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“Men and women of 60 and 70 became as fit and energetic as those 20 to 30 years younger,” de Vries noted in his book Fitness After 50. “The ones who improved most were those who had been the least active and the most out of shape.”

“Eventually we all decline,” concedes Everett Smith, director of the Biogerontology Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin. “But quality of life is so much higher for the elderly who are physically active than for people who sit waiting for the Grim Reaper.”

The functional declines of advancing age are depressing. With each year after maturity, the heart’s ability to pump drops about one per cent. Blood flow from the arms to the legs is 30to 40-per-cent slower at the age of 60 than in young adults. The amount of air a person can exhale after a deep breath lessens and the chest wall stiffens with age. The speed at which nerve messages travel drops 10 to 15 per cent by the age of 70.

The recent studies have shown, however, that most of these ageassociated declines can be delayed by exercise. Exercise lowers the resting heart rate and increases the amount of blood pumped with each beat in old people. At any age, moreover, when stress is placed on bones through exercise, calcium content rises, with the result that resistance to fracture is improved.

Of course, exercise by the elderly is not without risk. Dr Charles Godfrey, a Canadian specialist in rehabilitation medicine, advises against jumping and pounding exercises (such as vigorous jogging and skipping) for people over 50 because, he says, “they have produced an epidemic of self-inflicted injuries.” Nevertheless, he insists, “exercise is the answer, so long as it is done properly.”

What kinds of exercise are good? Three major types are important in maintaining the highest possible quality of life. Endurance activities condition the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Strengthening exercises increase the power of muscles. This helps protect the joints against injury. Flexibility or stretching exercises keep ageing joints from stiffening. (Researchers have shown that the joint stiffness and aches and pains that accompany ageing are often the result of lack of use, not of arthritis.)

The ideal endurance exercise for old people is brisk walking. Swimming can also be excellent. So is using an exercise bicycle or rowing machine. It is best to pursue one or more of these exercises continuously for 30 minutes, three to five times a week. Strengthening exercises need be done only three or four times a week to increase muscle strength by 40 to 75 per cent over several months. You can use lightweight hand and leg weights, building gradually from perhaps ten-ounce weights (such as a tin of soup).

You can work out on weight machines too. Exercises such as single leg lifts, finger presses and bent-leg curl-ups also help.

Flexibility exercises are best done daily, but benefits can be achieved with just three sessions a week.

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The single most important rule in stretching the muscles, ligaments and tendons is to go into and come out of each stretch slowly, and to hold the stretched position for at least a count of ten. Then relax for a moment and repeat.

How do you exercise safely? De Vries has six tips for older adults:

*See your doctor. A medical check-up is extremely important before beginning or increasing the intensity of an exercise programme.

*Take it slowly. Start at a low, comfortable level; increase exertion very gradually.

*Know your limit. If you are excessively fatigued, have sleeping problems or persistent soreness, you are probably trying to do too much.

*Exercise regularly. It takes many weeks, even months, to reach peak conditioning, but your fitness level can be lost in a week or two of inactivity. Try to maintain an exercise schedule of at least three workouts a week. But stop if you become ill, even if it is only a cold.

*Warm up first. The older you are, the more important it is to prepare the body for exercise. A proper warm-up (stretching and slow walking) of about ten minutes protects the heart, muscles and joints from injury.

*Cool down afterwards. Never stop vigorous exercise abruptly. Walk for at least two minutes after a walk-jog and, waiting at least five minutes after a vigorous work-out, have a warm rather than hot shower. Today millions of people are running, cycling, swimming and walking their way to a healthier, more fulfilling life. Why not join the fun?

3.Answer the following questions:

1.What are the benefits of exercise for elderly people?

2.Why is exercise so beneficial?

3.Can the elderly improve physiologically?

4.What did H. de Vries show in one of his studies?

5.What are the functional declines of advancing age?

6.Can exercise delay these age-associated declines?

7.What kinds of exercise may be risky for the elderly?

8.What kinds of exercise are particularly beneficial? Why?

9.What recommendations does H. de Vries give elderly people?

