Elements of fitness – Flexibility

Do you know some activities can help improve your flexibility? Take this fun quiz to find out more…

Fitness is vital if you want to remain healthy. Cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, body composition, and flexibility are five important elements that constitute fitness. An individual with a healthy mix of all five elements, is usually deemed fit.

Flexibility is the ability to move through the full range of motion allowed by a joint. It depends on many factors, including age, gender, body fat/muscle mass ratio, and exercises done to enhance it. The more a joint is used, the more flexible it will become. Increasing flexibility is most effectively achieved through stretching. The most important areas in which to maintain flexibility are the neck, shoulders, hamstring muscles (back of the upper leg), chest and hips.

Here are some activities that could help improve your flexibility. Check out the flashcards and see how many you get right. Get, set, go!

Take the field

Take a look at some venues that overshadow the sport played in them because of their sheer popularity and significance. Plus, play a fun game while you are at it.

World over there are several iconic, historical and beautiful sporting venues, each as important and unique as the other. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Colosseum, Rome, Italy:

This is the oldest and only not-in-use venue on the list. The 157 feet-tall stadium was completed in 80 AD under the Roman emperor Titus, and featured 80 entrances and could seat about 50,000 people.

The Colosseum, though an architectural marvel and a major tourist attraction, was infamous for hosting some of the bloodiest events. There were gladiatorial combats, animal hunts, and simulated naval battles. The animals used in the battles ranged from lions, elephants, wild donkeys, hyenas to elks and hippopotamuses.

Photo: Flickr/daisy.images

Wembley Stadium, London, England:

Wembley Stadium is the second-largest stadium in Europe – with a seating capacity of 90,000 – and the tallest stadium in the world with every seat under cover. Opened in 2007, “The Venue of Legends” hosts the final of the world’s oldest football tournament, the FA Cup, and is the home ground of the English football team.

The stadium also regularly hosts major rugby tournaments, besides concerts.

Photo: Flickr/Elena

Melbourne Cricket Ground, (MCG)Melbourne, Australia:

MCG is one of the most famous cricket venues in the world. Since 1854 when it was inaugurated, the ground has hosted Australia’s first bicycle race, served as the main venue for the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Australian Football League Grand Final every year, and most famously, the Ashes Test between the Australian and English cricket teams. The first game of cricket was played here was on September 30, 1854.

The MCG, or The G as locals call it, is also home to the infamous Bay 13, one of the most disorderly spectator areas in sport.

Photo: Flickr/Charlievdb

Circuit de Monaco, Monaco:

Though there are numerous Formula One Grand Prix circuits around the world, this one is unique because the streets in the neighborhood of Monte Carlo turn into a racing circuit. This tiny city-state on the French Riviera hosts the Monaco Grand Prix touted to be one of the most challenging and dangerous of races because it features a narrow course with several elevation changes and tight corners.

Photo: Flickr/Edward Weston

Beijing National Stadium, Beijing, China

Built primarily for the 2008 Being Olympics, the stadium has a capacity of 80,000. It will be used again in the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Its bowl shape with curvilinear outer steel shell gives it the look of a bird’s nest, which is another name for the stadium. It was designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, and built at a cost of $480 million.

The stadium has also hosted football matches between Football League Championship team Birmingham City and Beijing Guoan, and Arsenal and Manchester City. Besides, the stadium hosts pop events and pageants.

Photo: Flickr/Wojtek Gurak

Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, France:

Home of the French Open, this clay court is named after Roland Garros, a pioneering French aviator who completed the first solo flight across the Mediterranean Sea. He was also the inventor of the first forward-firing aircraft machine gun, and a World War I hero.

The facility was constructed to host France’s first defence of the Davis Cup in 1928. The 21-acre complex contains twenty courts; Les Jardins de Roland Garros – the restaurant complex; Le Village – the press and VIP area; France’s National Training Centre; and the Tenniseum, a multimedia museum of the history of tennis.

It was also used as a detention centre during World War II, where “indésirables” were held pending imprisonment.

