新研究显示运动让你更年轻!

Older Athletes, Lower Fitness¹ Age 新研究显示运动让你更年轻!

Is there a way to turn back the clock on your age? A new study says yes. Exercise can make you younger.  At least it can lower your fitness age — that is the measure of how well your body works².

A study of athletes in the National Senior Games found that their fitness age was more than 20 years younger than their chronological³ age. The games took place in the Midwestern state of Minnesota.

Tony Diamond participated in the games.  Every morning he goes to a local park and walks fast for an hour. Then, the retired⁴ navy⁵ captain runs for an hour.

Two or three times a week, he goes to a gym for muscle training. Mr. Diamond won three medals at the 2015 National Senior Games, in the road race and the race walk for his age group -- 85 to 89.

“My current age is 86 years old, and my fitness age is 44.  “I think I have such a good number because I did a lot of exercise during my life. I have been exercising since I was a little boy.”

Helen White is a basketball player. She also teaches the sport to senior groups. And she plays pickleball. Pickleball uses a raquet and is part badminton, tennis and table tennis. She won a silver medal in pickleball at the 2013 National Senior Games.

“I’m 62 years old and my fitness results showed that I was 32 years.”

Ms. White and Mr. Diamond are some of the 5,000 Senior Games participants who took part in the fitness age study.

Pamela Peeke is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. She worked on the study with Ulrik Wisloff at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.  Mr. Wisloff developed a fitness calculator⁶.

Ms. Peeke explains how it works.

“You simply input⁷ very straightforward⁸ data.  We ask you questions: your age, your height, your weight, how much you work out, your waist size, heart rate, blood pressure, and it goes on. And then you press a button, you find out what your actual fitness age is.”

An online calculator is available for anyone to use for free. Ms. Peeke says there are benefits from using this test.

 “This kind of testing, an assessment⁹ of fitness age was actually very valid¹⁰ and it helps us understand the benefits of being fit and healthy.”

The National Senior Games take place every two years.  It is a competition for athletes older than 50. The games are a variety of sports, from track and field to triathlon.

This year the average age of the people competing was 68.  But their average fitness age was 43.

Ms. Peeke is a member of the board of the organization that runs the games. She says that many of the competitors did not start training until later in life, like Helen White.

“It really wasn’t until I turned 50 that I decided¹¹ to become much more serious and focused about play and just make sure it is daily part of my life.”

Pamela Peeke says anyone can lower their fitness age.

"It doesn’t matter how old you are -- 20, 25, 30, who cares. All of us can lower our fitness age by staying right on top of it, by taking good care of ourselves, especially with physical activity."

She says, it is never too early -- or too late -- to start exercising and receiving its benefits.

Words in This Story

turn back the clock – phrase; go back in time

participant(s) – n; a person who is involved in an activity

chronological –adj; using time as a measure

pickleball –n; a game played with solid wooden racquets and a ball that is hit over a net.

benefit (s) –n; a good or helpful effect

triathlon –n; a long distance race that  has three parts, biking, swimming and running

1 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

2 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 chronological   

adj.按年月顺序排列的，年代学的

参考例句：

• The paintings are exhibited in chronological sequence.这些画是按创作的时间顺序展出的。
• Give me the dates in chronological order.把日期按年月顺序给我。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 navy   

n.海军，海军人员，海军军力，藏青色

参考例句：

• My brother is in the navy.我兄弟在海军服役。
• He has transferred from the army to the navy.他从陆军转到海军。

6 calculator   

n.计算者，计算机

参考例句：

• Don't forget to bring your calculator that day.那天你可别忘了带计算器。
• I totaled my expenses with a calculator. 我用计算器算出开支的总金额。

7 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

8 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。