(Abridged and edited from: “Sport. Пособие по развитию навыков устной речи”. C. 12, 14–16)

4. Translate the following sentences, using the words and phrases from the text.

1.Даже умеренная физическая нагрузка может замедлить старение.

2.В каком бы возрасте человек ни начал заниматься физкультурой, улучшения в состоянии его здоровья возможны.

3.Исследования, проведенные в течение последних 20 лет, показывают, что у пожилых людей возможно улучшение их физиологического состояния, а не только замедление старения.

4.Качество жизни пожилых людей, ведущих активный образ жизни, значительно лучше, чем у тех, кто просто сидит и ждет конца.

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5.Начинать надо с небольших нагрузок, постепенно их увеличивая.

6.Занимайтесь регулярно.

7.Чем вы старше, тем важнее подготовить организм к занятиям. Сначала сделайте разминку.

8.Никогда не прерывайте резко активные упражнения.

9.Прежде чем увеличивать интенсивность программы упражнений, обратитесь к врачу.

10.В наши дни миллионы людей занимаются бегом, ходьбой, плаванием и велоспортом, чтобы укрепить здоровье.

5. Test yourself in the following true-false quiz. Compare your ideas with the partner. Then check the answer on page 88. Were you right?

What Do You Know About Exercising

Exercise everyone advises! But immediately, when you try, you run into trouble. There is so much contradictory, sometimes incorrect advice about exercising that you get confused. Test yourself in the following true-false quiz.

1.To maintain an adequate level of physical fitness it’s sufficient for you to exercise twice a week.

2.Walking is one of the best exercises.

3.You burn more calories jogging one mile than walking the same difference.

4.The best way to reduce the mid-section of the body is to do abdominal exercises.

5.To lose weight you should always “work up a good sweat” when exercising.

6.Vigorous stretching exercises keep muscles flexible.

7.If you breathing does not return to normal within 5 minutes after you finish the training session, you have exercised too much.

8.The minimum amount of time you should spend on exercising in a day is 20 minutes.

II.

1. What determines extreme sports? What differs extreme sports from the traditional ones? Share your ideas in the class.

Now read the text and compare your ideas with those in the text. Then discuss the questions after the text.

Extreme Sport

Most sports contain some element of risk – there may be potential for injury or competitive risk in determining the outcome of a contest. Extreme sports, in some cases called action sports, take the risk factors to a level outside the traditional scope of a sport’s governing body. These activities usually involve speed, height, extreme physical exertion, and may require highly specialised equipment. In many cases a sport is modified (to the extreme), so that new rules modify the sport action into something new; or in some cases no rules apply. Unlike modified sports which become more inclusive; extreme sports, because

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of the risks involved, become more exclusive in their participation base. However, extreme sports have taken on greater popularity in terms of spectator appeal, media coverage, and corporate sponsorship.

Extreme sports evolved from mainstream sports and gained popularity in the 1990s through the marketing of competitions such as ‘X Games’. There is no exact definition of what determines ‘extreme’, but there are certain common characteristics among the collection of extreme sports, they include:

Although not restricted to youth, extreme sports tend to appeal to the under-25 years segment of the population;

Extreme sports are rarely sanctioned by government entities (i.e. departments of sport and recreation and schools);

Extreme sports tend to be more solitary, rather that team oriented;

Athletes who take up extreme sports generally acquire their skills from past participation (although not always at an elite level) in a kindred (mainstream) sport.

In most traditional sports the function of a governing organisation is to establish rules that standardise the conditions within which competition takes place. One of the appealing aspects of extreme sports is the inconsistency of conditions. For example, the downhill skiing event in the Winter Olympics takes place on a course that is marked and where the downhill gradient is within rule parameters, the event is only conducted if weather and snow conditions are within accepted standards. An extreme downhill skiing event would have no such limitations or restrictions on the slope, snow conditions or weather; adding to the element of risk for competitors.

