Benefits of Sports

Taking exercise is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from study and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven to improve general well-being.

【小题1】 Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you take part. Nearly every sport requires physical activity and the skills needed to be competitive. Basketball players focus on strength training. 【小题2】 The training process helps encourage physical fitness and performances in competitions.

【小题3】 Playing sports contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, high-five from a teammate, or handshake after a match really raises a child’s confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise the self-worth. 【小题4】 So after a game, it’s a better idea to ask “Did you enjoy the game?” rather than “Did you win?”

Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up leadership and responsibility. 【小题5】 Teamwork demands both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork will raise your responsibility and give you an opportunity to be a leader.

There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to take part in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

Humans were made for walking. With our upright posture and strong leg muscles, our bodies were designed with walking in mind --- which is what makes it such perfect exercise. 【小题1】And best of all, it’s a great way to see new things and meet new people!

【小题2】Wherever you are, in the city or at the campground, you’ll find plenty of walking going on. Studies have shown that taking a walk every day significantly reduces your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure, and it even lowers stress levels. Recently, science has proved that walking is even good for your body shape and brain.

To get started, sit down with a map and make a plan. 【小题3】Do you want to meet other people? See new places? Get out into the wilderness or explore a city? Knowing your strengths will help you decide on the type of walk you want to do.

If making friends and socializing is your goal, call up your friends and schedule walks with them. Ask your friends where they like to walk and go there, since this will introduce you to new places. Go online and look up your local mall or shopping center. Many malls have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall. 【小题4】

From the benefits to your heart to your overall happiness, walking is just plain good for you.

This month pick up a map and start walking.【小题5】

First it was jogging. Then aerobics (有氧运动). Not too long ago, Americans discovered race walking.

Now Americans are into a new fitness craze. They’re taking up bicycling. Over hills and down mountainsides and across quiet country roads, Americans are busily rolling along.

The number of adults who ride for fitness is around 17 million, an increase of 70 percent over four years ago. Twice as many women as men are coming to the sport. Americans are falling in love with biking because it has speed, the benefits of jogging and beautiful scenery.

Bicycling is a very appropriate sport, which is important to people who injured their knees while jogging or whose joints are aching from aerobics. And biking is a real awakening for people who have been into race walking in the past. Race walking is as dull as watching paint dry.

The most popular kind of bicycle for people who are new to the sport is the mountain bike, which has a fixed frame with wide tires and upright handles.

Mountain bikes also have many gears (齿轮) to make it easier to climb hills. About 5 million Americans ride mountain bikes, compared with 200, 000 who rode them only five years ago.

Costs range from about $130 for a bottom-of-the-line bicycle to more than $2,700 for an expensive bicycle.

Mountain biking has attracted some people who race down the sides of mountains like a bat out of hell. But most riders ride slowly and they rarely venture far from home.

The biking craze has brought an unexpected profit (盈利) to clothing and bicycle accessory (附属品) makers. Last year, bikers paid $630 million for biking clothes and accessories.

Bicycling seems likely to continue its fantastic growth.