Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about sports, exercise and fitness.
Example: She goes ______ at the gym three times a week. (running / swims / played)
Answer: She goes running at the gym three times a week.
Sports, Exercise and Fitness – A2 Vocabulary Lesson
Do you play sport at the weekend? Do you go to the gym or go running in the park? Talking about sports, exercise and fitness is something we do every day in English – with friends, at school, at work, or when we meet new people. In this lesson, you will learn the most important English words and phrases for this topic.
Read this short situation first:
Maria and Tom are colleagues. On Monday morning, Tom looks tired. Maria asks him about his weekend.
"What did you do at the weekend, Tom?"
"I played football on Saturday morning, and then I went to the gym in the afternoon. I do weight training twice a week. What about you?"
"I went for a swim on Sunday. I try to keep fit because I want to feel healthy. I'm not very sporty, but I enjoy swimming!"
In this conversation, Tom and Maria use lots of useful sports and fitness vocabulary. Let's learn these words and many more!
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Sports and Activities
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| sport | noun – a physical activity with rules, often played in a team or alone | My favourite sport is tennis. | play sport, team sport, individual sport, do sport |
| football | noun – a popular team sport played with a round ball and two goals | He plays football every Saturday with his friends. | play football, a football match, a football team, a football pitch |
| swimming | noun – moving through water using your arms and legs | She goes swimming three times a week. | go swimming, a swimming pool, swimming lessons |
| tennis | noun – a sport played with a racket and a small ball on a court | They played tennis in the park yesterday. | play tennis, a tennis court, a tennis racket, a tennis match |
| cycling | noun – riding a bicycle as a sport or for exercise | I love cycling because it's good for your health. | go cycling, a cycling route, a cycling track |
| running | noun – moving quickly on foot for exercise or sport | She does running every morning before work. | go running, a running track, a running club |
| basketball | noun – a team sport where players try to throw a ball through a hoop | He plays basketball at school on Fridays. | play basketball, a basketball court, a basketball team |
| yoga | noun – an activity with slow movements and breathing to relax and stretch the body | She does yoga every evening to relax after work. | do yoga, a yoga class, a yoga mat |
| athletics | noun – competitive sports such as running, jumping, and throwing | He is very good at athletics – he can run 100 metres in 12 seconds. | do athletics, an athletics track, an athletics competition |
| martial arts | noun (plural) – fighting sports such as karate or judo | She does martial arts twice a week at the local sports centre. | do martial arts, a martial arts class, a martial arts teacher |
2. Exercise and Fitness Words
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| exercise | noun / verb – physical activity that keeps your body healthy and strong | It's important to exercise at least three times a week. / I do exercise every day. | do exercise, regular exercise, physical exercise, exercise routine |
| fitness | noun – the state of being physically healthy and strong | She joined a gym to improve her fitness. | physical fitness, fitness level, fitness class, fitness routine |
| gym | noun – a place with equipment for physical exercise | He goes to the gym four times a week. | go to the gym, join a gym, a gym membership, a gym class |
| warm up | phrasal verb – to do gentle exercises before a sport or activity to prepare your body | Always warm up before you start running to avoid injury. | warm up before exercise, a warm-up routine |
| cool down | phrasal verb – to do gentle exercises after a sport or activity to help your body recover | She always cools down after her workout with some slow stretches. | cool down after exercise, a cool-down routine |
| stretch | verb / noun – to extend your muscles by moving your arms, legs, or body | He stretched his legs before the race. | stretch your muscles, do stretches, stretch before/after exercise |
| weight training | noun – lifting heavy weights as exercise to make your muscles stronger | She does weight training at the gym to build strength. | do weight training, weight training programme |
| workout | noun – a session of physical exercise | I had a really good workout this morning at the gym. | do a workout, a morning workout, a hard workout |
| keep fit | phrase – to stay healthy and in good physical condition | I go swimming once a week to keep fit. | keep fit by doing something, try to keep fit |
| energy | noun – the physical and mental strength to do activities | After my run, I always feel full of energy. | have energy, full of energy, lots of energy, low energy |
3. Places, Equipment and People
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| sports centre | noun – a building with facilities for many different sports and activities | Our local sports centre has a swimming pool and a gym. | local sports centre, go to the sports centre |
| pitch | noun – an outdoor area of grass where sports like football are played | The children played football on the school pitch. | a football pitch, a rugby pitch, play on a pitch |
| court | noun – a flat area, often indoors, used for sports like tennis or basketball | There are four tennis courts in the park near my house. | a tennis court, a basketball court, book a court |
| track | noun – a path or circular route used for running or cycling | She ran five laps of the athletics track. | a running track, a cycling track, an athletics track |
| trainer | noun – 1. a person who helps you train and improve at a sport; 2. (plural) sports shoes | My personal trainer helps me exercise correctly. / I always wear trainers at the gym. | a personal trainer, a fitness trainer; wear trainers (shoes) |
| kit | noun – the special clothes and equipment you need for a sport | Don't forget to bring your football kit to the match. | sports kit, football kit, swimming kit, pack your kit |
| racket | noun – a piece of equipment with a long handle used to hit a ball in tennis or badminton | She bought a new tennis racket for her lessons. | a tennis racket, a badminton racket, hold a racket |
| goal | noun – 1. the frame where players try to score in football; 2. a point scored in a game | He scored a fantastic goal in the last minute of the match. | score a goal, a football goal, the goalkeeper protects the goal |
| coach | noun – a person who trains a sports team or an individual | The football coach gave the team some advice before the match. | a football coach, a swimming coach, coach a team |
| referee | noun – the person in charge of a sports game who makes sure the rules are followed | The referee stopped the game because a player was injured. | the referee blows a whistle, the referee makes a decision |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
In English, some words go together naturally. Learning these collocations will help you speak and write more fluently about sports, exercise and fitness.
play + sport name
We use play with team sports and sports that have opponents (another player or team).