Extreme sports may apply the three criteria of a ‘sport’ – competition, rules, and organisational structure; but in different ways. Fewer or different rules are likely to apply; competition may be with one’s self (rather than an opponent) or against the environment; and organisations (where they exist) generally sit outside mainstream international sporting federations or associations.

The public perception of ‘what is sport’ has changed over time because of the emergence and growth of extreme sports. Some sport activities that may have once been considered ‘extreme’ have been modified and structured into mainstream sport. Conversely, mainstream sports have been modified to become ‘extreme’.

Two examples of different evolutionary paths involving extreme sports

are:

Sky diving was once considered an extreme activity, but over many years it has integrated itself into an accepted sporting code. Skydiving events for individuals and teams are now sanctioned by national and international federations. Competition events have rules, they are judged on athletic and artistic merit, scored according to judging criteria, and results are recorded.

Downhill ski racing was once considered the pinnacle of technical skill, speed, and excitement in alpine skiing within the Winter Olympic program.

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However, extreme downhill skiing, also known as ‘big mountain skiing’ has taken the risk to a new level. There are no ‘rules’ per se, no course, and no limit to the conditions which challenge extreme skiers to demonstrate what is humanly possible.

(From: https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/knowledge_ base/sport_participation/Sport_a_new_fit/what_is_sport)

2.Answer the questions below, using the information from the text.

1.What else are extreme sports sometimes called?

2.What do extreme sports usually involve according to the text? What are the common characteristics of extreme sports?

3.What are modified sports? What differs extreme sports from modified sports?

4.When did extreme sports gain their popularity? What was it due to?\

5.How do extreme sports differ from traditional ones in terms of rules and conditions within which competitions take place?

6.What three criteria of a ‘sport’ do extreme sports apply? How do they differ within extreme sports?

7.What examples of extreme sports having been modified and structured into the mainstream sports are given in the text? What is said about those sports in the text?

3. Read the article about the extreme sports that are popular in Britain. Have you heard of any of them? Have you tried yourself in any of them?

Extreme Sports

Summer’s just around the corner, encouraging some to dust off the tennis racket or rummage round the cupboard for the cricket bat. But for some in Britain traditional outdoor pursuits are just not enough. So how do extreme sports devotees get their kicks?

Extreme sports are about exhilaration, skill and danger. They do not normally involve teams and there are very few rules. People who take part use their skills and experience to control the risks. That control is what makes them sports and not just dangerous behaviour.

Here are just some of the extreme sports which are popular in Britain: Kitesurfing: a growing band of enthusiasts have been discovering the

thrilling combination of kite, board and waves. These kites can be up to 17 metres long. Catch a gust and you’re motoring – up, down and across the surf. British Ladies kitesurfing champion Jo Wilson says: “It’s always an adrenalin rush. It’s unpredictable. You could jump 5ft or 35ft. You never know if you’re going to go up in the air, and your heart is just going boom, boom, boom all the time.”

Coasteering: this is exploring the coastline without worrying about a coastal path or finding a rocky cliffy cove blocking your route. You climb, dive,

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swim and clamber from A to B. There are about 15 operators in the UK offering coasteering.

Sky diving: traditional parachuting just doesn’t sound risky enough, does it? So now skydiving is the name for jumping from a plane and listening to your heart pounding as youhurtle towards earth before you open your parachute at the last moment. Once you’ve got a few jumps under your parachute you can throw in some extra risks, for example try a ‘hook turn’. Dean Dunbar is a participant of extremedreams.com and his first sky dive was in 1998. Since then he’s been hooked on the buzz of the extreme, saying: “Every so often I have to go out and do something scary.”

Mountain biking: it’s been around so long that bikers are no longer satisfied with just going up and down a mountain. Nowadays thrill seeking mountain bikers want a big slope to go down very, very fast. “It’s pure mad, downhill,” according to Dean Dunbar. “People go to old ski resorts, take the chair lift to the top then bomb down – amazingly not killing themselves.”

(From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/ newsenglish/britain/extreme_sports.shtml)

4.Explain the meaning of the words and phrases in bold in the text.

