A recent study conducted by Gavin Sandercock at the University of Essex in the UK and his colleagues shows just one in 20 people aged 18 to 64 in England are meeting England’s strictest weekly strength training guidelines. Strength training is defined as any activities that strengthens muscles or bone, says Sandercock. This can include lifting weights, body weight exercises and fitness plans.

The teams looked at survey data from over 275,000 adults in this age group. Between 2015 and 2017, these people were asked to estimate how much time they spend doing physical activity each week. They wanted to find out what proportion of these adults in England met the UK’s weekly health guidelines, which recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.

The researchers found that on average just 5 percent of these adults in England met the full recommendation, including strength training. They also found that men were more likely to meet all the guidelines as well as younger age groups. “But the strongest effect that we found when we looked at the variables was education,” Sandercock says.

“There are two main reasons why this could be the case,” Sandercock says. “ People who are more educated may be more likely to know what the UK’s recommended health advice is. On the other hand, it could be that strength training——especially lifting weights——often requires access to a gym which costs money. Higher levels of education have been linked to greater wealth,” he says.

“To encourage greater participation in strength training, I believe we need to raise awareness about its multiple benefits. And we need to stress that strength training is relevant to health and fitness across all age groups and not just for young males. Anyway, there’s still a long way to go.” says Anne Tidedmann at the University of Sydney.

Throughout history, humans have played some kind of kicking game. What the world now calls football, or soccer in the US, began as far back as 2500 B. C. with the Chinese game of tsu chu. The sport we know today originated in Britain. By the 1840s, England’s Football Association established a set of rules, and the modern game was born. Today, more than 120 million players all over the globe participate in the game, truly making soccer the world’s sport.

So, why is soccer so popular? Maybe it’s the game’s camaraderie: the feeling that the team on the field is your team; their win is your victory, and their loss is your defeat. Or maybe it’s the game’s international quality. In countries like France, England, Spain, and Brazil, major teams have players from many different nations, and these clubs now have fans all over the world. Or perhaps it’s the promise of great wealth. A number of professional soccer players, including Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, come from poor families. Today, both of these players make millions of euros every year.

Soccer is popular for all of these reasons, but ultimately, the main reason for its universal appeal may be this: It’s a simple game. It can be played anywhere with anything—a ball, a can, or even some bags tied together. And anyone can play it. “You don’t need to be rich...to play soccer, ” says historian Peter Alegi. “Your just need a flat space and a ball.

But joining a professional team and making a lot of money isn’t the main reason that soccer is so popular all over Africa, say Abubakari Abdul-Ganiyu, a teacher who works with youth clubs in Tamale, Ghana. “Soccer is the passion of everyone here,” he says, “It unifies us. “ In fact, more than once, the game has helped to bring people together. In Ivory Coast, for example, immigrants and Muslims faced discrimination for years. Yet many of the country’s best soccer players are from Muslim and immigrant families. As a result, the national team has become a symbol of unity and has helped to promote peace throughout the world.

Many campuses have intramural (校内的) sports teams — teams that aren’t as competitive as other sports teams on campus.【小题1】But you can benefit greatly by taking part in intramural sports.

You’ll have no shortage of stress in college: exams, group projects, computer problems, etc. 【小题2】 Intramural competitions have a set schedule, so you’re practically forced to set aside time to run around with your friends. A little friendly competition will be a nice change of pace from the classroom.

【小题3】

While most students would like to go to the gym regularly, few actually do. With a predetermined time already in your schedule, your workout is more likely to happen. In addition, you’ll be more excited when you work out in a team. Thus you won’t want to cut the gym session short. Team sports are a great way to push you.

You may be getting used to seeing people of the same major. Intramural sports teams can be a great way to meet students you may not otherwise run into. In fact, you don’t necessarily need to know anyone to join an intramural team. 【小题4】

Many things you do in college have specific goals and purposes. 【小题5】 But you don’t need to assign a purpose to intramural sports. After all, you’re not making a profession out of it.