Lesson 4: Fitness
Fitness refers to the overall health and well-being of an individual, which encompasses both physical and mental aspects. Physical fitness typically includes elements such as cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and body composition. Mental fitness involves emotional stability, mental clarity, and the ability to manage stress. Achieving fitness generally involves regular exercise, a balanced diet, adequate rest, and other healthy lifestyle choices.
Unit Three: Lifestyle: Lesson 4: Fitness English For Today
A. Discuss in pairs.
What do you understand by fitness?
Answer:
Fitness, to me, means maintaining a state of overall health and well-being, which involves both physical and mental components. Physically, it includes activities that enhance cardiovascular health, muscle strength, flexibility, and body composition. Mentally, it encompasses maintaining emotional stability, mental clarity, and the ability to manage stress effectively. Achieving fitness requires regular exercise, a balanced diet, proper rest, and adopting healthy lifestyle habits.
B. Read the texts below and match them with the pictures here.
- An active exercise program done to music, often in a class under the guidance of a trainer for maintaining sound physical health.
- The emptying of the mind of thoughts, or the concentration of the mind on one thing, to aid mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation. It broadens the horizon of mind, creates a situation of calm and quiet order — a bridge between mind and body.
- A discipline that promotes spiritual unity with a supreme being through a system of postures and rituals and creates profound self-contentment. It was practiced by great religious personalities of different religions and is still practiced in many countries.
- A place where people do physical exercise with instruments, a modern trend in urban localities having separate arrangements for men and women, sometimes with a trainer to guide physical fitness.
Answer:
Aerobics An active exercise program done to music, often in a class under the guidance of a trainer for maintaining sound physical health.
Meditation The emptying of the mind of thoughts, or the concentration of the mind on one thing, to aid mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation. It broadens the horizon of mind, creates a situation of calm and quiet order — a bridge between mind and body.
Yoga A discipline that promotes spiritual unity with a supreme being through a system of postures and rituals and creates profound self-contentment. It was practiced by great religious personalities of different religions and is still practiced in many countries.
Lifestyle A place where people do physical exercise with instruments, a modern trend in urban localities having separate arrangements for men and women, sometimes with a trainer to guide physical fitness.
Unit 3: Life Style : Lesson 1: Manners around the world
C. The following statements are based on the text in Section B. Work in pairs and decide which statements are true and which are false. If any statement is false, correct it.
- One can perform gym activities with an instrument at home.
- Yoga creates a harmony between mind and body.
- Meditation involves a deep retrospection into one’s innermost entity.
- Contemplation is helpful in increasing one’s concentration in academic activities.
- Rural women are especially fond of aerobics in Bangladesh.
- Meditation is a way to ‘know thyself’.
- Religious preachers of ancient times ushered the dawn of civilization by practicing meditation.
- Yoga includes meditation in order to bridge the outer and the inner entities of the soul.
- Yoga can be performed only in open spaces.
- Gym activities and outdoor sports are the same.
Answer:
- One can perform gym activities with an instrument at home.
- True. Gym activities can be performed at home using various fitness instruments.
- Yoga creates a harmony between mind and body.
- True. Yoga promotes spiritual unity and harmony between mind and body.
- Meditation involves a deep retrospection into one’s innermost entity.
- True. Meditation often involves deep introspection and focusing on one’s inner self.
- Contemplation is helpful in increasing one’s concentration in academic activities.
- True. Contemplation can improve concentration, which is beneficial for academic activities.
- Rural women are especially fond of aerobics in Bangladesh.
- False. Aerobics is more popular in urban areas. Correction: Aerobics is a modern trend in urban localities.
- Meditation is a way to ‘know thyself’.
- True. Meditation helps in self-awareness and understanding oneself better.
- Religious preachers of ancient times ushered the dawn of civilization by practicing meditation.
- True. Meditation was practiced by religious preachers in ancient times, contributing to the development of civilization.
- Yoga includes meditation in order to bridge the outer and the inner entities of the soul.
- True. Yoga often incorporates meditation to connect the inner and outer aspects of the self.
- Yoga can be performed only in open spaces.
