As a high school senior, Kimmarie Pond had never even considered cycling to get fit. That changed after she participated (参加) in Soul-Cycle’s program called Soul Scholarships.

The program teaches healthy lifestyle lessons to teens from New York’s suburbs, where healthy living isn’t always discussed in schools or the community.

The 17-year-old girl was asked if she thought she was too old to learn about living a healthy lifestyle. “I would say that you’re never too old to learn anything,” Pond replied. “I don’t think cycling is that hard,” she added.

Like Pond, Brown said his favorite part of the program came after they got off the bikes. “We take nutrition classes, where we learn about alternative (可供替代的) food choices, healthy options that encourage us to be more healthy,” he said.

“Adapting (适应) to change,” he added, “is not something I’d necessarily do, but I did it, and for me that means everything.”

Early results are positive, and not just for Brown. About one third of the participants did not exercise before joining the program. Now, 95 percent of the participants are working out regularly. The participants are also reported to have cut back on soda, which can have high sugar content, by 46 percent.

“We have never expected that the kids would be so energetic and devoted to the program,” said Ashley Mashihi, a cycling instructor.

Small steps can mean big change for these teens. Maria Caban says she feels different now. “When I walk out,” she says, “I walk with my head up. I feel a lot of pride in my participation.”

   Easy Ways to Reach and Keep a Healthy Weight

Weight loss is most likely to be successful when people change their habits, replacing old, unhealthy ones with new, healthy ones. Here are 5 ways to make that happen.

1.Exercises.

【小题1】 Walking the family dog, cycling to school and doing other things that increase your daily level of activity can all make a difference. If you want to burn more calories, increase the intensity of your workout and add some strength exercise to build muscles. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you aren't exercise.

2. 【小题2】

One reason people get less exercise these days is an increase in screen time-- the amount of time spent watching TV, surfing the Internet or playing video games. Limit recreational screen time to less than 2 hours per day.

3. Watch out for sugary drinks.

One key factor in weight gain is that some people drink lots of sugary drinks, such as soda, juice drinks and sports drinks. 【小题3】

4. Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

【小题4】 They're also packed with fiber, which means they can fill you up. And when you fill yourself up on fruit and vegetables, you are less likely to overeat when it comes to high-calorie foods like chips and cookies.

5. 【小题5】

Breakfast can promote your metabolism(新陈代谢), burning calories and giving you energy to do more during the day. People who skip(跳过) breakfast often feel so hungry that they eat more later on. So they get more calories than they would have if they didn't eat breakfast.

   All of my five children played team sports in middle school and high school, and four of them in college. 【小题1】

Teenagers may get into bad habits. 【小题2】 According to a study in Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, a survey of more than 14,000 teenagers found that those who had taken part in team sports were less likely to smoke or have unhealthy eating habits.

As children get older, they naturally develop their own lives and there will be fewer ways for parents to be involved (参与). Some teenagers shut their parents out of their room. 【小题3】

Sports build strong and healthy bodies. Children who compete know that they are only at their best if they eat and rest well. 【小题4】 In sports, strength and speed are wanted. Team sports help kids avoid obesity (肥胖) problems even better than activities like running or biking.

【小题5】 The joy of a sports season stays with us long after the season is over. Our children may forget who was in their English class or which math teacher they had in the 10th grade one day. But they will never forget their sports teams.

   For many，running has never been their favorite activity. But running can certainly be a great way to get fit and stay healthy.

Getting started is difficult.【小题1】 Running can be boring at times，but the effect on your body and mind is well worth that struggle of just getting up and running.

【小题2】 Every major city and many smaller cities have running communities. They are quite organized and willing to help. They will help you see your running goals through.

Start with short distances. Though the running community would love to have a new long-distance runner tomorrow，the fact is that that will not happen overnight. Try running one mile every day for the next 3 weeks. After that，add it to two miles and so on.【小题3】

Take part in a race. By signing up for a race in the near future，you will focus on a goal and be motivated（激励）to keep practicing for that event. I suggest signing up for a 5-kilometer race that will take place within one month.【小题4】

【小题5】 Motivation is a major factor in running success. Bring a friend along to push you through the times and motivate you in his own way.

   The biggest complaint I hear is, “I don’t have enough time.” Trust me — I get it! So here are five simple tips to keep you consistently (稳定地) working out.

1. Schedule it.

【小题1】 I mean it. Open up your calendar and schedule it into your day. This makes sure you do have the time each day.

2. Keep your scheduled appointment.

Now that your exercise is scheduled, keep your appointment! 【小题2】 Your health and happiness are just as important as any other appointment. Honour yourself.

3. Exercise first in the morning.

Most of us don’t have business meetings or doctors’ appointments at 5:30 a. m. This is prime time to get your workouts done. 【小题3】 But after two weeks you will get used to it. I promise!

4. 【小题4】

Day one, do a HIIT workout. Day two, lift heavy weights. Day three, increase joint mobility with yoga. Boredom is one of the biggest reasons why people don’t stick with an exercise program. Don’t wake up and run every day. You have got to mix them up.

5. 【小题5】

The more fun you have while exercising, the more likely you are to do it. On weekends go for a long bike ride or hike with your family. Or, do your normal exercise routine with your family. I also do yoga once a week with my husband. We look forward to this date.

There you have them — five simple tips to keep workouts consistent. The better you insist on doing it, the better results you may have!