The brain is often seen as the most important organ of us humans. It controls our thoughts, emotions, memories and even our movements. However, what many people often forget is that the brain and the body are closely connected. 【小题1】

Studies have shown that regular exercise can significantly improve cognitive functions such as memory, attention and problem-solving abilities. 【小题2】 How does this happen? Well, the answer lies in the way exercise affects the brain.

Exercise increases the production of proteins that promote the growth and survival of neurons (神经元), thus ensuring better brain functions. Moreover, exercise has a positive impact on mood and mental well-being. It helps release some natural mood boosters that make us feel more positive and happy. 【小题3】

As for the exercise varieties, it’s not just about aerobic (有氧的) exercises like running or cycling. 【小题4】 It improves concentration and decision-making abilities by enhancing the connectivity between different regions of the brain.

【小题5】 Exercise isn’t just about keeping fit or losing weight; it’s about improving cognitive functions, boosting mood and even helping us think more creatively. So, the next time you feel lazy or unmotivated to exercise, remember that every step you take is one step closer to a healthier, happier and more intelligent you.

Scientific study has shown that strengthening the muscles (肌肉) we use to breathe is beneficial. A daily dose of training for the breathing muscles helps reduce high blood pressure.

To test what happens when breathing muscles are given a good workout, Daniel Craighead, a physiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder and his colleagues invited healthy volunteers aged 18 to 82 to try a daily five-minute technique using a training device (设备) called PowerBreathe. When people breathe into it, the device provides resistance, making it harder to breathe in. “We found that doing 30 breaths per day for six weeks lowers blood pressure and the reductions are about what could be expected with traditional exercise such as walking, running or cycling,” Craighead says.

“I think it’s promising.” Craighead says about the future of strength training for the breathing muscles into preventive care. It could be beneficial for people who are unable to do traditional exercise, he says, and the simplicity is appealing, too, given people can easily use the device at home.

But the technique is not intended to replace exercise, he reminds, or to replace medication for people whose blood pressure is so high that they’re at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke (中风). Instead, Craighead says, “it would be a good additional choice for people who are doing other healthy lifestyle approaches already.” This is the way Theresa D. Hernandez, 61, sees the breathing exercises. “It was a surprise that something as simple could be so effective in terms of its impact,” says Hernandez of the six weeks of breathing exercises. Her blood pressure dropped significantly so that she would not need to take medication and she says she plans to stick with it—five minutes every day.

Researchers found that those with strong, close bonds with their friends at age 15 were more likely to be healthy and happy later. Importantly, popularity—defined as lots of people liking you generally, but not closely—wasn’t found to have the same benefit as close friends. “Close friendship strength in mid-adolescence predicted relative increases in self-worth and decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms by early adulthood,” according to the authors of the study. Popularity actually had the opposite—negative—effect.

The University of Virginia researchers who ran the study followed the 169 subjects every year for a decade, which means that their data are pretty strong. The scientists weren’t relying on recollections (回忆) of the types of relationships people had years later; they got data in real time from their subjects as they grew and matured.

Each year, the subjects spoke to the researchers about their friends—who their besties (好朋友) were and what their relationships were like with other friends. Through interviews and assessments, they were asked about “anxiety, social acceptance, self-worth and symptoms of depression; teens’ close friends also reported on their friendships and were interviewed,” according to the release.

Then the researchers analyzed the 10 years of data to understand how people handle stress over time. Those who were merely popular did worse on several measures of mental health compared to people with strong high school friendships.

The study shows that being well-liked by a large group of people cannot take the place of forming deep, supportive friendships. Because these experiences stay with us, over and above what happens later. As technology makes it increasingly easy to build a social network of ordinary friends, focusing time and attention on cultivating close connections with a few individuals should be a priority.