question1

You may not need a gym membership if you can pass these everyday health tests. See how many you can answer "yes" to.
如果你能通過下面這些每日健康測試,你也許就不需要辦健身卡了??纯催@10個問題你有多少能回答“是”。

Do you: Feel energized 14 hours after waking up? (If you woke up at 7 a.m., you should still feel awake and active at 9 p.m.).
你能否:起床后14小時依然感覺精力充沛?(如果你早晨7點起床,到了晚上9點你應該依然感覺清醒而且有活力。)

Exercise is a known energy booster, and if you feel completely zonked at the end of the day, chances are an overly sedentary lifestyle is at least partly to blame. One large study, which analyzed 70 papers on exercise and fatigue that involved more than 6,800 people, found that sedentary people who followed a regular exercise program had less fatigue than people who didn’t work out, according to WebMD.
鍛煉是提升精力的好辦法,如果你在一天結束時感到筋疲力盡,那么過于久坐的生活方式至少是元兇之一。美國健康信息服務公司W(wǎng)ebMD進行的一份長達70頁的大型調(diào)查,研究了超過6800人的運動和疲勞情況。調(diào)查表明,那些久坐的人如果進行規(guī)律鍛煉,他們的疲勞感會比那些不鍛煉的人要低。

question2

Can you: Carry large containers of milk or water in each hand, without feeling strain?
你能否:兩只手拎著大罐牛奶或水,而且不覺得特別累?

Being able to tote a gallon (which weighs about 8 pounds) isn’t just about the size of your biceps. That strength also comes from your shoulders, back, chest, knees, and more—all important muscle groups to keep strong as you get older. A lack of strength can make you more vulnerable to injury, as well as conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis and even depression and dementia. One Tufts University study found that after older adults with arthritis followed a strength training program for 16 weeks, their pain levels decreased by 43 percent.
能夠提起一加侖(大約8磅)的東西不僅僅和你二頭肌的大小有關。用到的力量還來自于你的肩、背、胸、膝蓋等地方,隨著 你年齡的增長,要保持這些重要的肌肉群強壯。缺乏力量會讓你更容易受傷,還更容易患關節(jié)炎,骨質(zhì)疏松癥,甚至是抑郁和癡呆。一項塔夫茨大學的研究表明,那些患關節(jié)炎的中老年人進行16周的力量訓練后,疼痛的水平會降低43%。

question3

Can you: Jump up and down 10 times, without causing your heart to race?
你能否:上下跳躍10次,而心跳不會加速?

This is a sign of a well-controlled heart rate (and good cardiovascular fitness). A gym class or workout routine that emphasizes interval training is a great way to boost your endurance and lower your resting heart rate. A lower resting pulse means your heart has to beat less—and should in turn last longer.
這說明心率得到了很好的控制(而且心血管健康良好)。間歇訓練的健身訓練課或者系統(tǒng)的鍛煉是提高你的耐力,降低靜息心率的好辦法。較低的靜息脈搏說明你的心臟跳動得更少,這樣心臟就可以維持更久。

question4

Can you: Trim your toenails standing up—without any discomfort from the bending?
你能否:站著給自己剪腳趾甲,而且不因為彎曲感到任何不適?

Shocked at how inflexible you are? Well, let’s work on that. Being able to stretch without pain is important not only for bone and joint conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis, but it may also be a clue about other issues like heart health. One study in the American Journal of Physiology found that the inability to stretch past your toes was associated with arterial stiffness, a precursor to heart disease. Incorporate stretch-and-strength yoga-style exercises into your weekly workout regimen.
很驚訝你原來這么僵硬吧?那么讓我們來采取行動??梢詮澢眢w而不感到疼痛,對于骨頭和關節(jié)的健康,比如是否患上關節(jié)炎和骨質(zhì)疏松很重要。不僅如此,這還暗示了其他的健康狀況,比如心臟健康。美國生理學雜志上的一項研究表明,如果不能將身體彎曲超過你的腳尖,這和動脈硬化密切相關,而這是心臟病的一種前兆。在你每周的鍛煉計劃中加入伸展的瑜伽式練習。

question5

Can you: Raise your foot as high as your hip when kicking?
你能否:踢腿時將腳抬起和臀部一樣高?