Photo: The Hindu Photo Library

India is home to several popular sporting venues like the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai, Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkatta, and Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

One that stands out for its location is the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. It is located amidst the Dhauladhar Ranges of the Himalayas, the peaks of which serve as a beautiful background for a racy game of cricket. Situated at an altitude of 4110 feet, it is the highest international cricket stadium in the world. Dotting the sky above the stadium are golden eagles and Griffin vultures. The Dalai Lama is one of its frequent visitors.

Here are two similar-looking pictures of this stunning stadium. Find six differences between them.

Photo: Flickr/Abhijit Athavale

Unique geographical formations

Earth’s natural formations will never cease to amaze you. These landscapes will make you wonder if you were actually seeing these wonders.

The Earth has is in a continuous state of evolution. Changes have been made by humans too, but, the most amazing changes have happened naturally. Check out these three unique geographical formations to see see how it has changed.

Reed Flute Cave, China

This beautifully coloured limestone cave was formed by water erosion. It is named for a type of reed that generously grows outside the cave and which can be transformed into flutes. In the cave, you’ll find several bodies of water and multi-colored stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Sahara El Beyda, Egypt

This amazing place is also known as the White Desert and is about 45 km from the town of Farafra. Many tourists come to view the amazing white cream coloured sand, and these huge, unbelievable rock formations. Do you know they happened to be shaped like this because of the sandstorms that happened in this area.

Mono Lake, California

This salt-rich lake was formed by local volcanic activity over 760,000 years ago. Because it has such a high level of salt and no outlet, pillars of salt protrude out of the lake and take on some amazing forms.

History on wheels

Go back in time with a ride on these historic and magnificent mountain railways in India.

An unforgettable memory is going on a train journey. Munching sandwiches and sipping hot coffee poured from a thermos flask, while watching postcard-pretty scenes of tea estates and waterfalls slide by is etched permanently in our minds, to be pulled and savoured at any time.Three mountain railways of India are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site for varied reasons.

Well preserved

Being functional and operating smoothly to this day, they are living examples of the engineering skills of the 19th century, especially as they take on the tough terrains of the mountains. These railways also reflect the technology of the British Colonial period in India.This system of transportation also brought about economic, social and cultural development in the regions as they linked the mountains to the plains. Many communities settled in the mountains, earned their livelihood and spread their culture, as they still continue to do so.Though over a century old, these railways are well maintained and conserved, retaining their original look and feel. Despite natural threats like earthquakes, forest fires, landslides, rockfalls and heavy monsoon rains, the tracks are regularly checked and maintenance work is done immediately when necessary.

Kalka-Shimla Railway

The Kalka-Shimla Railway in Northwest India, was built in mid 19th century. Shimla, being the summer capital of British India and the headquarters of the Indian army, saw the transfer of the entire government from Calcutta to Shimla twice a year by horse and ox drawn carts. Thus, there was a need for an easier and quicker mode of transportation, resulting in this railway line which is a 96.6 km single track. It boasts of having the world’s highest multi arch gallery bridge. At the time of construction, it had the world’s largest tunnel. The line is known for its dramatic views of the region’s hills and villages. During winter, snow cutters are attached to the engine to clear the snow from the track.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is located in the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu, connecting Udagamandalam (Ooty) and Mettupalayam. The railway was first proposed in 1854 but as it was a particularly difficult mountainous terrain, work began only in 1891. It was completed in 1908. It scales an elevation of 326 to 2203 metres. A unique feature of this train is that it has a rack and pinion track, the only rack railway in India, to help it traverse the steepest track in Asia. The rack rail is a toothed rail that lies between the tracks. Under the carriage are fitted cogs. This helps the train to climb the steep parts of the mountain. The Nilgris Railway had steam locomotives. When the officials decided to change it from steam to diesel, the locals led a campaign and demanded the return of the steam locomotives.
The Nilgris Mountain Railway issues Edmonson-style manual tickets for the journey to maintain its World Heritage Site status. At Udagamandalam, many of the equipment that was used during the British Raj is preserved.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, in West Bengal, Northeast India, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway began operations in 1881. It is the first and still the best example of a hill passenger railway. It consists of 88.48 kms of two-feet meter gauge tracks, which connect New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling. It passes through Ghum, which at an altitude of 2258 metres, is India’s highest railway station. It also features the Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. The main attraction of the trains are the vintage British-built B-Class steam locomotives. The railway continues to remain an inherent part of the region’s identity and a major tourist attraction.

