2 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.

For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.

Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”

Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.

3 . At 81 years old, Jeanne Daprano is still pushing her body to the limit. She’s still running competitive races, breaking world records and taking on new challenges.“The thing I’m learning about aging is that it’s inevitable,” Daprano said.“I’m not going to escape it. There are two ways to go:You can either press on or give up.”

Daprano grew up in Iowa. Then, she moved to California. As a primary school teacher, she began running in order to keep up with her student.“I was known as a running teacher,” she said.“I had my students do fitness before we studied in the morning and then throughout the day.”Then she began running competitively with 5K and 10K road races before moving to the track. She is now the world record holder in the women’s 75-year-old age group 400 meters and 800 meters. “When I get to the final fi nish line, I want this body to be worn out. I’m not doing this to live to be 100. I’m doing this to be the best I can be today.”

After moving to Atlanta about a decade ago, Daprano met fitness trainer David Buer. Ever since, she’s been coming to his gym, where he tailors workouts for Daprano’s specifc needs.“When she came to me, she was pushing 70 years old,”Buer said.“I’ve worked with other individuals of Jeanne’s age, but she came to me with different goals. She had a unique drive and passion—not just a passion for fitness or athletics but for life in general.”

Last February, Daprano took on a new challenge: her first indoor rowing competition. In classic fashion, she broke the world record in the 80-to-84 age group, rowing 2,000 meters in 9:23:7. For those hoping to either start getting in shape or stay in shape for a long time, she offers this advice: Listen to your body. What are you passionate about? How are you going to keep physically fit and mentally fit? Start where you are. Don’t look ahead or compare yourself to somebody else.

5 . Running on the beach is completely different from running on the pavement, a track or trails with soft surfaces.

For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven(不平的) surface and constantly moves under your feet. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves, so you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or pavement! But this unevenness has an upside: it gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise the muscles that don’t get as much use as runs on firm surfaces.

You also might feel painful afterward because beaches tend to slope(倾斜) downward, toward the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body including your ankle, leg or knee might feel more painful because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.

Some beach runners tend to run barefoot. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and run short distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet.

Despite these challenges, running on sand can be a smart choice for athletes because running on it can decrease the bad influence on your body during high-intensity workouts. This could potentially lead to less muscle damage and less pain. Women had less myoglobin (肌红蛋白), which can cause muscle pain, in their blood after running on the sand than they did after running on grass. This suggests running on softer ground surfaces, such as sand, may reduce muscle damage.

Square dancing is a well-known recreational group activity in China. It     1     (start) to gain popularity in the mid-1990s when groups gathered at squares, parks, and other open spaces     2     (dance) in the mornings and evenings. Most of these     3     (individual) are senior citizens in search of new friends and activities to keep themselves     4     (occupy). It’s about more than just dancing; it’s a way about meeting new friends and sharing their life stories,     5     benefits them both mentally and physically.

Ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, when authorities launched the     6     (promote) of national fitness activities, square dancing became     7     (popular) than before. According to official statistics, there are presently over 120 million Chinese who regularly take part in this activity across the nation’s squares. And most participants are content     8     their current living conditions.

    9    , loud music played during square dancing was considered as terrible noises. In recent years, national standards and regulations     10     (introduce) to make the exercising more public-friendly and further ensure its sound development.