Mission Impossible A Healthy Routine Our body is like a machine that needs all its components to be in good condition to work well In order to keep fit, it is necessary to at least one hour of physical activity every day We can engage in outdoor or indoor activities, team or individual sports One important muscle that needs to be strong is the heart because it pumps blood to all our body Aerobic activities, like swimming or running, make the heart beat faster, transporting oxygen and glucose more quickly to the muscles In this way, muscles release energy and burn more calories, helping control our weight During regular activities, muscles become strong, protecting our joints and bones from possible injuries To avoid strains or sprains, it is always very important to warm-up exercises before training and to stretch our muscles after it, as well Sometimes, doing too much exercise to lose weight turns into an unhealthy habit because we not have enough calories and our bodies become weak What we regularly eat also determines our health A balanced healthy diet includes appropriate amounts of calories, vitamins and minerals, proteins for growth and carbohydrates and fats for energy Planning our meals is an effective way of controlling what we eat It is not difficult to design a weekly diet plan and the nutritional pyramid gives us useful information to take into account It is also essential that we devote enough time to eat and enjoy meals so that we digest food in a proper way The excess or lack of food many times results in eating disorders and unhealthy conditions which threaten our lives A poor diet can cause many illnesses and prevent growth Another significant factor that exerts influence on the function of our body is the time we rest We need to sleep eight hours each night Lack of sleep has a strong impact on both our body and mind Tiredness affects our mood and our abilities to carry out our daily tasks It is possible to have a healthy routine even when we think that we not have enough time Changing some bad habits, like leading a sedentary life, eating junk food or not sleeping well at night, ensures we get a proper functioning of our body systems and more energy to perform our daily activities It is never too late to start! English Toolkit - Sports Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 Module 1A Module 1A Activities Read the text and answer the questions a What healthy habits are mentioned? b What are the advantages of doing physical exercise? c In what ways does a bad night’s rest affect our mood? Think of two examples and share them with the class d Can you think of other healthy habits to incorporate into your routine? a lack: d balanced diet: b healthy: e always: Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 2 Read the text and find the opposite of c .weak: 3 Work in groups Help your mum design a healthy weekly home menu When you finish, explain it to the other groups Weekly home menu Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: 4 Look at the food pyramid and complete with a tick (3) How often you eat… always usually often sometimes hardly ever …pasta? …fruits? …vegetables? …meat? …eggs? …yogurt or drink milk? …sweets? English Toolkit - Sports never h Now, write a paragrap s bit g tin ea ur about yo