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork breeds responsibility and challenges you to be responsible for your actions. Being part of a team gives you an opportunity to be a leader.

Discipline is another social advantage. Most organized sports require a strict training and practice schedule. As a student-athlete, you need to balance studies and athletics.     5    

There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to get involved in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

8 . We all know that exercise is good for your health, but some kinds of exercise may be better than others.

Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems. Running may also help you live longer. Researchers say it is not important how far you run. It also does not matter how fast or even how often you run. As advertisements for the running shoes Nike say, “Just do it.”

Recently, researchers studied more than 55,000 adults.About one fourth of the adults reported running regularly. The study found these runners were considerably less likely than non-runners to die of any form of disease, including heart disease. In fact, the runners usually lived three years longer than the non-runners.

This study lasted 15 years. During that time, more than 3,400 of the individuals died. About 1,200 of the deaths were linked to heart disease, a heart attack or stroke. Compared to non-runners, runners showed 30 percent lower risk of death by any causes. Also, runners compared to non-runners showed 45 percent lower risk of death by cardiovascular (心血管的) disease.

The runners in the study ran between 10 and 16 kilometers per hour. Slower runners, and those who only ran once or twice a week, were helped nearly as much as those who ran faster and further. Researchers looked at the running over time and found that persistent runners (over six years) showed the biggest benefits.

To stay healthy, doctors suggest that adults up to age 65 do 150 minutes of moderate (适度的) exercise every week. They say these individuals need 75 minutes of energetic exercise, like running, every week for good health.

9 . What an athlete eats before, during and after exercise is important for comfort and performance during exercise. While eating soon before exercise doesn’t provide what is needed for the activity, it can prevent hunger during exercise. What is needed for muscles is stored in the days before exercise. This is one reason that the post-exercise meal is very important to recovery and being ready for the next exercise.

Exercising on a full stomach is not a good idea. Food that remains in your stomach during an event may cause stomach upset. To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event.

If you have an early morning race or exercise, it’s best to get up early enough to eat your pre-exercise meal. If not, you should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20-30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid (液体) meal closer to your event than a solid (固体) meal because your stomach digests liquids faster.

Because glucose (葡萄糖) is the energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates (碳水化合物) and easy to digest. This includes foods such as fruit, bread, energy bars and drinks.

Planning is necessary if you are competing in an all-day event, such as track meets or other tournaments. You should plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks that you have tried before. Do not experiment with something new on the event day.