1 . A study has found that when people burn extra calories by working out, the body starts to compensate by reducing the amount of energy spent on functions to stay alive, such as sleeping or digestion. About a quarter of the calories burnt during a workout are then budgeted for later on, meaning that overall the total number of calories burnt is less than expected. For overweight people, it is estimated that about half of calories burnt during periods of higher activity were later compensated for.

Researchers at the University of Roehampton found that the calories the body burns to keep ticking over decrease by 28 per cent during periods when daily exercise levels are consistently high. This means the more we exercise over the long-term, the less calories our bodies bum for the most rudimentary activities. The results show that only 54 per cent of the calories used by exercise or activity among people who have the highest body mass actually translated into calories burnt at the end of the day, due to their bodies reducing the energy spent on the most basic of functions. In contrast,70 percent of calories burnt during activity by those with the lowest body mass translated into more calories burnt at the end of the day.

Professor Lewis Halsey, of the department of life sciences, said: “Around the world, national guidelines tend to recommend a 500—600 calorie deficit through exercising and dieting to lose weight. However, they do not take into account the reduction of calories being burnt in the most basic of human functions as the body compensates for the calories burnt on the exercise as shown in our research, and the variation in this compensation between people with different levels of body fat.”

In this study they found no differences between men and women in the energy lost during activity. But since the research shows overweight people who exercise burn significantly fewer calories on day-to-day functions, there is a need for greater personalisation of exercise plans depending upon body mass.

2 . What is the best sport for your body type?

Just because someone has dreamt of playing football from childhood does not mean it is the best sport for him or her. Finding the sport your body is best suited to can make a big difference to how much you enjoy it and how good at it you are.

A person with an ectomorph body type is tall and slim with little fat or muscle. This person has narrow shoulders and hips, and thin arms and legs. Ectomorphs have difficulty putting on weight because of a fast metabolism (新陈代谢).     1     . What suits ectomorphs is endurance sports. Marathon running, swimming, and football are excellent choices for them.     2     , basketball may also be a great option.

Mesomorph body types are the typical image of an athlete. Their arms and legs are muscular and they have broad shoulders and narrow hips. Mesomorphs can put on or lose weight easily and build muscle quickly.     3     . Possibilities range from weightlifting and boxing to cycling for shorter distances.

A person who is an endomorph naturally carries more body fat. They are often short, with a high waist, and well developed upper arms and thighs.     4     , they can be very good at power sports because of their larger mass. This body type is not suited for agility (敏捷) and speed, but strength activities like wresting or powerlifting can be a great fit.

It is important to note that the three body types are extremes. No one is 100% ectomorph or completely endomorph.     5     . Another key point is that diet and environment also contribute to athletic ability and genetics plays a large part. And the most important thing is to choose a sport you enjoy.

4 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.

Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "

For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.

A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.

These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.

"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.

7 . If you have an uphill hike, you may be worried about how your body will hold up over mile after mile. There are a few things you can do to keep the experience from being a painful one.    1    

Uphill climbing requires hard work from your hamstrings. These powerful leg muscles work overtime. And if you'll be carrying a backpack, your upper body also plays a big part.    2     Besides, you'll need arm and shoulder strength to get your pack on and off.

Depending on the length of the hike you're planning, you might increase your training.    3     If your hike will be very steep, you might add some stair sets to your workout. You can do these at home or go to a facility like a stadium that has a lot of stairs for extended climbs.

    4     If you've been jogging for twenty minutes, try alternating one day of longer jogging with a hilly hike while wearing a backpack. If you've been walking for your exercise, alternate longer walks with walks that include hills.

As with any workout program, the key is to keep at it.    5     Chances are that once you get moving, you'll be more interested in keeping on until you finish. And if you find that you don't want to do it, keep your goal in mind.

8 . Not long after the first fitness magazine was published, a list probably followed soon after, ranking the best fitness equipment. This tradition has continued, with the implied message: use this and exercise will be yours.

And that's part of the problem, says Dr. Lieberman, a professor of Harvard University. There isn't one “best” anything to achieve fitness. Besides, people understand exercise is good for them. Knowledge about exercise still doesn't motivate.

Before you can answer why, it helps to look at history. Before the Industrial Revolution, people fetched water and walked up stairs because they had to. But then technology made life and work easier. Exercise has become something that people have to carve out time for. “It's a fundamental instinct to avoid physical activity when it's neither necessary nor rewarding,” he says.

It would seem like being healthy would qualify as necessary, but a doctor's prescription to exercise “can make it like taking cod liver oil,” Lieberman says. “Sometimes it works, but more often than not, it doesn't. And it's still coming across as an order, and “not having a heart attack in five years is not an immediate reward,” says Dr. Beth Frates, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

People might not want to exercise because it's never been enjoyable. Most of us probably have memories of gym class, not being picked for a team, or being in a fitness center that's filled with in-shape people. The majority don't feel excited. They feel that exercise isn't for them, but it can be. Coaching people in an empowering and motivating way can work much better than ordering someone to exercise. It starts with an expanded definition of what counts as exercise, and an injection of what's rarely used to describe exercise, but is certainly allowed: namely, fun.

9 . As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

10 . Kite surfing is a sport that takes place on the surface of the water, on top of boards that are similar in design to wakeboards (尾波滑水板), with the surfer pulled by a kite. The popularity of kite surfing has grown, although it is rather difficult to master. Kite surfing uses the same equipment as kite boarding, but is generally given more to riding on top of waves, rather than on smaller lakes or other calm bodies of water.

Early experiments in kite transportation took place through the 19th century, and at the dawn of the 20th century Samuel Cody crossed the English Channel using kites and a small boat. Kite surfing itself, however, wasn’t really born until the late 1970s. Beginning in that decade, more people became involved in using kites for personal transport and sport. Kite technology itself advanced enormously during the 1970s, with kites becoming much more controllable.

The early kite surfing was rather accidental, but innovators continued to develop the technology to make it easier to control and safer. By the late 1990s, kite surfing was becoming popular off the coast of Maui, France and throughout the world. In 1997, a special kite system was built specifically for kite surfing, which helped kite surfing into the mainstream.

Because of the high speeds and the dangers, it is generally recommended that would-be kite surfers take at least a few basic classes to learn the fundamentals. The main attraction of kite surfing is the potential for amazing tricks. The kite allows the surfer to experience enormous jumps, flying through the air for large distances before hitting the water in a controlled fashion. Like skateboarding, kite surfing makes use of a number of board grabs, with complex tricks possible due to the long period of time the surfer can remain in the air.