5.Discuss the following questions in the class:

a)Do extreme sports have anything to do with health and fitness? Shall we regard them as sports? Or are they just leisure activities?

b)Are all extreme sports dangerous? Are all dangerous sports extreme? What is the difference?

c)Do you approve of these sports? Explain your point of view.

6. What makes people do extreme sports? Think of any reasons. What kind of people do these sports attract (think of their traits of character, life styles, age, social and professional status etc.)?

Read the article extract below and compare your ideas with what is written in it. How similar are they to yours.

The World’s Most Dangerous Sports

Clare Davidson

“Some get their kicks from champagne…” while others like jumping off tall buildings.

Since Icarus, humans have been compelled to test how close to a nasty death they can go.

Defining the world’s most dangerous sport remains a tricky subject, mainly due to limited data: Unsurprisingly, organizers and participants are loath to publicize deaths. (Existing information produces curious results. In the U.K., for example, angling kills more people each year than any other sport, due to drowning, but it is by no means deemed extreme.) The key is not the death toll but what the worst-case scenario is if something goes wrong.

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Broadly speaking, if an activity involves being exposed to the elements, using specialist equipment to control an inherently incontrollable and unpredictable environment, it is probably an extreme sport. Cave diving in dank, enclosed spaces qualifies, as does surfing 50-foot waves capable of destroying a small village.

Such activities, loosely defined as extreme or dangerous sports, are not for everyone. They tend to attract men (though not exclusively) in their late 20s to early 40s, who live for the moment – which is a good thing since it could always be their last. Even without death, there’s a long list of injuries on offer: from concussion or brain damage (bull riding) to broken bones (luging, among others), frostbite (mountaineering) or the bends (scuba diving), to name a few.

So why do it? As Harry Parker Harry Parker , a BASE jumper, says incredulously: “Why? Because you can!” But the bottom line is this: People will go to extraordinary lengths to get high. If this means splashing out over $600 per day to heli-ski by jumping from a helicopter into virgin snow, and risk starting an avalanche, all the better.

But besides the adrenaline junkies are what the Speleological (the Latinate term for caving) Society dubs “equipment junkies.” They love the associated paraphernalia and experimenting. A notorious experimenter is David Kirke, the founder of England’s Dangerous Sports Club. Kirke adapted the trebuchet, a medieval device for throwing rocks, to catapult humans from zero to 55 feet in the air in 1.9 seconds. By taking things to extremes, he says, it puts the rest of life into perspective. As Einstein would say, it’s all relative.

Human curiosity, it seems, is as alive today as in the 1970s when Californian kids hit the open road by lying down on their skateboards, arguably one of the earliest extreme sports. The difference today from when these sports first started is that organizations and sponsors such as Red Bull, the energy drink, have turned formerly counterculture pastimes into moneymaking industries with regular events, offering prize money and endorsements.

But it you are game for one of these sports, remember: Insurance exists for a reason.

(From: http://www.forbes.com/2002/08/07/0807sport.html)

7.Sum up the main ideas of the text above. Work in pairs. Read your summaries to each other, translate your partner’s summary into Russian.

8.Discuss the following questions in small group. Choose a person to report the results of your discussion. Compare your ideas with the other groups.

“Should Dangerous Sports Be Banned?”

1.Do you think that dangerous sports should be outlawed?

If so, which sports do you think are particularly perilous and should be banned immediately? Why? (Give a detailed answer.)

2.What are the arguments against banning perilous sports? (List as many arguments as you can.)

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3.Can the problem be solved by banning some perilous sports while keeping others legal? If so, who and how should decide which sports to ban?

4.Should any sports be excluded from the Olympic games? If so, which ones?

9. Act out one of the following dialogues. First, select the vocabulary, that you will need.

1.You want to try an extreme sport but your parents are against the idea. Try to convince your parents.

2.You are the father and the mother of the girl. You think she’s putting on weight and spends too much time watching TV and playing computer games. You’d like her to take up a sport.

3.You are a doctor and need to advise an elderly patient on the kinds of exercise which are particularly beneficial for that age-group and the ways to exercise safely.

