在新冠肺炎疫情封鎖期間，很多人都只能呆在家中，這樣一來，運動量不足，導致體重上升。不過，有些人找到了一些能幫助我們在家拉伸肌肉和鍛煉的好辦法。本文討論如何在家鍛煉身體。

詞匯：exercising 鍛煉

In a time when many people around the globe are in lockdown and unable to attend the gym, emphasis has been placed on home exercising. Fears of a sedentary life and piling on the pounds are forcing many to find novel ways to move the body and stretch their muscles. You don’t need to pump iron or have expensive equipment like rowing and cycling machines to help you stay fit.

Exercising is not just important for your body, but also your mind. A study by Dr. Andrea Dunn at the Cooper Research Institute in Dallas, Texas found patients who did daily 35-minute walks per week experienced a 47% reduction in their depression levels.

Cardiovascular exercise, often simply called cardio, is designed to keep your heart rate up, which in turn will strengthen your heart and improve your general fitness. Many of us are turning to activities like skipping with an old rope, or watching one of the many ‘fitness experts’ who produce exercise videos online.

Walking is another great aerobic activity to help you increase your blood circulation. There are many affordable pedometers which can be worn like a watch and used to track your steps, heart rate, sleeping patterns and even your blood oxygenation levels. You don’t even have to step outside, with many simply power walking or jogging round there gardens or up and down their hallways.

Practising yoga or Tai Chi can help to keep our bodies supple, which in turn can lower joint pain and help to protect us from injury. Finally, strength and resistance training can be done at home by simply lifting bags of rice or boxes instead of heavy weights in the gym.

There are many ways to help us stay mobile, and indeed these online exercise routines can be carried over in our lives long after lockdown is lifted. For those of us who moan about our busy lives stopping us from hitting the gym, ten minutes a day with a rope or a bag of rice may not only help our fitness, but our mental health too.

詞匯表

sedentary life 缺少運動的生活，久坐不動的生活
piling on the pounds 體重增加
stretch 伸展，舒展
pump iron 舉重
cardiovascular 心血管的
cardio 有氧運動，可提高心跳頻率的運動
heart rate 心率
general fitness 整體身體素質
skipping 跳繩
aerobic 增氧的
blood circulation 血液循環
pedometer 計步器
sleeping pattern 睡眠習慣
blood oxygenation 血氧
power walking 快步走
jogging 慢跑
supple 靈活的
joint pain 關節疼痛
resistance training 抗阻訓練
hit the gym 去健身房

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What fears may encourage us to find new ways to exercise?

2. What was the possible benefit of walking that Dr. Andrea Dunn discovered?

3. What can be lifted safely instead of heavy weights?

4. What can a pedometer record?

5. What are the possible benefits of yoga and tai chi?

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. I need to _______ the gym more often.

Hits                               hit                          be hit                          hitting

2. Wow, you look great! Have you been _______ iron?

pumping                        pump                      pumped                     pumps    

3. I’m on a diet. I really _______ on the pounds when I was at home.

Pile                                piles                       piling                           piled

4. I need to get moving. I want to avoid being _______.

cardio                            sedentary               sleeping patterns        aerobic

5. Aerobic exercise can help my blood to _______.

Circulation                     circulate                  circulated                    circulates

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. What fears may encourage us to find new ways to exercise?
Fears of being sedentary and gaining weight.

2. What was the possible benefit of walking that Dr. Andrea Dunn discovered?
A 47% reduction in depression levels.

3. What can be lifted safely instead of heavy weights?
Bags of rice or heavy boxes.

4. What can a pedometer record?
They can be used to track your steps, heart rate, sleeping patterns and even your blood oxygenation levels.

5. What are the possible benefits of yoga and tai chi?
They can help to keep our bodies supple, which in turn can lower joint pain and can help to protect us from injury.

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. I need to hit the gym more often

2. Wow, you look great! Have you been pumping iron?

3. I’m on a diet. I really piled on the pounds when I was at home.

4. I need to get moving. I want to avoid being sedentary.

5. Aerobic exercise can help my blood to circulate.