She plays tennis on Saturdays. / They play basketball after school.
go + -ing activity
We use go with activities that end in -ing, especially individual activities.
He goes running every morning. / I go swimming at the weekend. / She goes cycling on Sundays.
do + exercise / sport / activity
We use do with individual activities, fitness activities, and activities that don't use a ball or opponent.
She does yoga every evening. / He does weight training at the gym. / I do athletics at school.
join + a gym / a club / a team
She joined a gym last month to get fit. / He joined a football club near his house.
score + a goal / a point
He scored two goals in the match. / She scored the winning point in the tennis game.
win + a match / a game / a race / a competition
Our team won the match 3–1. / She won the race at the athletics competition.
lose + a match / a game / a race
They lost the match because they didn't play well.
get fit / stay fit / keep fit
I want to get fit this year. / She goes to the gym to stay fit. / He walks to work to keep fit.
be good at + sport
He's very good at swimming. / Are you good at tennis?
train + for + event
She is training for a marathon. / He trained for three months for the competition.
take part in + competition / race / event
I want to take part in a 5km run next month.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Play, Go, or Do?
Many learners are not sure when to use play, go, or do with sports and activities. Here is a simple guide:
| Verb | When to Use It | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| play | With team sports and sports with opponents or a ball | play football, play tennis, play basketball, play golf |
| go | With activities ending in -ing, usually done alone | go swimming, go running, go cycling, go hiking |
| do | With individual activities and exercises (no ball, no opponent) | do yoga, do weight training, do athletics, do martial arts, do exercise |
Match vs Game
Match and game are both used for sporting events, but they are used differently in British English:
A match is usually a formal, organised sporting event between two players or two teams.
We watched a football match at the stadium on Saturday.
A game can be more informal. It can describe a single part of a match or an informal activity between friends.
Let's have a game of tennis in the park this afternoon.
Coach vs Trainer vs Referee
A coach trains and manages a sports team or an athlete over a long period of time.
The football coach prepared the team for the competition all season.
A trainer (or personal trainer) usually works with one person at a time, helping them with fitness exercises.
My personal trainer shows me how to use the gym equipment correctly.
A referee is the official person in a sports match who checks that the rules are followed. They are not a coach or trainer – they are in charge of the match.
The referee gave a red card to the player who broke the rules.
Sporty vs Athletic
Sporty means someone who enjoys doing sports and is generally active.
She's very sporty – she plays tennis and goes swimming every week.
Athletic means someone who is physically strong, fit, and good at sports, often with a muscular body.
He's very athletic – he trains at the gym every day and runs marathons.
Common Mistakes
❌ I do football every Saturday.
✅ I play football every Saturday. (Use play with team sports and ball sports, not do.)
❌ She plays swimming at the weekend.
✅ She goes swimming at the weekend. (Use go + -ing for individual activities like swimming, running, and cycling.)
❌ He made a goal in the match.
✅ He scored a goal in the match. (The correct collocation is score a goal, not make a goal.)
❌ I won the football match to my friend.
✅ I won the football match against my friend. (Use against to describe the opponent, not to.)
❌ She is good in yoga.
✅ She is good at yoga. (Always use good at, not good in, for skills and activities.)
❌ I need to wear my sport shoes for the gym.
✅ I need to wear my trainers for the gym. (In British English, sports shoes are called trainers.)
❌ We practised in the tennis field.
✅ We practised on the tennis court. (Tennis is played on a court. Football is played on a pitch. Running is done on a track.)
❌ He does running to keep healthy.
✅ He goes running to keep healthy. (Use go + -ing with running. You can also say He runs to keep healthy.)
Sports, Exercise and Fitness: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned a wide range of useful vocabulary for talking about sports, exercise and fitness in English. Here are the key points to remember:
- Use play with team sports and ball sports: play football, play tennis, play basketball.
- Use go + -ing with individual activities: go swimming, go running, go cycling.
- Use do with fitness activities and individual exercises: do yoga, do weight training, do exercise.
- Remember the correct places for different sports: a pitch for football, a court for tennis and basketball, a track for running and cycling.
- Use score a goal, win a match, and lose a game for common sporting events.
- A coach trains a team over time, a trainer helps one person get fit, and a referee runs the match and checks the rules.
- Common fitness expressions include: keep fit, get fit, stay fit, warm up, cool down, and work out.
Now practise sports, exercise and fitness vocabulary in the exercises below.
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