How much do you know about these fascinating trains? Take this quiz to find out.

Statescan_February 15

There’s been a lot happening around the country. We have chosen a few news items that might be of interest to you.

While a private sector survey found that only 84% of rural households have electricity connection in the four States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan, the Centre has identified over 100 coastal and marine sites as conservation reserves under its National Wildlife Action Plan for 2017-2031. Let’s see what else is happening around the country. Click on the hotspots to find out.

Musically yours!

Movies and music go hand in hand. Play this game to see how many you can get right.

So, you like movies, music and everything that goes with it. Then this game is designed just for you. Get set to play this stimulating game and show off your knowledge about musicals.

Whodunnit

In December 2000, Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” celebrated its 20,000th consecutive performance. If it continues at its current rate, it will pass its 30,000th in autumn 2024.

“The Mousetrap” is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. It opened in London’s West End in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. The longest running West End show, with its 25,000th performance taking place on November 18, 2012. The play has a twist ending, which the audience are traditionally asked not to reveal after leaving the theatre.

The play began life as a short radio play broadcast on May 30, 1947 called “Three Blind Mice” in honour of Queen Mary, the consort of King George V, of the United Kingdom. It originated from the real-life case of Dennis O’Neill, who died after he and his brother Terence suffered extreme abuse while in the foster care of a Shropshire farmer and his wife in 1945.

When she wrote the play, Christie gave the rights to her grandson Mathew Prichard as a birthday present. In the United Kingdom, only one production of the play in addition to the West End production can be performed annually, and under the contract terms of the play, no film adaptation can be produced until the West End production has been closed for at least six months.

It began its run in London on November 25 , 1952 at the Ambassadors Theatre and then shifted to St. Martin’s Theatre where it has been running for the last 42 years. On November 25, 2012 “The Mousetrap” celebrated its 60th birthday. Agatha Christie’s great play has been thrilling audiences from around the world for as long as HRH Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom, has been on the throne.

During the phenomenal 67 year run there have been no fewer than 474 actors and actresses appearing in the play, 279 understudies, 142 miles of shirts have been ironed and over 500 tons of ice cream sold. Some cast members are in the Guinness Book of Records, David Raven as the ‘Most Durable Actor’ for 4575 performances as Major Metcalf, and the late Nancy Seabrooke for a record breaking 15 years as an understudy.

“The Mousetrap” first entered the record books on April 12, 1958 when it became the longest running show of any kind in the history of British Theatre.

Hey Fam!

Family relations can be confusing – and to be honest trying to describe them is confusing too! So, see if you can figure this one out.

Here's a family crossword for you. You can work it out with your brother or sister or may be even your parents.

100

101

102

105

108

110

114

115

116

118

119

120

121

Across

2-6 :To take care of another's child as one's own, legally (5)
8-11 :A child who is just like the parent is a "____ off the old block" (4)
23-29 :To receive money/property after someone's death (7)
40-43 :The female spouse (4)
56-60 :Your mother's grandmother is your ____-grandmother (5)
71-77 :Siblings who are female (7)
78-81 :A term used to describe a loving home (4)
93-97 :_____ is thicker than water, as the saying goes (5)
100-102 :Male offspring (3)
114-116 :We ___ to our elders as a mark of respect (3)
118-121 :The family ____ depicts relationships graphically (4)

Down

2-35 :Your mother's sister is your ____ (4)
5-71 :Father and mother (7)
9-42 :Is ____-brother is the same as step-brother? (4)
11-33 : A way of addressing one's father (3)
29-73 :Siblings born at the same time (5)
43-76 :Fairy tale families live happily ____ after (4)
47-80 :Animals that are members of the family (4)
56-100 :The child looks like a parent because of these (5)
72-116 :A relative by marriage (2,3)
75-119 :A senior member of the family (5)
77-121 :Will all children get an equal _____ of property? (5)

All Negative

Minus, difference, decrease, take away, deduct… there’s just one thing they could mean. Try your hand at this puzzle and see how many you’ve got right

Math is a lot of fun if you get your answers right. This week practice with us as we help you get better in subtraction. Calculate your answers.

Handmade with love

For Valentine’s Day, here is a simple card to show much you love your family, friend, sibling or pet.