2 . If someone says you are too old to learn to swim, ignore them. Remind them of then 75-year-old Rosemary Caruana, the grandmother who knows you’re never too old to learn to swim. She thought she was unable to swim at all. More than that, she had a strong dislike for the water. But despite this, she found herself in her swimming costume at her local pool.

Caruana took her grandson swimming and was watching her grandson in the pool. She decided she needed lessons. So after her grandson’s lesson she approached the swimming teacher and asked whether or not she would be able to take some swimming lessons. The teacher told Rosemary that you’re never too old to learn to swim and said she’d be happy to teach her.

“I watched my youngest grandson swimming and thought, this is ridiculous...you’re 75-year-old, he’s swimming, you’re not-and you live on an island. So I asked his teacher if she would teach me and she said yes.”

Over the next 12 months, Caruana attended each session to build up her swimming ability. She had a goal, which was to swim a length of the pool. She did it. She still takes part in her swimming lessons each week, and now looks forward to each session rather than panicking as she had in the early months.

“Now, 12 months later, I absolutely love it. And I can now do four lengths of the main pool which is 25 meters, two on my front and two on my back. I do still need my wonderful instructor Sally beside me, though. I am not quite confident enough to go it alone.”

You are never too old to learn: inspired?

You are never too old to learn to swim, said Rosemary. If you are a grandmother inspired by Rosemary to learn to swim, then use our Poolfinder widget to track down your nearest pool below.

4 . How to Be a Good Athlete

Being a good athlete is about much more than just being great at a sport. The following will do you a favor.

Work with a coach.     1    . Besides, they can stay focused on achieving them, and find ways to help your improve if you fall short. There are a variety of coaches that can work with conditioning, technique, and skill level.

Create an individual program. In order to improve your athleticism, you should focus on improving your particular weaknesses.     2    , but you’ll also want to make sure you set aside time to improve your skills. Mixing up your routine is also a good way to improve your overall performance and decrease the risk of injury.

Show up on time.     3    , whether by yourself or with a team, your coach or trainer has a time set aside to work with you. Maximize your time by making sure you are there when it is time to begin. That usually means that if your practice starts at a certain time, say 9:00 am, you should be dressed and ready to go then, not just arriving.

    4    . It can be easy to let your mind wander when you are doing drills and exercises. It is important, though, that you stay focused on what you are doing.

Cool down after exercising. Once you have finished a workout or practice session, take some time to give your body a physical cool-down period. Some low-intensity (低强度) movements and stretches are good to help restore your muscles.     5    .

Every morning, millions of people in China do Tai Chi. It is popular    1    women and men. Tai Chi is    2     good kind of exercise for old people. It is good for the body and the mind. It is healthy and    3     (relax). Tai Chi    4    ( arise) from China. It is    5     (hundred) of years old. Tai Chi is a “soft” martial art (武术),    6     means it is slow and calm.

There are also “hard” martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu, for example, which has a history of over 1, 500 years, is a “hard” martial art. It is fast and    7    (danger). You have to be very fit and strong    8    (do) “hard” martial arts.

In Beijing, Master Li Yu    9     (teach) Shaolin Kung Fu to thirty young students now, three of whom come from abroad. “Shaolin Kung Fu is    10     (extraordinary) difficult,” said Li Yu. “You must practise every move many times. ”

Sports like football and basketball are also popular in China. But martial arts like Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu are part of Chinese culture and history.

8 . For decades, different variations of home workouts are regarded as the solution to busy lifestyles. In 1982, there was actress Jane Fonda’s popular VHS aerobic (有氧的) routines, the fitness expert Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo workouts in the 1990s, backbreaking P90X training that took off and more casual Nintendo Wii Fit routines of the same age.

More recently, design and advancements in technology have offered expanded and personalized training options, while reducing the large footprint of most home gyms. In 2018, former ballet dancer Brynn Putnam released Mirror, a fitness system that allows users to follow along with virtual personal trainers in classes including yoga (瑜伽).

That same year, entrepreneur Aly Orady launched Tonal, an AI-powered wall-mounted screen that focuses more on strength training. It features an exercise bench and resistance system that uses electromagnetism (电磁) to imitate weight machines. This month, entrepreneur Trent Ward and designer Yves Behar are uncovering their design for a mirror fitness system, Forme. Forme is reflective like Putnam’s design, uses machine learning to improve workouts like Tonal, and offers attachments including ankle belts, rope handles and a heart rate monitor. When not in use, the two arms that form the resistance system fold behind it and the display screen disappears, turning Forme into a simple full-length mirror.

Interest in home exercise has particularly spiked in recent weeks around the world as physical gyms have temporarily closed. Home workout apps have seen a significant increase in downloads, and trendy brands like Peloton have rolled out free virtual workouts for everyone stuck indoors. One French athlete who was kept away from others chose to run an entire marathon on his 23-foot balcony.

But beyond the new restrictions affecting daily workout routines, Ward and Behar are tapping into the same concerns that have made every home workout appealing: the ability to save time and sweat in the privacy of one’s home. In an age of personal metrics (衡量标准)—where one can measure their heart rate and sleep cycles with smart watches and train for marathons with AI smart sneakers — Ward and Behar want to improve exercise through machine learning. Forme evaluates performance and adjusts weights accordingly.

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is celebrated every last Saturday of April each year. This day aims to promote Tai Chi and Qigong. Tai Chi is a Chinese Martial Art practice of defense and training and     1    (have) health benefits. On the other hand, Qigong is a system of coordinated (协调的) body posture,     2    (move), breathing, and meditation (冥想) used for the purposes of martial arts training, spirituality, and health.

The first celebration of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day was held in Kansas, City Missouri in 1998. The first mass Tai Chi exhibition     3    (organize) by the Kansas City Tai Chi Club. News about this event soon exploded until World Tai Chi and Qigong Day became a national and an international observance.

The main reason why you should celebrate this day is that you will be able to experience both Tai Chi     4     Qigong, which are both good activities to do for your body.     5    (Practice) martial arts will yet be another exercise     6     you to keep good physical health. On the other hand, the meditation aspects of these activities will also improve     7    (you) mental health.

During World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, people conduct     8    (difference) activities that let them do both of these activities for the day. For one, people join mass Tai Chi exhibitions held. Those     9     are not familiar with these activities can join the classes intended for them     10    (learn). People also shout out on social media how they are celebrating this day.