英语博客：Strength and flexibility.

　　I was just listening to a Swiss podcast about health. The presenters¹ were talking about free radicals² and how to fight them. They first of all listed all the situations in life that cause free radicals to be produced in our bodies: emotional and physical stress, pollution, medicines, a poor diet, alcohol, smoking and more. Jokingly, one of the presenters asked, "What doesn't produce free radicals?" because it seems that everything does. A discussion developed about a healthy life style, the importance of eating right, and how physical activity is crucial to general good health. So, what are good forms of exercise? Walking and swimming are probably the two best; you get the most movement with the least strain. Then there is cycling, running, weight training, ball sports, types of skiing, and yoga. Really, anything that moves your body, uses your muscles, and increases your heart rate is good. There are different benefits to different types of exercise. Some will build muscle, while others will make you flexible. When I was young, the idea of being strong was based on muscle that can lift a lot of weight. Thankfully, now the definition of strength is broader. Weight lifting strength is just one kind, then there is endurance (which is how long you can keep doing something), and flexibility³. There are other kinds, as well, but in this podcast, I'm focusing on these three. It's not difficult to keep kids active. I find that my children just need to be given an opportunity to do something physical, and they will take it. While my sons play ball sports, my daughter does gymnastics. Watching her and other older children do gymnastics certainly makes me think of strength. They stretch, they bend, they hang from bars and swing. You can see that they use all of their muscles without even realizing (realising). There are posters in the waiting area that show how, with the right training, a body can become both flexible and strong, where the muscles are useful and quick, not just big and bulky. Gymnastics reminds me of martial⁴ arts: both require speed, accuracy, strength, and flexibility. I hope to introduce my daughter to martial arts at some stage. The physical discipline is admirable, and self defense⁵ is very useful. Maybe we could do it together. As she grows up, she needs to develop physical confidence, and as I get older, I need to maintain my flexibility.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: free radicals, flexibility, broad, crucial.
1. Eating burned meat releases a lot of free radicals into your body, so be careful when you
barbecue.
2. That gymnist has incredible flexibility; she can bend her body into all sorts of positions.
3. The term of strength is very broad; it means many things.
4. It is crucial to get regular exercise and quality food to maintain a healthy life.

1 presenters   

n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each week presenters would put the case for their favourite candidate. 每个星期主持人推出他们最喜欢的候选人。 来自互联网
• Karaoke was set up to allowed presenters to sing on the stage. 宴会设有歌唱舞台，可让出席者大演唱功。 来自互联网

2 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

3 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

4 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。