Another example of flexibility and strength; if you have trouble with this exercise, yoga-style classes and moves that stretch your hips will help you improve.
這是關于靈活性和力量的另一個測試。如果你做到這個有困難,瑜伽課程和伸展臀部的動作會幫助你改善。

question6

Can you: Twist and look behind you without moving your feet?
你能否:不移動雙腳就能轉身回頭看?

This test demonstrates good core strength and flexibility; both keys for a strong, healthy, pain-free back.
這個測試體現(xiàn)了好的身體中部的力量和靈活性;這兩點對于強壯健康沒有疼痛的背部都非常關鍵。

question7

Can you: Load your luggage into the storage bin above your airplane or train seat without strain?
你能否:把行李放進飛機或火車上部的行李箱中而身體不感到緊張?

This is partly about technique (you can’t just heave it up there) and partly about back, core, and leg strength. Many of us who focus our workouts around cardio—and skip spine-boosting exercises like yoga, Pilates, and strength training—will have weaker backs than we’d like.
這一部分關系到技巧(你不能把行李扔進去),一部分關系到背部,身體中部以及腿部的力量。我們許多人之關注鍛煉了心臟部分, 卻忽略了保養(yǎng)脊柱的練習,比如瑜伽、普拉提還有力量訓練。這樣我們的背部力量就會比較弱。

question8

Can you: Carry a large basket of clothing up and down two staircases, without struggle or strain?
你能否:搬著一大筐衣服上下兩層樓,身體并不顫抖或緊張?

This is a test of strength, cardiovascular endurance, and balance; climbing stairs requires more stamina and energy than walking the equivalent amount of steps. Unfortunately, today’s modern world of escalators and elevators provides few chances for stair climbing. If you fail this fitness test, try working more stair-climbing opportunities into your day. Walk up and down the steps in your home while on the phone, or opt to use the stairs in your office building or department stores or malls.
這個測試和力量、心血管耐力以及平衡有關;爬樓梯比走同樣多的路需要更多的耐力和能量。不幸的是,今天現(xiàn)代世界的自動扶梯和電梯讓我們沒有多少機會爬樓梯。如果你不能通過這個健康測試,試著在日程中加入更多的爬樓練習。在家打電話時可以上下樓梯,或者在辦公樓和商場里選擇走樓梯。

question9

Can you: Dance to a fast beat for more than 10 minutes without feeling winded?
你能否:跳快節(jié)奏的舞10分鐘以上,而且不會喘不過氣?

A growing body of research shows that you don’t need to endure continuous long workouts to reap health perks. In fact, short intense bursts of exercise (10 to 15 minutes) may burn more fat and build more muscle than an hour of chugging along on the treadmill. Try these 1-minute fat releasing moves to get started.
一家研究機構稱,你沒有必要承受長時間的鍛煉來獲得健康。事實上,短暫但是高強度的鍛煉(10-15分鐘)也許比在跑步機上狂跑1小時消耗更多脂肪,形成更多肌肉。從這些1分鐘的減肥動作開始吧。

question10

Can you: Walk for 30 minutes straight without getting tired?
你能否:連續(xù)步行30分鐘不感到累?

A daily walk of at least 20 minutes is linked to so many health boosts, you can’t even list them all here. But among the top include helping with weight loss and maintenance, boosting mood and energy levels, lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, and more.
每天至少步行20分鐘對健康大有益處,你甚至無法一一列舉。最大的好處包括幫助減肥、維持體形、提升情緒和精力水平,降低血糖血壓等等。

how did you do

How did you do?
你身體怎么樣?

For someone over the age of 45, you’re in pretty good physical shape if you can handle these mini-fitness tests. And if you can’t? Build up slowly with a mix of exercises that emphasize cardiovascular fitness, strength training, and flexibility, the trifecta of fitness skills needed for a long and healthy life.
對于45歲以上的人來說,如果你能通過這些健康小測試,你的身體健康非常好。如果你不能呢?慢慢開始進行混合鍛煉,重點關注心血管健康、力量訓練和靈活性練習。這三點是健康長壽必需的健康要素。