Tai chi is a Chinese martial art often practised with the purpose of 【小题1】 (improve) health. The practice forms of tai chi are well known for relaxing, circular movements that work in harmony with breath regulation (调节). It can not only keep your mind calm 【小题2】 also make your body strong. As you focus on your breathing and movements, your mind can clear itself of its worries, 【小题3】 does your whole body good,

【小题4】 (influence) by Taoist and Confucian thoughts, and the ideas of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice has developed into several styles, 【小题5】 (usual) named after a master, such as Chen-style and Yang-style.

Chen Bin, one of the 【小题6】 (master) of the Chen-style tai chi, has been practising the martial art since he 【小题7】 (be) six years old. More than two decades of practice has made him a master. “One’s understanding of tai chi can develop when the practice continues. As one’s experience grows, it becomes much 【小题8】 (easy) to understand its cultural meaning,” Chen Bing explains.

Tai chi has taught Chen Bing 【小题9】 (stay) calm during life’s ups and downs, and to learn about the world with 【小题10】 open mind. Moreover, the martial art encourages using gentleness to get over toughness, and making use of weakness to win strength through one’s self-awareness, which shows the wisdom of Taoism.

Number of Steps a Day It Takes to Cut Risk of Early Death

New research suggests exactly how many steps you need to take each day to reduce the risk of heart disease and early death. If you 【小题1】 (fail) in your pursuit of walking 10,000 steps a day — researchers have some good news for you.

They found walking up to 10,000 steps a day reduces these risks. The lowest risk of early death was 【小题2】 people who took 9,000 to 10,500 steps a day. When it came to avoiding heart attack, people 【小题3】 (manage) around 9,700 steps a day had the lowest risks.

Experts have previously found people who spend a lot of time sitting while awake are more likely 【小题4】 (suffer) an early death and develop heart disease. It has been unclear 【小题5】 walking can balance out the effects of sitting down for most of the day — until now.

A study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analysed data from 72,174 people 【小题6】 (age) around 61 from UK. Participants wore a device for seven days to measure their exercise levels. After a seven-year follow-up, 1,633 deaths and 6,190 cardiovascular (心脏血管的) events, such as heart attack, were recorded. The results showed any amount of daily steps above 2,200 a day were linked to lower death and heart disease —【小题7】 the rest of the day was spent being inactive.

Julie Ward, a senior nurse in the U.K., said, “We encourage people to stay active for 【小题8】 heart and circulatory health by doing 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. “This can be any activity 【小题9】 fits into your lifestyle, such as taking regular walking breaks away from your computer screen, going to the gym, enjoying exercise classes, or even getting off the bus one stop 【小题10】 (early) to get more steps in.”

In time, I began to look into the ancient Chinese culture behind tai chi. I discovered that tai chi 【小题1】(root) in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, which are believed to form the unity of opposites. Neither can exist 【小题2】(depend) of the other; for example, there is no shadow without light. The practice of tai chi aims 【小题3】(maintain) the balance of yin and yang in the body through opposite movements: forwards and backwards, up and down, left and right, breathing in and breathing out.【小题4】(eventual), tai chi brings about a state of physical balance and mental peace.