谢振礼 托福范文: 老人运动
TOEFL Independent Writing
China 2018-05-19
Topic:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Physical exercise is more important for older people than younger people.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Essay:
For older adults, regular physical exercise is one of the most important things they can do for their health and for adding years to their life. It can prevent those health problems which usually younger people do not have and which often seem to come with age. Here are the ‘why’ and the ‘how.’
While there are good reasons for people who are 65 years of age or older to slow down and take it easy as they age, there are even better reasons to get moving. Physical activity in older people is critically beneficial because it helps improve the quality of life and extend years of active independent living. In addition, becoming more active can energize their mood, relieve their stress, boost their confidence, enhance their quality sleep, and help them manage symptoms of illness and pain. No matter their ages or physical conditions, it is never too late to do physical exercise of some kinds on a regular basis. There is evidence from high quality studies to strongly support the positive association between increased levels of physical activity and improved overall health in older adults. Therefore, not doing any physical activity can be bad for people of all ages, but it is particularly bad for older adults who had better keep in mind that some physical activity is better than none at all.
As being different from younger people who are typically active by nature, older adults need to do exercise at a moderate level for at least 5 days per week, including both aerobic and strengthening activities. There are medically recommended guidelines of 150 minutes spread throughout the week, every week. However, if older adults are unable to do the suggested amounts of physical exercise due to health conditions, they should be as physically active as possible. As well, irrespective of gender, race or income level, there are a number of ways older adults can accumulate the total of 150 minutes through walking, dancing, swimming, jogging, biking (stationery or on a path), gardening, golfing, and so on. Of course, the intensity of the activity depends upon the older people’s level of fitness. Anyway, physical exercise is the No. 1 contributor to longevity in late adulthood, and this is partly why it is more important for older people than for younger people.
To sum up, there are health benefits for older adults doing physical exercise, and there are recommended methods to do so. It is understandable that older people cannot do exercise the way younger people do. For the aging population, the importance of physical activity not only lies in adding years to their life but also in adding life to their years.
