Exercise and Rest
FoundationOne hour of exercise a day makes the body strong and the mood bright; enough sleep gives energy for study and play.
- One hour of exercise a day keeps the heart and muscles strong.
- Warm up before exercise and drink water slowly afterwards.
- Primary students need ten to eleven hours of sleep; keep early hours.
文體小知識：說明文先講運動的好處，再講休息的重要，最後教你安排一天的動靜時間。
§Text Passage
1Why do we feel so happy after exercise? Because the body makes happy chemicals while we move. Exercise makes the heart beat strongly, builds firm muscles and helps us grow tall. Running, rope skipping, swimming and cycling are all great exercises.
2Primary students need more than one hour of exercise every day. PE lessons, skipping at recess and a walk with the family after school all add up. Warm up first — swing your arms, turn your wrists and ankles — so the muscles are less likely to be pulled.
3Exercise matters, and rest matters just as much. Primary students need ten to eleven hours of sleep each night. While we sleep, the body grows and the brain organises what we learned in the day. Go to bed around nine so you stay awake in class.
4Limit phone and TV time: staring at screens for too long tires the eyes and spoils sleep. A good plan: do homework after school, then play outside, read a while after dinner, and go to bed at nine. Balance activity and rest, and both body and mood stay bright.
1Summary 重點摘要
One hour of exercise a day makes the body strong and the mood bright; enough sleep gives energy for study and play.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Activities that move the body, such as running, skipping and swimming.
Easy movements before exercise that prepare the muscles and prevent injury.
The organ inside the body that beats and pumps blood all around.
The parts that let the body move; exercise makes them firm.
Resting with eyes closed; the body grows and recovers during sleep.
Stopping activity so the body recovers energy, such as recess or a nap.
Time spent on phones, tablets or TV; it should be limited.
Full of energy and not tired; enough sleep keeps you energetic.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know the benefitsExercise makes the heart beat strongly and the lungs take in more fresh air, so the body grows healthier. Skip rope five minutes a day, and after a month you will find running easier and your legs stronger. While we move, the body also makes cheerful chemicals, so after exercise the mood is bright and sleep comes sweeter; running and playing ball with classmates trains the body and builds friendship at the same time — two gains in one.
- Step 2: Build up one hour a dayChildren need at least one hour of exercise a day, and it need not be all at once — it can add up in parts. Ten minutes of skipping at recess, forty minutes of PE, and fifteen minutes walking with the family after dinner make more than an hour. Walking to school, helping with chores and chasing games with classmates are all good chances to move. Exercise every day and the muscles and bones grow strong, the body stays full of energy, and learning feels easier too.
- Step 3: Warm up firstWarm up before exercise, so the muscles and joints wake up, like an engine warming up before it starts. Before running, do eight jumping jacks, turn your wrists and ankles, and stretch the muscles of your legs gently. A good warm-up keeps you from sprains and cramps; when the exercise ends, do not sit down at once — walk slowly for a few minutes and drink some water, and the body feels comfortable. Form the habit of warming up before and relaxing after exercise, and sport stays safe and effective.
- Step 4: Early to bed, early to riseSleep is when the body recharges; children need about ten hours a day. Go to bed at nine and wake at seven — exactly ten hours — and you will be bright in class the next day. Sleep early and rise early, and the body quietly releases growth hormone at night, helping you grow tall and strong, while the brain sorts what was learned in the day, improving memory; do not get too excited before bed and stay off screens — a quiet story makes falling asleep easier.
- Step 5: Limit screen timeTV, phone and tablet screens give out strong light; watching too long makes the eyes dry and tired, and can cause short sight. After thirty minutes of TV or tablet, stop and look at the trees outside the window and far away, letting the eyes relax and rest. Keep the total screen time each day short, and blink and rest the eyes after use; look far away at green things outdoors more often, so the eyes stay bright and healthy and the spirit stays fresh.
- Step 6: Balance activity and restA healthy day mixes active and quiet times — time to move and time to be still. After school do your homework first, then run and jump outdoors, read quietly or play chess after dinner, and go to bed on time at nine. Moving makes the body strong; being still makes the mind clever. With the two arranged well, the day feels full and happy, and both body and mood stay at their best; kept up every day, good health naturally follows as we grow.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: Ming went to bed at eleven last night and kept dozing in class today, feeling dizzy. Find his problem and the solutions.
- Check the sleep hours: bed at eleven and up at seven means only eight hours, two fewer than the ten a child needs.
- With too little sleep the brain has not rested enough, so he is sleepy in class and feels tired and dizzy.
- Solution one: begin getting ready at half past eight — brush teeth, wash, listen to a quiet story — and be in bed by nine.
- Solution two: add some daytime exercise, such as fifteen minutes of skipping after school, so falling asleep at night becomes easier.
- Answer: The problem is going to bed too late and sleeping too little. Form the habit of going to bed at nine and exercise an hour in the day; then he will sleep soundly, wake refreshed, and the dizziness will disappear.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1How much exercise do primary students need each day?
Q2What should we do before exercise?
Q3How long should primary students sleep each day?
Q4What should we do after thirty minutes of screen time?
Q5What should we avoid in the half hour before bed?
8Recap Recap
- One hour of exercise a day keeps the heart and muscles strong.
- Warm up before exercise and drink water slowly afterwards.
- Primary students need ten to eleven hours of sleep; keep early hours.
- Limit screen time to protect the eyes.
- Balance activity and rest for a strong body and a happy mind.