How fit are you?

Hi there! My name’s Rich and I work on the Premier Skills English website. You probably saw me on the Facebook Live event we did for lesson one during this activity week or heard me speaking to Jack in the podcast you listened to during lesson three.

Anyway, this lesson is all about fitness and we want to help you with lots of new words and phrases about fitness and exercise and also find out how fit you are! I thought the best way to do this would be to talk about me and you. You’re going to read all about my fitness levels and I will highlight some difficult vocabulary on the way. At the end of the article, there is an activity to check the vocabulary and a quiz to help you think about your fitness levels. Finally, we want you to discuss what you do to keep fit at the bottom of the page. 

Before we start, I want you to think about the exercise you do every week. How fit are you? 

This quiz is just for fun - there are no right or wrong answers!

Do I go to the gym?

I am not someone who you could describe as superfit. I don’t go to the gym to pump iron (lift weights) three times a day. In fact, I don’t think I’ve been to a gym since 2007 and that was only to meet a friend for a drink after his workout. I don’t like gyms. Actually, I hate them! I just get so bored. Running on a treadmill that goes nowhere or getting on a bicycle without any wheels. It doesn’t make any sense to me. The other problem is that the gym doesn’t motivate me. I have never been out of breath in a gym because when I get tired I just stop. Maybe I’m just a bit jealous of the other people in the gym with a better physique than me. I’m not sure.

How fit am I?

Just because I don’t go to the gym doesn’t mean that I don’t do any exercise. When I said I wasn’t superfit earlier that’s not to say that I’m out of breath after walking up some stairs or absolutely knackered after taking a couple of shopping bags to my car. Oh! The car! That’s probably something I should use less. There’s probably no need to take the car when I need a pint of milk. The shop is only about two hundred metres from my house!     

What do I do?

As I was saying, I’m not superfit but I’m not a total couch potato either. I could probably do with losing a bit of weight, but who doesn’t? What do I do? I like to go out on my bike or go for a run. I do this two or three times a week. I live in the mountains. It’s great to get out in the open air. It’s much better than being stuck in the gym going nowhere. I think I need competition to motivate myself. I do a lot of sport. I love playing five-a-side football, tennis and squash. Maybe I don’t have enough self-discipline but I am very competitive. If I have the chance of beating someone else I will push myself that extra mile.

Vocabulary

Phrases about fitness

Try the activity below that will look at vocabulary from this article. One of the best ways to learn new words and phrases is when you see them in context. If you are not sure what an answer is, find the word or phrase in the article (they are in red) and read the sentence before and after the word or phrase. This will help you understand the meaning. 

Comment

What about you?

We’d like to know what kind of exercise and sport you do. Are you someone who loves the gym?

Are you someone who loves playing sport or are you someone who loves watching sport from your sofa?

How important is exercise and staying fit in your life?

Do you have any questions about the vocabulary on this page?

Write your answers in the comments section below.