- False. Yoga can be performed both indoors and outdoors. Correction: Yoga can be performed in any suitable space, not just open spaces.
- Gym activities and outdoor sports are the same.
- False. Gym activities and outdoor sports are different; gym activities are typically done indoors with equipment, while outdoor sports are played outside and often involve physical games or activities. Correction: Gym activities involve structured exercises usually done indoors with equipment, whereas outdoor sports involve physical games played outside.
D. Read the following text on meditation and answer the questions that follow.
The act of thinking deeply and calmly about something in a state of heightened awareness is known as meditation. It is an approach to train up the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to training the body. Voltaire explains, “Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.”
From ancient times, meditation has been a part of some religious traditions as a way of achieving the body’s release from worldly cares and creating inner harmony.
Meditation in our time is practiced by people to reduce stress and tension and improve focus. There are trainers who help beginners with some exercises such as improved breathing and progressive relaxation. One of the most common approaches to meditation is concentration.
To develop concentration, one needs to focus on a single point. Since focusing the mind is challenging, a beginner might meditate for only a few minutes and then work up to longer durations.
Meditation releases anxiety and brings a state of calmness. It increases the thinking ability of the human brain so that people have better control of their emotions. Those who practice meditation can work tirelessly for a longer period of time. Meditation helps improve blood circulation in the brain and other parts of the body. Finally, meditation improves creativity, self-awareness, and tolerance.
Lesson 1 -Unforgettable History
E. Choose the right answer based on the text you have read.
a) When did people begin practicing meditation first? i) in the last century ii) recently iii) in the ancient past iv) in the middle ages
b) What is meditation good for? i) eyes ii) serious thinking iii) developing muscles iv) relaxation
c) What is the text about? i) contemplation ii) negotiation iii) mental exercise iv) hypnotism
d) How can a person attain control over five senses? i) practicing relaxation ii) self-realization iii) refraining from drugs iv) avoiding bad habits
e) How does improved blood circulation help a human being? i) It develops the mind. ii) It helps all the organs of the body function properly. iii) It prevents pneumonia. iv) It increases thinking ability.
Answer:
a) When did people begin practicing meditation first?
- iii) in the ancient past
b) What is meditation good for?
- iv) relaxation
c) What is the text about?
- iii) mental exercise
d) How can a person attain control over five senses?
- i) practicing relaxation
e) How does improved blood circulation help a human being?
- ii) It helps all the organs of the body function properly.
F. Make a list of 5 main ideas of the text in Section D and summarize the text in 50 words.
Answer:
List of 5 Main Ideas
- Meditation involves deep, calm thinking and heightened awareness.
- It has been practiced since ancient times for inner harmony and release from worldly cares.
- Modern meditation reduces stress and improves focus, often guided by trainers.
- Concentration is a key aspect of meditation, starting with short durations.
- Benefits include anxiety reduction, better emotional control, improved blood circulation, increased creativity, self-awareness, and tolerance.
Summary
Meditation, an ancient practice, involves deep, calm thinking for inner harmony. Today, it helps reduce stress and improve focus, often with trainers. Key aspects include concentration and short initial sessions. Benefits are reduced anxiety, better emotional control, improved circulation, and enhanced creativity, self-awareness, and tolerance.
G. Write a dialogue between you and your friend about the stresses people feel nowadays and how physical exercises or meditation can reduce them.
Answer:
Dialogue:
You: Hey, have you noticed how stressed people are these days?
Friend: Yes, it’s quite alarming. I think it’s due to the fast-paced lifestyle and high demands at work and home.
You: Absolutely. I believe physical exercises and meditation can really help in reducing stress.
Friend: I agree. Physical exercises like aerobics or going to the gym can keep the body fit and release endorphins, which improve mood.
You: Yes, and meditation is great for mental peace. It helps calm the mind, reduce anxiety, and improve focus.
Friend: That’s true. I’ve started practicing yoga, and it’s amazing how it creates harmony between the mind and body.
You: That’s wonderful! I think we should encourage more people to take up these activities to manage their stress better.
Friend: Definitely. A little exercise and meditation can go a long way in maintaining overall well-being.
Unit 2: Lesson 1 What is a dream?