Walking is just not enough, according to a new review of the evidence from Public Health England （PHE）, which reveals a major disconnect between the exercise people need and what they actually do.
Those who thought 10,000 steps a day or a brisk daily trudge （跋涉）from a further bus stop meant they were doing enough to stay fit and healthy have got it wrong. People should also all be doing tai chi, weight lifting or ballroom dancing.
Aerobic （有氧的）exercise, such as walking or gardening, is good for the heart and improves the circulation. PHE's review said that muscle and bone strengthening and balance activities are also vital for health and future wellbeing, but they are neglected. Strengthening and balance activities not only help prevent falls, but also help improve mood, sleeping patterns, increase energy levels and reduce the risk of an early death.
Muscles tend to be at their peak in our 30s, said Louise Ansari from the Centre for Ageing Better, and the muscle tone is going by the time we reach 40 unless we actively work on it. The best forms of exercise, according to the review of evidence, are ball games, tennis, dance, Nordic （北欧人的）walking and resistance training—usually training with weights. These exercise both arms and legs, strengthening muscles and helping us keep our balance.
Ansari said the type of exercise required depends on a person’s fitness. “If you are a reasonably fit adult and you do walking, you should also do yoga or tai chi or tennis or resistance training which could be in a structured exercise class.”
But exercise doesn’t have to be in a gym, she added. “You can also make sure you go up and down stairs a lot instead of taking the lift. That is resistance training. Your body is providing the resistance. You don’t have to go to the gym. As long as you are feeling the ache in your muscles.”
Dance of all sorts is good for muscles and balance, from folk to ballroom. “If you don't feel you can go to a full-on dance class because you are a bit weak, standing on one leg for 30 seconds a day or tai chi is very good.”
Ansari said she doesn’t use a gym. “I don’t go and lift weights, but I make sure I’m carrying shopping home and carrying things around—consciously lifting weight.
The advice is not just for the elderly. “Alongside aerobic exercise, all adults should be aiming to do strengthening and balancing activities twice per week,” said Ansari. “On average we’re all living longer and this mixture of physical activities will help us stay well in our youth and remain independent as we age.”
1. What can we learn from the new review given by PHE?
2. What is the advantage of walking according to paragraph 3?
3. Which of the following is resistance training?
4. What does Ansari like to do for keeping fit?
5. What does Ansari advise people to do?
