Health & Exercise Topic
Part 1 Questions
Short, personal questions. Answer directly, then add one extra sentence to extend your answer naturally.
1. Do you exercise regularly?
"Yes, fairly regularly. I try to exercise at least three or four times a week, usually a mix of running and light weight training."
2. What kind of exercise do you enjoy?
"I particularly enjoy running, mainly because it clears my head, and I also enjoy the occasional game of badminton with friends."
3. Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?
"Reasonably, yes, though I could definitely improve my sleep habits, which I know affects overall health quite significantly."
4. Did you play sports when you were a child?
"Yes, I played football fairly seriously until my late teens, though I have not played competitively in years now."
5. Do you prefer exercising alone or with others?
"A bit of both, honestly. Running I prefer alone, but sports like badminton are obviously more enjoyable with other people."
6. Is it easy to stay healthy in your country?
"Reasonably, yes, there are good facilities and a decent range of fresh food available, though modern lifestyles do not always make it easy."
Part 2 Cue Card
You get 1 minute to prepare, then speak for up to 2 minutes.
Describe a sport or physical activity you enjoy
You should say:
- What the activity is
- How you learned to do it
- How often you do it
- And explain why you enjoy it
Full model answer
I'd like to talk about running, which has become one of the most consistent and important habits in my life over the past few years.
It's fairly self-explanatory as an activity, though I mostly do road running rather than trail running, usually around a large park near my home that has a route of roughly five kilometres. I did not really learn it in any formal sense, it is not exactly a skill that requires instruction, though I did teach myself proper form and pacing gradually through online resources after experiencing some early knee discomfort.
At the moment, I run about four times a week, usually early in the morning before work, since I find I have far more energy and motivation at that time of day compared to the evening, when I am often tired.
The reason I enjoy it so much goes beyond just the physical fitness benefits, although those matter too, obviously. Running has become a kind of mental reset for me. I use that time to think through problems, plan my day, or sometimes just switch off completely and listen to a podcast without thinking about anything work-related at all. There is also a real sense of accomplishment tracking my progress over time, whether that is running a bit faster or simply managing to run further than I used to without stopping.
Honestly, on days when I skip it, whether due to bad weather or simply being too busy, I notice a genuine difference in my mood and energy levels, which tells me it has become far more than just exercise for me at this point, it is really become an essential part of how I manage stress and stay balanced overall.
Part 3 Discussion
Deeper, more abstract questions. Give your opinion and explain your reasoning with an example.
1. Why do you think many people struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
Busy modern lifestyles often leave little time or energy for exercise and proper meal preparation, and the constant availability of convenient, unhealthy food does not help. Motivation and consistency are also genuinely difficult to maintain long-term, especially without visible short-term results.
2. Should governments do more to encourage people to exercise?
I think so, yes. Investing in accessible public sports facilities, safe cycling infrastructure, and public awareness campaigns can meaningfully influence behaviour at a population level, particularly for lower-income communities who may otherwise have limited access to these resources.
3. How has modern life made it harder for people to stay active?
Desk-based jobs, increased screen time, and heavy reliance on cars or public transport have all significantly reduced the amount of natural physical activity built into daily life compared to previous generations, meaning people now have to deliberately schedule exercise rather than it occurring naturally.
4. Do you think schools should place more emphasis on physical education?
Definitely, yes. Physical education helps establish healthy habits early in life and teaches children the genuine value of regular exercise, which tends to carry through into adulthood far more effectively than habits adopted later in life.
5. What is the relationship between mental health and physical exercise?
The connection is genuinely strong, exercise has been consistently shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, largely through the release of endorphins and improved sleep quality. Many people, myself included, find regular physical activity noticeably improves overall mood and mental clarity.
6. How might technology help or hinder people's efforts to stay healthy?
Technology can genuinely help through fitness tracking apps and devices that provide motivation and accountability, and online resources that make workout guidance far more accessible. On the other hand, it also encourages sedentary behaviour through excessive screen time, so its overall effect really depends on how it is used.
Useful vocabulary for this topic
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