Stretching may not prevent jogging injuries (1st December, 2019)

GRAMMAR
SPELL
WORDS
The Reading / Listening - Stretching - Level 6
Researchers believe they have debunked a myth about the perceived importance of stretching before jogging. Hundreds of millions of joggers around the world perform static stretching exercises before going for a jog. It is a daily ritual that can be seen in parks and streets everywhere. However, researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia say there is no evidence to show that stretching improves running performance or decreases the risk of injuries. Their research is published in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say that while there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle, knee and hip joints flexible, it won't aid performance or keep injuries at bay.
Lead researcher James Alexander conducted the research after discussions with runners about stretching. Mr Alexander is an avid jogger and often wondered what the benefits of stretching were. He told the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have certain beliefs around running injury risks, injury prevention and performance that are in contrast to current research evidence." He added: "These beliefs drive runners to continue to pursue ineffective or non-optimal strategies within their running training, whether through static stretching for injury prevention or low-load strength training for performance." He recommended a 5-10-minute session of walking or light jogging as the best warm-up.
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and...history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels.... In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Warm-ups
1. STRETCHING: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about stretching. Change partners often and share your findings. 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
Â Â Â Â Â Â myth / importance / stretching / joggers / ritual / evidence / performance / hip / joint
Â Â Â Â Â Â researcher / discussion / benefit / news agency / strategy / injury / training / warm-up
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently. 3. JOGGING: Students A strongly believe jogging is the best form of exercise; Students B strongly believe it is not.Â Change partners again and talk about your conversations. 4. WARM-UPS: What do you think of these warm-ups? How good are they? What sports are they best for? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.
MY e-BOOK
5. RITUAL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "ritual". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories. 6. EXERCISE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.
jogging
yoga
swimming
walking
housework
cycling
dancing
gardening
Vocabulary
Paragraph 1
1.
debunked
a.
Lacking in movement, action, or change.
2.
myth
b.
At a distance so it cannot affect or hurt you.
3.
perceived
c.
Uncovered the falseness of an idea, or belief.
4.
static
d.
Became aware or conscious of something.
5.
evidence
e.
A widely held but false belief or idea.
6.
joint
f.
The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief is true or valid.
7.
at bay
g.
A distinct part of a body or limb between the places at which they are connected.
The researcher said 10 seconds of walking was a great warm-up.Â Â Â Â T / F
The researcher said light jogging was the best kind of warm-up.Â Â Â Â T / F
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
debunked
performed
ritual
evidence
at bay
avid
pursue
optimal
static
light
away
proof
simple
follow
carried out
best
stationary
poked holes in
enthusiastic
custom
3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
Researchers believe they have debunked
the perceived importance
It is a daily
decreases the risk of
keep ankle, knee and hip
Mr Alexander is an avid
Runners have certain beliefs
in contrast to current
ineffective or non-
walking or light jogging as the best
warm-up
joints flexible
jogger
research evidence
of stretching
ritual
optimal strategies
a myth
around running
injuries
Gap fill
Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
ritual
hip
evidence
bay
myth
static
risk
streetsS
Researchers believe they have debunked a (1) ____________ about the perceived importance of stretching before jogging. Hundreds of millions of joggers around the world perform (2) ____________ stretching exercises before going for a jog. It is a daily (3) ____________ that can be seen in parks and (4) ____________ everywhere. However, researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia say there is no (5) ____________ to show that stretching improves running performance or decreases the (6) ____________ of injuries. Their research is published in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say that while there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle, knee and (7) ____________ joints flexible, it won't aid performance or keep injuries at (8) ____________.
Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
benefits
prevention
light
contrast
conducted
training
beliefs
pursue
Lead researcher James Alexander (9) ____________ the research after discussions with runners about stretching. Mr Alexander is an avid jogger and often wondered what the (10) ____________ of stretching were. He told the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have certain (11) ____________ around running injury risks, injury prevention and performance that are in (12) ____________ to current research evidence." He added: "These beliefs drive runners to continue to (13) ____________ ineffective or non-optimal strategies within their running training, whether through static stretching for injury (14) ____________ or low-load strength (15) ____________ for performance." He recommended a 5-10-minute session of walking or (16) ____________ jogging as the best warm-up.
Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps
Researchers believe they have (1) ___________________ about the perceived importance of stretching before jogging. Hundreds of millions of joggers around the (2) ___________________ stretching exercises before going for a jog. It is (3) ___________________ that can be seen in parks and streets everywhere. However, researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia say there (4) ___________________ to show that stretching improves running performance or decreases the risk of injuries. Their research (5) ___________________ the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say that while there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle, knee and (6) ___________________, it won't aid performance or keep injuries at bay.
Lead researcher James Alexander (7) ___________________ after discussions with runners about stretching. Mr Alexander is an avid jogger and often wondered what (8) ___________________ stretching were. He told the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have certain beliefs around running injury risks, (9) ___________________ performance that are in contrast to current research evidence." He added: "These beliefs drive runners to (10) ___________________ ineffective or non-optimal strategies within their running training, whether (11) ___________________ for injury prevention or low-load strength training for performance." He recommended a 5-10-minute session of walking (12) ___________________ as the best warm-up.
Comprehension questions
What did researchers say they have done to a myth?
How many joggers perform static stretching exercises?
How often does a jogging ritual take places in parks and streets?
What can stretching do to hip joints?
What does a researcher say stretching won't keep at bay?
What kind of jogger is James Alexander?
What did James Alexander often wonder about?
What are runners' beliefs about stretching in contrast to?
What kind of strategies did Mr Alexander say runners pursued?
What did James Alexander say light jogging was?
Multiple choice quiz
1) What did researchers say they have done to a myth?
a) researched it
b) heightened it
c) added to it
d) debunked it
2) How many joggers perform static stretching exercises?
a) millions of hundreds
b) hundreds of millions
c) thousands of billions
d) hundreds of thousands
3) How often does a jogging ritual take places in parks and streets?
a) every other day
b) twice daily
c) daily
d) hourly
4) What can stretching do to hip joints?
a) keep them flexible
b) strain them
c) damage them
d) hurt them
6) What kind of jogger is James Alexander?
a) a beginner
b) an avid one
c) a fast one
d) a champion jogger
7) What did James Alexander often wonder about?
a) the benefits of exercise
b) the benefits of warm-ups
c) the benefits of jogging
d) the benefits of stretching
8) What are runners' beliefs about stretching in contrast to?
a) current research
b) not stretching
c) yoga
d) massages
9) What kind of strategies did Mr Alexander say runners pursued?
a) well-planned strategies
b) high-risk strategies
c) non-optimal strategies
d) interesting strategies
10) What did James Alexander say light jogging was?
a) fun
b) the best warm-up
c) the best cool-down
d) essential
Role play
RoleÂ A â Jogging
You think jogging is the best form of exercise. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their forms of exercise. Also, tell the others which is the least useful form of exercise of these (and why): yoga, dancing or housework.
RoleÂ B â Yoga
You think yoga is the best form of exercise. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their forms of exercise. Also, tell the others which is the least useful form of exercise of these (and why): jogging, dancing or housework.
RoleÂ C â Dancing
You think dancing is the best form of exercise. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their forms of exercise. Also, tell the others which is the least useful form of exercise of these (and why): yoga, jogging or housework.
RoleÂ D â Housework
You think housework is the best form of exercise. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their forms of exercise. Also, tell the others which is the least useful form of exercise of these (and why): yoga, dancing or jogging.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learningâ¦?
4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.
5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:
myth
perform
ritual
no
published
bay
discussions
avid
certain
beliefs
low
best
Student survey
Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)
Discussion - Stretching
STUDENT Aâs QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
What did you think when you read the headline?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'stretching'?
What do you think of stretching?
What do you think of jogging?
Why is jogging so popular?
What do you think when you see joggers?
How can people improve their running performance?
How can we avoid injury while exercising?
What injuries have you had?
What do you do to keep injuries or illness at bay?
STUDENT Bâs QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
What do you think of when you hear the word 'jogging'?
What do you think about what you read?
How important is stretching?
Who is stretching important for?
What is the best form of exercise?
What exercise do you do?
What stretching exercises do you like and dislike?
How can we get more people to exercise?
What questions would you like to ask a sports trainer?
Discussion — Write your own questions
STUDENT Aâs QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
(a) ________________
(b) ________________
(c) ________________
(d) ________________
(e) ________________
STUDENT Bâs QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
(f) ________________
(g) ________________
(h) ________________
(i) ________________
(j) ________________
Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)
Researchers believe they have (1) ____ a myth about the perceived importance of stretching before jogging. Hundreds of millions of joggers around the world perform (2) ____ stretching exercises before going for a jog. It is a daily (3) ____ that can be seen in parks and streets everywhere. However, researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia say there is no evidence to show that stretching improves running performance or decreases the (4) ____ of injuries. Their research is published in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say that while there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle, knee and hip joints (5) ____, it won't aid performance or keep injuries at (6) ____.
