Exercise and Movement in EnglishA2

Exercise words describe body activity in many settings. People use them for a morning walk, a gym session, a football match, or simple movement at home. In English, these words often appear in health advice, sports, and everyday conversation. The category includes actions like walk, run, lift, and stretch, along with nouns like workout and exercise. In a situation such as Health Scenarios, these words help describe what the body is doing, what it needs, and how someone feels after activity.

General exercise and movement vocabulary

Wort	Definition
exercise	Physical activity that you do to stay healthy or improve fitness.
movement	The act of changing position or using your body in action.
activity	Something you do to keep your body busy and active.
fitness	Good physical health and the ability to stay active.
workout	A session of exercise done for training or health.
sport	A physical game or competition with rules.
active	Moving and doing a lot of physical activity instead of sitting still.
healthy	Good for the body and mind in a positive way.
energy	Power in your body that helps you move and do things.
routine	A regular pattern of exercise or daily action.

Buchstabensalat

Walk is the general word for moving on foot: We walked to the station. Stroll is slower and more relaxed: We strolled through the park. Pace describes repeated steps, often with a feeling of tension, waiting, or thought: He paced outside the door. For movement on foot, English also uses the phrase go on foot when the method matters more than the speed. A walk can be a noun or a verb, so people say take a walk or go for a walk. For nearby places and daily routines, these words appear often in Exercise and Movement and in travel talk.

Walking words for pace and style

Wort	Definition
walk	To move on foot at a normal pace.
stroll	To walk slowly and calmly for enjoyment.
pace	The speed at which someone walks or moves.
step	One movement forward with a foot.
saunter	To walk in a relaxed and easy way.
hike	To walk for a long distance for exercise or pleasure.
march	To walk with steady strong steps often in a line or group.
wander	To walk without a clear direction.
tiptoe	To walk on the tips of your toes very quietly.
ambulate	To move by walking in a formal or medical way.

Buchstabensalat

Run is the general word for moving quickly on foot: She runs every morning. Jog is slower and more relaxed than run, and people often use it for exercise: He jogs around the lake. Sprint means a very short, very fast run: The child sprinted across the street. Race can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it is a competition: the 100-meter race. As a verb, it means to move or compete quickly: They raced to the bus stop. English uses these words to show both speed and purpose, from training to competition.

Running words for speed and effort

Wort	Definition
run	To move quickly on foot using both feet in a fast rhythm.
jog	To run at a slow easy speed for exercise.
sprint	To run very fast for a short distance.
race	A competition to see who is fastest.
dash	To run suddenly and quickly for a short time.
speed	To move quickly or the rate of movement.
fast	Moving at a high speed.
quickly	In a short time and with little delay.
steady	Even and controlled without sudden changes in speed.
finish	To complete a race or activity.

BuchstabensalatFragen anzeigen

Cycle and ride a bike both describe moving on a bicycle. Cycle sounds a little more formal, while ride a bike is the everyday choice: I ride my bike to work. People also say go cycling for the activity itself. Skate means moving on skates or a skateboard depending on context: The children skate at the rink. For wheels and skates, English often uses ride for bicycles and motorbikes, but skate for skates and boards. The important part is the object, because the verb changes with the vehicle and the surface.

Wheeled and skating movement words

Wort	Definition
cycle	To ride a bicycle.
ride	To travel on a bicycle, scooter, or similar vehicle.
skate	To move on skates across a surface.
glide	To move smoothly and easily without much effort.
balance	To stay steady without falling.
pedal	To push the bicycle pedals with your feet.
coast	To move forward without pedaling or pushing.
turn	To change direction while moving.
slide	To move smoothly over a surface with little friction.
roll	To move by turning over and over or moving on wheels.

Buchstabensalat

In the gym, lift usually means lifting weights: She lifts weights three times a week. Train is the broader word for regular exercise aimed at improvement: He trains for a marathon. Workout is a noun for a session of exercise: I had a hard workout yesterday. People also use it as a verb in casual speech: She works out after work. Set and rep are gym words for counting exercise. A rep is one complete movement, and a set is a group of reps. Someone might say, Do three sets of ten reps. These words are common in fitness talk and in structured Health Scenarios when describing exercise habits.

Gym and training vocabulary

Wort	Definition
lift	To raise something upward with effort, often weights.
train	To exercise regularly to improve skill or strength.
workout	A planned period of exercise.
set	A group of repeated exercises done together.
rep	One repetition of an exercise.
strength	Power in your muscles.
endurance	The ability to keep going for a long time.
coach	A person who gives training advice.
equipment	Tools used for exercise or sport.
stretch	To lengthen your muscles gently before or after exercise.

Buchstabensalat

Stretch means to lengthen the body or a muscle: Stretch your arms above your head. Bend means to change shape at a joint or move the body forward: Bend your knees. Loosen is often used before exercise to make the body less tight: Loosen your shoulders. A push-up is an exercise where the body lowers and rises using the arms. A squat means bending the knees while keeping the body balanced. A plank is a still exercise where the body stays straight and supported on the forearms or hands. These words often describe control, balance, and readiness before harder movement.

Flexibility and control words

Wort	Definition
stretch	To make your body or a muscle longer.
bend	To move a body part into a curved shape.
loosen	To make a muscle or body part less tight.
push up	An exercise where you raise and lower your body with your arms.
squat	An exercise where you lower your body by bending your knees.
plank	An exercise where you hold your body straight and still.
flex	To tighten or show your muscles.
twist	To turn your body or body part around.
reach	To extend your arm or body toward something.
hold	To keep your body in one position for a time.

Buchstabensalat

Sports use many action verbs. Kick is used for the foot: Kick the ball. Throw sends something through the air with the hand, and catch receives it: Throw it to me and Catch the ball. Hit is used for striking a ball, a puck, or another object: He hit the tennis ball hard. In water, swim is the main verb for moving through water: They swim every Saturday. Dive means going headfirst into water or moving down quickly: She dived into the pool. Paddle means moving through water with small strokes or using a paddle on a boat: We paddled across the lake. These verbs depend on the sport, the equipment, and the place.

Sports and swimming action verbs

Wort	Definition
kick	To hit something with your foot.
throw	To send something through the air with your hand.
catch	To stop and hold something that comes toward you.
hit	To make something move by touching it with force.
swim	To move through water using your arms and legs.
dive	To jump or go head first into water.
paddle	To move through water using your hands or a paddle.
serve	To begin play by sending the ball into action.
dribble	To move a ball by tapping it repeatedly.
score	To get a point or goal in a game.

Buchstabensalat

Before exercise, people warm up to prepare the body. After exercise, they may cool down to return to a normal pace. In everyday movement, move is the broadest verb: Please move to the left. Carry means to take something from one place to another by hand or by using the body: She carried the box upstairs. Climb means going up something, such as stairs, a hill, or a ladder: We climbed the hill slowly. Crawl means moving on hands and knees or with the body close to the ground: The baby crawled across the floor. These words describe simple physical actions as well as exercise routines, and they often appear together when people explain what the body is doing.

Warm up recovery and everyday motion

Wort	Definition
warm up	To prepare your body for exercise with easy movement.
cool down	To slow down after exercise and let the body recover.
move	To change position or go from one place to another.
carry	To take something from one place to another by holding it.
climb	To go up something using your hands or feet.
crawl	To move close to the ground on hands and knees.
bend down	To lower your upper body toward the ground.
stand up	To rise to a standing position.
sit down	To lower your body into a seated position.
rest	To stop activity and relax your body.

Buchstabensalat