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A beginner’s guide to exercise
You want to start doing exercise? Congratulations! You have just taken your first step towards a new and improved you!
Understanding the benefits of exercise
Most people assume that regular exercise does wonders for the body and mind— but what exactly are its health benefits? To start with, physical activity increases the efficiency of your heart and lungs. During exercise, your heart and lungs must work harder. This extra effort makes them grow stronger over the long term. It has also been proven that active people tend to have better immune systems and are at lower risk of diseases. Moreover, exercise is good for your mental health. Working out can help you reduce stress and get over negative feelings. Some studies even show that exercise improves certain brain functions, meaning you could actually exercise your way to better performance at school!
Planning your exercise routine
When you plan an exercise routine, the first thing to consider is what you expect to improve: heart and lung efficiency, muscle strength or flexibility. Aerobic activities, like jogging, swimming and skiing, develop your heart and lungs. Strength training, such as pull-ups and weightlifting, increases muscle strength and encourages bone development. Flexibility training, including gymnastics and tai chi, helps stretch your muscles and improve your body’s range of movement. These types of exercise all play a role in a healthy routine. Above all, choose activities you enjoy because, in this way, you’re more likely to stick with them.
Eating and drinking right
Like cars that run on petrol, your body burns carbohydrates for energy. Foods like noodles, rice, fruit and vegetables give your body plenty of carbohydrates to keep up your energy during a long workout. To help your muscles recover and repair themselves after exercise, you need to eat foods rich in protein, such as fish, eggs and milk products. When to eat is also of great importance. In general, you should have your meal an average of 1.5 to 2.5 hours before exercising. Do not eat immediately after exercise; instead, wait at least 30 minutes after a typical routine, or as much as an hour after a hard workout. Remember to drink throughout exercise to make up for water lost to sweat.
Avoiding injury
To prevent soft tissue injury, make sure that you wear proper clothes and equipment when exercising. You should also start small and slowly work your way to a longer and harder exercise routine to avoid getting hurt. Finally, remember to warm up before exercising and stretch at the end of your workout.
So, now you know the benefits of exercise and how to do it safely and effectively. What are you waiting for?
▌Translation
初学者运动指南
你想开始运动吗？恭喜你！你已经向新的、更好的自己的迈出了第一步！
★了解运动的益处
大多数人都认为经常锻炼对身心大有裨益，但它对健康到有哪些益处呢？首先，运动可以增强你的心肺功能。在运动过程中，你的心脏和肺必须更卖力地工作。久而久之，这种额外的努力会使它们变得更加强壮。有证据表明，经常运动的人往往免疫系统更好，患病的风险更低。而且，运动对心理健康也有好处。锻炼可以帮助你缓解压力，克服消极情绪。甚至有研究显示运动能改善某些大脑机能，这意味着通过锻炼，你在学校会有更好的表现！
★规划日常锻炼
当你规划运动日程时，首先要考虑的是你想提升哪方面：心肺功能、肌肉力量还是柔韧性。像慢跑、游泳和滑雪这样的有氧运动，能增强你的心肺功能。力量训练，如引体向上和举重，能增强肌肉力量，促进骨骼发育。柔韧性训练，包括体操和太极，有助于拉伸肌肉，增大身体活动范围。这类型的运动在健康的日常锻炼中都发挥着作用。最重要的是，选择你喜欢的活动，因为这样你更有可能坚持下去。
★饮食得当
就像汽车靠汽油运行一样，你的身体燃烧碳水化合物来获取能量。面条、米饭、水果和蔬菜等食物能为你的身体提供大量的碳水化合物，让你有充足的能量做长时间运动。为了帮助肌肉在运动后恢复和修复，你需要吃高蛋白食物，如鱼、蛋和奶制品。什么时候吃也很重要。一般来说，你应该在运动前平均一个半到两个半小时进食。运动后不要马上吃东西；相反，常规锻炼后至少等30分钟，剧烈运动后等一小时。记住在运动过程中要持续补水，以弥补出汗流失的水分。
★避免受伤
为避免软组织受伤，运动时要确保穿戴合适的衣服和护具。你还应该从小运动量开始，慢慢增加运动时长和强度，以防受伤。最后，记得在运动前热身，结束后拉伸。
所以，现在你知道了运动的好处，以及如何安全高效地锻炼。你还在等什么？
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