Lead researcher James Alexander (7) ____ the research after discussions with runners about stretching. Mr Alexander is an (8) ____ jogger and often wondered what the benefits of stretching were. He told the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have (9) ____ beliefs around running injury risks, injury prevention and performance that are (10) ____ contrast to current research evidence." He added: "These beliefs drive runners to continue to pursue ineffective or non-optimal strategies within their running training, whether through static stretching for injury prevention or low-(11) ____ strength training for performance." He recommended a 5-10-minute (12) ____ of walking or light jogging as the best warm-up.
Put the text back together
(Â 1Â ) Researchers believe they have debunked a myth about the perceived importance of stretching
(...)Â before jogging. Hundreds of millions of joggers around the world perform static stretching exercises before
(...)Â help keep ankle, knee and hip joints flexible, it won't aid performance or keep injuries at bay.
(...)Â from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia say there is no evidence to show that stretching
(...)Â through static stretching for injury prevention or low-load strength training for performance." He
(...)Â going for a jog. It is a daily ritual that can be seen in parks and streets everywhere. However, researchers
(...)Â published in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say that while there is evidence that stretching can
(...)Â contrast to current research evidence." He added: "These beliefs drive runners to continue
(...)Â Lead researcher James Alexander conducted the research after discussions with runners
(...)Â recommended a 5-10-minute session of walking or light jogging as the best warm-up.
(...)Â about stretching. Mr Alexander is an avid jogger and often wondered what the benefits of stretching were. He told
(...)Â to pursue ineffective or non-optimal strategies within their running training, whether
(...)Â the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have certain beliefs around running injury risks, injury prevention and performance that are in
(...)Â improves running performance or decreases the risk of injuries. Their research is
Circle the correct word (20 pairs)
Researchers believe they have debunked a mythical / myth about the perceived importance / important of stretching before jogging. Hundreds of millions of joggers around the world perform statistic / static stretching exercises before going for a jog. It is a daily ritual / virtual that can be seen in parks and streets somewhere / everywhere. However, researchers from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia say there is no evidence to / for show that stretching reproves / improves running performance or decreases the risk / risky of injuries. Their research is published in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine'. They say that while / which there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle, knee and hip joints flexible, it won't aid performance or keep injuries in / at bay.
Lead researcher James Alexander conducted a / the research after discussions with runners / runs about stretching. Mr Alexander is an avoid / avid jogger and often wondered what the benefits of stretching were. He told the Reuters news agency that: "Runners have certainly / certain beliefs around running injury risks, injury precaution / prevention and performance that are in contrast of / to current research evidence." He added: "These beliefs drive runners to continue to pursue / peruse ineffective or non-optimal strategies within their running training, weather / whether through static stretching for injury prevention or low-load strength training for performance." He recommendation / recommended a 5-10-minute session of walking or light / lit jogging as the best warm-up.
Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.
Punctuate the text and add capitals
researchers believe they have debunked a myth about the perceived importance of stretching before jogging hundreds of millions of joggers around the world perform static stretching exercises before going for a jog it is a daily ritual that can be seen in parks and streets everywhere however researchers from la trobe university in melbourne australia say there is no evidence to show that stretching improves running performance or decreases the risk of injuries their research is published in the british journal of sports medicine they say that while there is evidence that stretching can help keep ankle knee and hip joints flexible it wont aid performance or keep injuries at bay
lead researcher james alexander conducted the research after discussions with runners about stretching mr alexander is an avid jogger and often wondered what the benefits of stretching were he told the reuters news agency that runners have certain beliefs around running injury risks injury prevention and performance that are in contrast to current research evidence he added these beliefs drive runners to continue to pursue ineffective or nonoptimal strategies within their running training whether through static stretching for injury prevention or lowload strength training for performance he recommended a 510minute session of walking or light jogging as the best warmup.
Homework
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word. 2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson. 3. STRETCHING: Make a poster about stretching. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things? 4. JOGGING: Write a magazine article about jogging being better than any other form of exercise. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s). 5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles. 6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on stretching. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on stretching. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.
A Few Additional Activities for Students
Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.
Get students to role play different characters from this news story.
Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.
Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.
Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.
Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.
Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.