An increasing number of Chinese are jogging to get and stay fit. Most joggers will run alone, but some will jog with friends or even coaches.

The Beijing Olympic Forest Park is one of the most popular spots. It is packed with runners in the afternoon, usually after work, and at weekends.

Jogging after a whole day’s work can be a way to unwind. It is true for He Wenjun, whose workplace is right near the forest park. She discovered her athletic gift at the age of seven, when she began playing tennis. Then she turned to jogging, and she has persevered with it for 10 years. “I come to jog almost every day after work, whenever I have time. I think jogging is good for my health. And for me, a girl, it helps me to achieve to keep slim,” she said.

She says she prefers jogging alone, so she can focus better. She loves jogging, even during Beijing’s smoggy days. “If the smog is severe, I’ll hold off jogging for a while. But if I really want to get away from work, I’ll wear a mask, or just ignore the smog and go on jogging,” she said.

For those who are not so athletic, jogging also has its attractions.

Wu Houbin started roughly two years ago, when he was severely obese（病态肥胖的）. Within two months, his weight dropped from 82 kilograms to 64 kilograms. The success helped him recover health, and he has made friends. “Jogging does not require speed, but perseverance. If you want to stick to the game, you need to take it as a task, a habit, and then eventually a hobby,” Wu said.

Jogging is beneficial to heart-lung function, and the skeletal system, but doctors say improper technique damages the joints, especially the knees and ankles. “Excessive jogging wears down the body, and harms one’s health. Poor technique harms the muscles and skeletons, and can cause secondary injuries. And, jogging in a bad environment can cause circulation problems,” said Lu Zhiyong, attending doctor, Sports Hospital, General Administration of Sports.

Dr. Lu has some tips for joggers, and those who are thinking of taking it up.

He says people should first evaluate（评估）their physical condition, to decide the amount and type of exercise, and jogging in the open air is better than running on a running machine. It is recommended that joggers jog three or four times a week, and 30 to 60 minutes each time. The best time to jog is 4p.m. — 5 p.m.

   Years ago my three-year-old son, Jeremy, and I walked to our car. He _______ me with excitement. I found he was holding a _______ in his little hand. I hadn’t given it to him, so I asked, “Where did you get that?” He _______ to the store we’d just _______. But we hadn’t paid for it.

I had a lot of things to do that day, but taking _______ of this moment to teach character to my son just moved to the _______ of my to-do list. I sat him in the front seat next to me in the car without _______ it, so the two of us could talk. I _______ to him that we couldn’t just take things from stores without _______ them. When he realized he’d done wrong, tears ________ up in his eyes. I looked at my ________ boy and said, “Here’s what we have to do. We have to go back to the ________. I want you to tell the manager that you took it, and you’re sorry.” We walked back to the store, and I asked for the ________. “My son has something to tell you,” I told her. Jeremy ________ the toy and said, “I took this, and I’m sorry.” The manager ________ it beautifully, and a little boy learned an important ________.

My son is now 40, with children of his own, but he still clearly ________ that day. And, now, I’m so ________ that those character traits I tried to teach him took ________ in his heart and life. He’s now teaching them to my beloved ________.

We can impact our world by teaching our children character-by being examples of them.

   How to relax your mind

Nowadays，people everywhere seem to find less and less time available to them, and more and more things to achieve. It’s quite common to find people running around like headless chickens meeting deadlines that they create. One doesn’t have to live this way, in stress and struggle. 【小题1】

Breathe — I can’t stress enough the importance of learning how to breathe properly, and not only when you’re stressed, but at all times that you can. Learning how to breathe properly at all times is essential. You should try to deepen and lengthen your breath to lower the stress level and promote relaxation.【小题2】

Relax — We often think that just going to the gym and working out is the right way to go to relax ourselves. 【小题3】 A good hard workout is good from time to time, but you are still running at full steam ahead and not giving yourself time to relax. So lighting some fragrant candles, taking a slow hot bath or a shower, or meditating for even 10 minutes will do wonders to help you relax your mind and get out of the stress zone.

Let it all out — 【小题4】 So calling or meeting up with a person who can listen and empathize with us, is often a great way to relax. It’s important that we don’t go into victim mode and get too negative. When we let out our frustrations, it should be done in a positive manner, and with lightheartedness, even joking about the stress we’re under.

【小题5】 — Probably one of the most difficult skills at first to master, but in the end one of the most rewarding to learn in our fast-paced society is the attitude of gratitude. We can do some gratitude list making right on the spot to get out of our heads and away from all that we wished we had but don’t, and to be thankful for all that we do have. I swear learning how to do this will relax you in a way that will change your life for the better.

Hopefully this article helped you to find an answer to your question about how to relax your mind from stress. Try these techniques and let us know, what works best for you.