IV. On Your Own

1.Make a short report about any extreme or dangerous sport, that you haven’t spoken about yet in the classroom. In your speech explain what makes this sport dangerous or extreme and provide the evidence by using the data (statistics), sportsmen quotes from their interviews, descriptions of accidents and so on.

2.Look at the list of “Most dangerous sports” published at http://www. thetoptens.com/most-dangerous-sports/. Do you understand why all these sports have been included into the list? If not-check the site and find out. Do you agree?

Are there any sports which are not dangerous? What are they?

3. Has anyone in your group reported about white-water rafting or parkour? Do the Preparation task at https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/word- street/extreme-sports, then watch the video, where Carmen talks to a whitewater rafting expert and a parkour enthusiast.

Next go to Task and do the activity. If you need help, you can read the transcript at any time.

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Answers to the quiz from page 82

1.False. Studies conducted by NASA, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, show that unexercised muscles lose their strength very quickly. After 48 to 72 hours, you must use the muscles again to reestablish the good physical effects. NASA scientists concluded that while daily exercise is most beneficial, three alternating days each week will maintain an adequate level of physical fitness.

2.True. Walking helps circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health.

3.False. You use the same amount of energy whether you walk or jog the mile, since in both cases you are moving the same weight the same distance. The speed doesn’t matter.

4.False. Many people believe that when specific muscles are exercised, the fatty tissues in the immediate area are “burned up”. The truth is that exercise burns fat from all over the body and not from one specific area, regardless of the type of exercise. Of course, if you reduce the fat throughout your body, you will certainly see results around you waistline too!

5.False. Sweating only lowers body temperature to prevent overheating; it doesn’t help lose weight. You may weigh less immediately after a workout, but this is due to water loss. Once you replace the liquid, you replace the weight.

6.False. Stretching exercises (e.g. twisting or bending at the waist, touching your toes) should be done slowly, allowing the muscles to relax and “let go”. Vigorous stretching makes the muscles become tighter.

7.True. Five minutes or so after exercising your breathing rate should be normal, your heart should not be pounding, and you should not be exhausted. Beneficial exercise is not overly difficult, unpleasant, and exhausting; it’s moderate, enjoyable, refreshing.

8.True. There are more than 400 muscles that attach to your skeleton. A good exercise routine should contract and stretch all these muscles, and this simply cannot be done with four or five exercises in five or ten minutes. Many doctors believe that about 20 minutes is the minimum amount of time needed for an adequate workout.

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APPENDIX

References to Listening tasks on Sport

Module 1

1.Fiona Scott-Barrett. New Proficiency. Listening & Speaking. Page 68, Listening 1.

You will hear two extracts from an interview with a woman who has written a book about sumo wrestling.

2.Fiona Scott-Barrett. New Proficiency. Listening & Speaking. Page 72, Listening B, Listening 1, extract 2.

You will hear a telephone call between a young woman and her mother. They are discussing a form of exercise called Thai Chi.

Module 2

“Upstream Upper Intermediate. Student’s Book.” Page 180, task 2 (a–c). You will listen to part of an interview with the press officer of the National Fitness Association, in which he gives advice on how to join the right gym.

Module 3

1.Fiona Scott-Barrett. New Proficiency. Listening & Speaking. Page 69, Listening 2.

You will hear a radio programme about endurance sports.

2.“Upstream Advanced. Student’s Book.” Page 152, task 3 (a–b).

You will hear five people talking about sport and how they can contribute to a sports club.

Module 4

1.“Innovations Advanced. Coursebook.” Page 114, tasks 2–3. You will hear three people talking about a game.

2.Fiona Scott-Barrett. New Proficiency. Listening & Speaking. Page 69, Listening 3.

You will hear a radio interview about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Olympic sports.

Module 6

1.“Upstream Advanced. Student’s Book.” Page 152, task 1 (a–c). You will hear a medical advisor talking about exercise and health.

2.“Upstream Advanced. Student’s Book.” Page 152, task 2 (a–c).

You will hear a radio interview in which two people discuss the sport of heliskiing.

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