Experts are always advocating the health benefits of biking. And while the barrier to entry is low-pretty much all you need to know to start cycling is how to ride a bike itself-people often ask me if I have any tips for beginner bikers.

Below, a few things I've learned along the way that help make for a safer and more joyful ride:

Follow the rules of the road. Brake at yellow lights, stop for pedestrians and maintain a solid distance from cars.【小题1】Therefore, never fly through stop signs, approach too close to the front vehicles or shout at cars.

【小题2】A British doctor recently made headlines when he claimed that wearing a bike

Make a playlist. Laws against riding with headphones vary from state to state, and it's never proper to listen to music in more than one ear. But cruising around to a soundtrack can be an amazing feeling, so consider buying a wireless speaker you can fix on your frame.   【小题3】

Know your rights. If you do end up getting into a collision, stay on the scene until the police come. 【小题4】 Cyclists are too often taken advantage of in bad situations, especially if their injuries don't seem to be apparent.

Find some friends. As great as it can be to bike alone, zipping down the street in a big group is an equally satisfying experience. 【小题5】Various bicycle trips are often organized, which provides opportunities to develop friendship among bikers.

The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. As we know, we sit while we’re eating, we sit in the car and we sit while we're watching TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work.

New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Peter Katzmarzyk, a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States, says that sitting is ubiquitous in our lives, meaning it is something we do all the time, everywhere.

However, Mr.Katzmarzyk says even that does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. He also says you may exercise often. “We can’t throw away physical activity. It’s extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that.”

Mr.Katzmarzyk and his colleagues are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. “Studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality (死亡率)or television viewing and mortality are very rare. There have only been a few of them, actually five or six now，in the last four or five years.” They found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life.

Luckily, change is already coming to some offices, especially in the design of desks. A “standing desk” lets people stand while they are working. Another new design is called the “treadmill desk”. A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U.S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycle to keep children moving, That’s one of the strategies that many companies are using now.

Mr. Katzmarzyk also says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives.

All parents know exercise is important for children: It can lower heart risks, control weight and help kids do better in school. Scientists have also proved that outdoor activities at an early age can help children form healthy habits for life. But don’t expect kids to understand about those things. Some kids just aren’t into exercise, but that shouldn’t mean they have to be attracted to the TV. So parents could do something to help inactive kids fall in love with physical activity.

If parents sit in front of the TV every night, kids aren’t likely to respect restrictions (限制) you set on their screen time either. So check your own behavior and serve as a role model by putting physical activity into your everyday life. Walk instead of driving if possible. Regularly join in activities that you enjoy and let your kids see how much you enjoy them. In this way, they may “do as the Romans do”. Make sure that children’s fitness is included in the family plans as well as school, work and shopping. Then you and your children are more likely to stick to an exercise plan. And your children will begin to expect that Sunday morning usually means a hike ride, and on a couple of nights after dinner the family takes a light walk through the neighborhood.

Children who aren’t naturally good at physical activity may be worried about their lack of physical skills and even fear public failure. They need all the support and encouragement from parents. Negative comments don’t work and will only make them feel bad. Remember, fix on the effort — choosing to be active or trying to improve a skill — rather than the result.