Amid the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, more and more Chinese have realized the importance of health and     1     (start) exercising at home because of the control and prevention policy that hinders them     2     going out sometimes.

In addition to such fitness games, they are also choosing to follow the guidance of online exercise short videos or livestreams. A few are seniors,     3     (inspire) by their families.

According to China Insights Consultancy, the number of people who exercised in China was about 300 million last year, and     4     (expect) to rise to 420 million by 2026. It’s expected that     5     value of China’s online fitness market will rise from 370.1 billion yuan ($56.44 billion) last year to 895.8 billion yuan in 2026.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic started in 2020, many people have formed the habit of     6     (take) exercise at home every day via livestreamed fitness classes.

Workouts at home are the     7     (good) option because the commute from home to the gym is time-consuming, and people prefer to exercise in a more private place.

“There is     8     better than doing a workout there when I finish my daily work. I feel unwell if I don’t exercise for one day,” said a woman,     9     runs an online store and works from home.

Fitness app Keep offers those with paid memberships livestreamed exercise classes. While watching such livestreams, users can post “bullet screens”－real-time comments that appear on the screen－    10     (cheer) on each other and ask questions, which the coach answers to ease any doubts.

2 . If you’re looking for a way to reduce stress, consider Tai Chi. Originally developed for self-defense, Tai Chi has become a beautiful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions.     1    .

What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi has an ancient Chinese tradition, which involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing. Tai Chi is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. It is actually quite taxing on the body, though. Each action flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.     2    . Some styles may focus on keeping health, while others focus on its art aspect.

Who can do Tai Chi?

    3    . In fact, because Tai Chi is a low impact exercise, it may be especially suitable if you’re an older adult who otherwise may not exercise. You may also find it appealing because it’s inexpensive and requires no special equipment. You can do it anywhere, indoors or outside.     4    . Although Tai Chi is generally safe, women who are pregnant or people with joint problems, back pain, and fractures should ask their doctors for advice before trying it.

    5    

When learned correctly and performed regularly, Tai Chi can be a positive part of an overall approach to improving your health.

3 . With bright lights on the floor and walls, loud electronic music, and a red shuttlecock flying around, this Malaysian badminton court seems like the set of a science fiction movie. “Shuttle In The Dark” is a place to play badminton in the famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. It was set up in late 2021 by a company that wanted people to take up the sport after two years of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Badminton is one of the most popular sports in Malaysia and Asia. The Southeast Asian country has produced some of the world’s top-ranked players. Irina Inozemtseva is Director of Inic Sport Management. She said the goal was to “gain back the interest of people to come back and play.” She added that the group wanted to draw in not only expert players but also “new people who were not able to or never played badminton before.” The futuristic court presents a new difficulty for players. They have to adjust their eyes to the darkness to play, said Lee Yan Sheng, a professional badminton coach.

Professional player Ho Yen Mei used the term focus — meaning to carefully direct attention — to describe the requirements of playing on the court. “With the lighting, somehow we are still able to hit it and then it requires better focus. And it’s exciting, it’s different but it's still like playing normal badminton,” she said. Open to players of all levels, Shuttle in the Dark charges $42.63 per hour to use the courts and rent their equipment. A regular public court charges about $4.50.

5 . As a young boy, I loved being active. All I really wanted to do was to _______ my football shoes and play out with my friends. As I’ve got older, my love for physical activity hasn’t declined. This is why I was so _______ to be involved in the Creating Active Schools framework.

In the early stages of my time at Peel Park Primary, my two main _______ were to reform the PE course and to increase our participation in competitive sports. We achieved these _______in a short time.

Just as I’ll never love art, many of our _______ will never love football or tennis. That’s why

We therefore _______ our own school Bike Library. We have already received many rental_______. We also thought about how to arrange the school day, allowing all children to ________ our equipment freely and easily. Besides, we also have a “PA” lesson which has a total ________ choice for the children. They can ________ on the trees, go on the bikes and play games with their friends. This change from thinking has ________ participation in the “traditional PE” from pupils, who typically didn’t love sports. A win, win!

Now I’m looking forward to our next ________ on this journey to improving pupils’ lives. The ________ of this project as it expands, is huge.

7 . We’ve all heard the saying“Life slows down the older you get,” but that's certainly not true for Joan MacDonald.

The 75-year-old fitness influencer has accumulated an incredible following on social media, in part because she's chosen to actively reject the idea that aging robs you of your energy, focus and drive. In fact, MacDonald looks at movement as a “gift, ” and whether you're hitting the gym five days a week, or just beginning your fitness journey 一 it's never too late to take advantage of what your body was meant to do. Get moving.

“Just start with what you can, ” MacDonald tells Guideposts, org when asked what her best piece of advice would be for seniors looking to get active again.“If you can only walk three blocks, start there. Over time aim to add another block.”

And just because you' re starting small, it doesn’t' t mean that a short bike ride or quick stretch session isn't having an impact. The recommended amount of cardio （有氧运动）each day for most adults is 30 minutes, although even short bursts of movement can have a huge impact on decreasing the risk of being overweight, heart problems and other conditions.

The key is consistency. MacDonald knows that the road to healthy isn't easy and sometimes, the struggle can seem impossible to overcome. She had to battle against years of bad habits and recondition her body to push against her imagined limits. She tries to keep her social media channels focused on the positive aspects of working out and eating better, always encouraging and uplifting her followers, and never judging their difficulties 一 or her own. It's that attitude that she says is key to staying active.

“Focus on what is going right and well,” MacDonald says. “For me, I started my whole transformation because I wanted to feel better. I wanted energy to live my life! Now having my health, strength, and endurance is what keeps me committed.”