People who get a good workout almost daily can add nearly four years to their life spans, according to the first study to quantify the effect of physical activity this way.

The researchers looked at records of more than 5,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans and found that those who had moderate to high levels of activity lived1.3 to 3.7 years longer than those who got little exercise, with men and women benefiting about equally.

“This shows that physical activity really does make a difference — not only for how long you live but for how long you live a healthy life.” said Oscar H. Franco of the Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in Rotterdam. “Being more physically active can give you more time.”

Previous studies have found that being physically active has a host of health benefits. It reduces the risk of being overweight and of developing many illnesses, improves overall quality of life, and lowers the death rate. But the new study is the first to directly calculate the effect on how long people live.

People who engaged in moderate activity — the equivalent of walking for 30minutes a day for five days a week — lived about 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than those who were less active. Those who took on more intense exercise—the equivalent of running half an hour a day five days every week—extended their lives by about3.5 to 3.7 years, the researchers found.

The findings show that even for people who are already middle-aged, exercising more can add years to their lives, Franco said.

Other experts said the study was consistent with the growing evidence that exercising on a regular basis is one of the most important things people can do for their health.

“At the end of the day, this is more evidence that the sitting lifestyle is the most damaging to health, longevity and chronic disease development,” said James O. Hill of the University of Colorado at Denver.

Hill and others said exercising regularly also enables people to live healthier lives, free from a host of chronic illnesses that can make it hard for people to enjoy their later years.

In addition, recent studies have also found that exercise has payoffs for the mind, too. It has been shown to improve overall well-being and reduce stress and depression.

“The benefits of physical activity extend well beyond the effects on longevity,” said Joann E. Manson of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

As children grow up, they will likely be drawn to participate in sports. But not all children will be interested in or successful at every sports experience. Some children tend to join in team sports while others will prefer individual sports. 【小题1】 So how can parents help their child pick a most suitable sport? Here’s How:

【小题2】

A child’s interest in a given sport is the best determiner of whether he or she will enjoy it as a participant. So expose the child to a wide variety of sports experiences. Talk with them about what they like and dislike about each sport.

【小题3】

As you check out the various sports, see if you can tell which of them seems most interesting to the child. Listen to your child for signs about their preferences. Maybe they will talk about the players, the skills, or they will tell others about the experience. If you watch and listen, you can pick up what interests them most.

Find out: team or individual?

Some children will prefer to participate in a team sport like football, baseball or basketball in which they play a role in a team. 【小题4】 Sports like these include swimming, tennis or golf. Or they may simply enjoy individual sports like cycling and gymnastics. As you observe your child, try to find out what their preferences are. 【小题5】

This activity will melt away the pounds, build your body and leave you on an emotional high. Yet the form of exercise, the fitness trend of the year, does not require gym membership or a personal trainer. All you need to do is walk.

"Walking is a refreshing alternative to complicated aerobic （氧）routines and overpriced gym membership," says personal trainer Lucy Knight, author of a new book on the exercise. “It is free, enjoyable and already a part of everyday life. All you need to do is correct your technique, walk faster and for longer and you will lose weight?"

There is much evidence of the benefits of walking. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh recently discovered that overweight people who walked briskly （快）for 30 to 60 minutes a day lost weight even if they didn't change any other lifestyle habits. Another American study found that people who walked for at least four hours a week gained less weight than couch potatoes as they got older. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts medical school found that people who walked every day had 25 percent fewer colds than those who sat a lot. Best of all, walking makes you feel good about yourself "For people suffering from depression, walking three to four times a week for 30 minutes has been shown to lift their mood,” says Knight.

But how to walk your way to weight loss and wellness? Health experts recommend that we should walk 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Actually, you would probably need to walk at least 16,000 steps a day to lose weight. "Your workout plans depend on your level of fitness. You should aim to progress by increasing your walking time by five minutes every two weeks, and walk a bit faster. In just three months, the results should speak for themselves," says Knight.