These days, are you spending more time feeling guilty about not working out than working out? If so, you’re probably the kind of lapsed boomer. You’ve joined the 4-in-10 adult Americans of all ages who admit they’re not physically active at all, according to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Exercise experts like Richard Cotton and Cedric Bryant have heard it all before — busy boomers complaining that, between car pools and van pools and making ends meet, they hardly have time for a movie, much less regular exercise. Here are some of their best tips.

Prepare.

Plan your workout wardrobe so you’ll be comfortable. Consider the weather you will be walking in and decide: long pants, long sleeve, shorts, hat?

Don’t skimp (克扣) on shoes.

Which type? “If you are walking with the hope of jogging finally, buy running shoes,” says Cotton. If you plan to walk as your main exercise, get walking shoes.

Start slowly.

“Do much less than you think you are able to,” Cotton suggests. Take a 10-minute walk if you’re newly back to workouts. It’s not enough, “but it’s a start.” Consider walking as a good way to get back to exercise.

Do the talk test.

If you can’t talk without difficulty as you walk or jog, you’re going too fast and trying to do too much, Bryant says.

Consider getting an exercise buddy (同伴).

That could help increase your faithfulness to your new habit. “An exercise partner is always nice”, Cotton says, “especially if you can get someone who already has the habit. That’s a free ride.”

Be realistic about the payoff.

You might notice looser waistbands but no difference on the scale. “As you get up into 35-, 40- or 45-minute walks, you can expect weight loss,” Cotton says. “But even if you do not lose a pound, you are healthier if you exercise.” And quite possibly, that might put you higher up on Bush’s invite list, should he host another run.

【小题1】The “lapsed boomer” mentioned in paragraph 1 refers to people who ______.

A．are professional sports experts

B．work hard and hate taking exercise

C．try to get inactive people back into sports programs

D．are physically inactive and have no time for regular exercise

【小题2】According to the passage, when you take exercise, you’d better not ______.

A．wear comfortable clothing	B．be realistic about weight loss
C．find an exercise partner	D．do more than you think you are able to start

【小题3】What can be inferred from the part of “talk test”?

A．Talking is not allowed while you are taking exercise.

B．You may feel better if talking with someone while running.

C．It is used to test the intensity of your running.

D．The more you talk, the longer you will run.

【小题4】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Being different on the scale is more difficult than losing weight.

B．You can’t expect weight loss unless you walk 45 minutes a day.

C．Exercise can bring you at least health more than weight loss.

D．You can be invited to a running race unless you lose weight.

【小题5】What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

A．To illustrate how to do sports.

B．To warn people not to work too hard.

C．To advocate people to bring fitness back in life.

D．To give people advice on how to lose weight.