opm: The health of the mind is more important.

New Newspaper
One Pen Ma column
Writer: Steven Ma

The health of the mind is more important.
 心靈健康更重要

"Daily exercise is good for the body; males, females, young and old all can do it."  The right amount of exercises undoubtedly benefits the body.  But the benefits of exercising go beyond providing us with a healthy body, what's more is that they are a panacea for maintaining a positive heart. .

I often urge my friends to exercise regularly but don't overdo it, and that exercises come in different types. I categorize them into "spirit and muscles group"   vs "aerobics and muscles group". For example, like golf, pool, and bow and arrows kind of exercises I would group as spirit exercises.  Whereas, jogging, badminton and basketball those that require greater motion I would group as aerobic exercises.  Of course, within these two groups, there are different levels.  But per my experience, aerobic exercises are beneficial for the heart, much better than the spirit exercises.

During exercising when the heart beat is over 120 and is maintained for over 20 minutes or more, the body secretes a natural biochemical, endorphin, that elates the mood and decreases the stress, bringing equilibrium to the person's heart and mind. In today's society, the health of the mind is sometimes even more important.