Physiology and Benefits of Exercise

   Preparing to read

   BRAINSTORMING

   Talk to the people sitting near you and brainstorm your knowledge of physiology and benefits
   of exercise. What have you already studied on the topic?

   

   Textové pole: Learning a large number of words relating to a specific topic makes reading on
   that topic much easier. Knowing synonyms and antonyms is one way to build a topic-based
   vocabulary.SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

   

   

   

   

   TASK:

   The following words occur in the text. Find five pairs of near synonyms in the first line and
   four pairs of antonyms in the second one.

   1. improve – maintain – enhance – aid – stretch – help – keep – affect - extend - influence

   2. increase – lengthen – reduce – stretch – anaerobic - contract – shorten - aerobic

   

   SCANNING

   Textové pole: Scanning involves looking quickly through a text to find a specific word or
   piece of information. There are often times when it is necessary to do this, such as when
   studying for a test, so it is a useful skill to practise.

   

   

   

   

   

   TASK:

   Scan the text below quickly to match paragraphs with suitable headings:

   Basic Physiology of Exercise          Aerobic Exercise                Benefits of Exercise
   What is exercise?              Anaerobic Exercise 

   1. Exercise is an activity that results in contraction of skeletal muscle. The term is usually
   used in reference to any activity that improves physical fitness. Although muscle contraction
   is the common element of all forms of exercise, many other organs and systems are affected,
   for example, the heart and lungs.
   

   2. Contraction of skeletal muscles, the muscles under conscious control, is the primary
   physiological event during exercise. Because skeletal muscles can actively contract, but are
   not designed to actively lengthen, they are arranged as opposing pairs. As one muscle
   shortens, another is stretched. An example of such a pair of muscles can be observed in the
   upper arm, where the biceps and triceps have opposite actions.

   

   3. This type of exercise involves heavy work by a limited number of muscles, for example
   during weight lifting. These types of activities are maintained only for short intervals, and
   the supply of oxygen is insufficient for aerobic metabolism, resulting in a substantial oxygen
   debt. This exercise increases strength and muscle mass, but is of limited benefit to
   cardiovascular health.

   

   4. This type of exercise uses oxygen to keep large muscle groups moving continuously at an
   intensity that can be maintained for at least 20 minutes. This form of exercise uses several
   major muscle groups throughout the body, resulting in greater demands on the cardiovascular
   and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to the working muscles.

   

   5. Regular exercise reduces the risk of death due to heart disease and stroke, aids in
   reducing weight, strengthens bones, and enhances immune function. The psychological benefits
   are also broad. One area of controversy has been how much exercise is enough to improve
   general health, reduce the risk of heart disease, and increase longevity. Meaningful studies
   on this topic are very difficult to perform because they require large populations of subjects
   and many years of data collection, and because poor health sometimes negatively influences
   physical activity. Despite these difficulties, it is clear that regular exercise, along with a
   generally healthy lifestyle, is beneficial.

   After you read

    1. Have you learned anything new?
    2. Look back at the paragraph headings and summarise the main ideas in your own words.

   (adapted from: Seal, B. Academic Encounters. Cambridge University Press, 1997.)