English Expressions about Exercise

Out of shape / In shape

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Common expressions:

• I need to go to the gym. I’m really out of shape.
• I want to get in shape before the summer!
• My personal trainer is in great shape – there isn’t an ounce of fat on his body.

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Work out

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Common expressions:

• I always work out in the morning, when I have the most energy.
• Yesterday I worked out for 3 hours – I’m exhausted!
• I like to listen to English podcasts while working out.

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Stretch

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Common expressions:

• Let’s stretch before we start running.
• Stretching helps reduce exercise-related injuries.
• Breathe deeply and count to 30 as you stretch.
  (Learn about when to use breathe vs. breath)

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Push-ups

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Common expressions:

• My goal is to do 100 push-ups in a row.
• I did 50 push-ups yesterday, and now my arms are sore.
• John can do push-ups with only one arm!

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Flabby / Toned

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Common expressions:

• I wish my arms weren’t so flabby.
• My sister has perfectly toned arms.

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Sit-ups

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Common expressions:

• At the end of soccer practice, the coach made us all do 200 sit-ups.
• I try to do 50 sit-ups right after I wake up.

Note: There is a variation of the sit-up in which your legs are in the air and you only raise your body a little bit off the floor. These are called crunches.

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Six-pack

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Common expressions:

• What’s the fastest way to get six-pack abs?
• My cousin lost a lot of weight, and now he even has a six-pack!

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Sprint

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Common expressions

• We do sprint training during basketball practice.
• I can sprint 100 meters in 12 seconds.
• She sprinted the last few meters of the race and came in second place.

Note: “Sprinting” is the fastest. It is faster than normal “running.” Then there’s “jogging” (slower than running, but faster than walking) and the slowest is “walking.”

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Pull a muscle

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Common expressions:

• Be careful not to pull a muscle.
• Ouch! I think I pulled a muscle in my leg.
• If you pull a muscle, you should apply ice to reduce swelling.

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Out of breath / Catch your breath

Out of breath = When you have difficulty breathing after exercising hard.

Catch your breath = When you stop to wait for your breathing to return to normal.