①Music helps us exercise, but why does it have this effect (效果)? Scientists say there are two main reasons.

②The first reason is that: music distracts (使……分心) us. When we listen to a song we like, our brain pays attention to the music. After we exercise for 20 minutes, for example, our body may be tired. But because of the music, we may not feel this right away. As a result, we will exercise a little longer.

③Music can also motivate (激发) us. When we hear dance music, for example, we naturally start to move to the beat (节拍). An upbeat (欢快的) song also makes us feel happier. This gives us energy and helps exercise longer.

④However, according to a new study by scientist Tom Fritz, this is only part of the explanation. In an experiment (实验), Fritz put 61 people in small groups. Then, they all exercised twice. The first time, each group worked out for six minutes while they were listening to music. The second time, they exercised for six minutes on special Jymmin machines. On these machines, each group made music as they moved. At the end, 53 of the 61 people said the same thing: they felt less tired when they exercised on the Jymmin machines.

⑤How does Fritz explain this? “Maybe people did better on the Jymmin machines because they had more control,” he says. People created the beat. They could make it go faster or slower. Also, each group was making music together and having fun. In the future, Fritz wants to find out if Jymmin exercise can help with some illnesses. For example, it may even be a good way to treat depression (抑郁症).

Many people take running as a way to keep fit. They like to run in hot weather and enjoy the feeling of being wet through with sweat while running. Cold weather during winter months, with low temperatures and freezing cold winds, may keep many people from running in the open air.

However, a new study shows that the drop in temperature is a good reason to run. In fact, running in cold weather helps improve one’s performance. Many runners might find it easier to run in winter than in hot weather.

Lower temperatures reduce stress on the body. When you run in cold weather, your heart rate is lower. And the body needs less water on a cold day than in warm weather because dehydration levels are lower in winter than in warmer conditions.

John Brewer is a professor of applied sports science at ST. Mary’s University in London. For this study, he and other researchers put a group of people into a room where summer and winter weather conditions are recreated. The test subjects, were asked to run 10,000 meters under both conditions and their biological measurements were recorded and studied.

From the study, every movement runners make produces heat. The heat can be really damaging unless the body can lose it. One way in which people lose heat is by sweating. The body loses heat through droplets of sweet. The body also loses it by transporting the blood to the surface of the skin and it puts more stress on the heart, particularly in hot conditions because it’s much harder to lose heat when the outside environment is warm. As the result shows running in hot temperatures results in 6 percent higher heart rates.

When running in cold conditions, the body does not have to work hard to pump blood to the skin surface. Therefore, it requires less energy. The most important thing for people who run in cold conditions is to wear the right clothing. Keep as dry as possible when exercising in low temperatures. Wear mittens on your hands instead of gloves. Wear more than one layer of clothing to keep sweat away from your skin. So don’t let winter weather keep you indoors. Simply get ready for the low temperatures and start running.