The beginner’s guide to loving exercise

Level 2: Intermediate

1
  Warmer

a. Which of these sporting activities burn the most calories? Put them in order from 1 (the most)
to 6 (the fewest).

road running

golf

boxing

football

tennis

cycling

b. Discuss these questions in pairs.

• Do you think the number of calories burned is the most important thing about exercising?
Why (not)?

• What sports do you do?

• Is there any sport you would like to try?

2
  Key words

a. Find the following words in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. a noun meaning the ability to walk and move normally

(paragraph 1)

2. an adjective meaning nervous or frightened of something

(paragraph 1)

3. a verb meaning helping something to increase or improve

(paragraph 2)

4. an adjective meaning too much for you to deal with (paragraph 3)

5. an adjective meaning not taking part in any physical activity or exercise

(paragraph 1)

6. a noun meaning the effect that something has (paragraph 4)

7. a two-word noun meaning someone who is extremely enthusiastic about physical activity
(paragraph 8)
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The beginner’s guide to loving exercise
Level 2: Intermediate
8. a noun meaning the positive aspect of a bad situation
(paragraph 9)

9. a noun meaning a very large increase in the amount of something over a very short period of time
(paragraph 9)

10. a two-word phrasal verb meaning make someone disappointed by not doing something they were
expecting you to do (paragraph 11)

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 Play some Kylie, keep it short and enlist your friends! The beginner’s guide
to loving exercise
Level 2: Intermediate
Emma Beddington
7 June, 2022
1 It sometimes feels like everyone is exercising:
running, weightlifting, wild swimming or
competing in triathlons. In reality, millions of us
are inactive. But why? It’s often a combination
of reasons: time, money, health, feeling unsure
where to start, mobility problems or being
intimidated by gyms.
2 In difficult times like these (Covid), boosting
our health and wellbeing through movement
is essential.
3 But taking that first step can feel overwhelming.
According to cycling and swimming
champion Sarah Storey, “we still need to find
a way to give people the confidence to get
started.” So I got some expert tips.
4 Work out how you’re talking yourself out of
exercise
“Identity is a huge part of it,” says trainer
Robbie Thompson. “If you’ve spent your whole
life being inactive, how you view yourself is
based on that identity and it’s very difficult to
change.” Men in particular, he says, think that
they should already be strong. For Thompson,
it’s often a case of persuading men to “start
where you are. Focus on what you can do,
make small changes: they have an enormous
impact when you do them consistently.”
5 Be realistic
“People have families and work,” Thompson
says. “Training is a stress: a positive stress, but
a stress. It’s a good reason to start sensibly in
terms of intensity.”
6 Do a little, regularly …
Aim for little and often. It’s easier to do
something for five minutes each day than to
spend 45 minutes three or four times a week.
7 … but let yourself off
Sometimes life will get in the way, and that’s
OK. You don’t have to do it three times every
week. If you’re going to be doing it for the next
20 or 30 years, what does it matter?
8 Find something that’s fun but don’t expect
to enjoy every session
My friend Robbie, an exercise fiend, surprised
me by saying: “One central truth about exercise
is that almost no one wants to do it.” Thompson
agrees: “I don’t feel motivated to do my run
today. Most days I don’t. Don’t think about how
you feel beforehand – think about how you’re
going to feel afterwards.”
9 Do it from home
An upside of the pandemic has been the
explosion of online exercise options. You don’t
need much space. It’s on demand, so no travel
time (or cost!) or hanging about waiting for a
class to start and you don’t have to be outside
in the pouring rain.
10 Measure your progress
Notice your progress. That needn’t be
running for longer, building muscle or losing
weight; it could be having more energy or
improved sleep.
11 Enlist a friend (or two)
If there are two of you, you’re more likely to go.
You don’t want to let your friend down.
12 Use music
Put some music on. It helps to make
movement fun.
13 Try dance
Dance feels less like a workout and more like a
good time.
14 Hit the park
There is a range of exercise classes in
London parks, and the famous Parkrun gets
people across the UK running every Saturday
morning: and they’re free. Or use an app
to find fitness trails and outdoor equipment
near you.
15 Go for a wander
The easiest way to start is just to open the
front door, go out and walk. “You don’t need
special kit, you can do it anywhere and it’s so
good for your mental health,” says Thompson.
A ten-minute walk massively changes your
health outcomes.
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The beginner’s guide to loving exercise
Level 2: Intermediate
16 Rest!
“Your training is only as effective as your
recovery,” says Thompson. “Make sure you’re
having rest days where you allow your body
to reboot.”
© Guardian News and Media 2022
First published in The Guardian, 07/06/2022

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The beginner’s guide to loving exercise
Level 2: Intermediate

3
  Comprehension check

a. Are these statements True (T) or False (F) according to the article? Correct any that are false.

1. Some people feel intimidated by gyms.

2. People need money to get started with exercise.

3. Small changes can have an enormous effect.

4. Training is stressful.

5. It’s easier to spend 45 minutes three or four times a week than five minutes each day.

6. According to Robbie Thompson, it’s important to think about how you will feel after exercise not
before it.

7. Online exercises are a positive result of the pandemic.

8. It’s always better to train with a friend.

9. The famous Parkrun is held in parks all over the UK every Sunday afternoon.

10. A ten-minute walk won’t have any effect on your health.

4
  Key language

a. Complete the phrases from the text using in or on.

1. focus what you can do

2. terms of intensity

3. life will get the way

4. it’s demand

5. competing triathlons

6. based your identity

5
  Discussion

a. Discuss these statements.

• “Keeping fit is hard work.”

• “A healthy diet is more important than keeping fit.”

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The beginner’s guide to loving exercise
Level 2: Intermediate

6
  In your own words

a. Imagine that you are going to open a new fitness centre in your town or city. What sporting
activities would you include? Search online and find out as much as possible about the
different kinds of activities that you could offer.

b. Report your findings to the class.

D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C
 The beginner’s guide to loving exercise
Level 2: Intermediate – Teacher’s notes
Key:
Article summary: The article focuses on the 1. mobility 6. impact
need for people to be fit and active and how 2. intimidated 7. exercise fiend
this can be achieved by regular exercise. 3. boosting 8. upside
4. overwhelming 9. explosion
Time: 60 minutes 5. inactive 10. let down

Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing 3. Comprehension check

Language focus: Vocabulary a. The answers given are only suggested answers
and students may correctly answer the questions in
Materials needed: One copy of the different ways, e.g., in item 2 they may say ‘Walking
worksheet per student
is free’ or similar. The answer to this question could
also refer to the sense of the article as a whole.

1. Warmer Key:
1. True
a. The purpose of this activity is to familiarize students 2. False. They need confidence.
with the general theme of fitness and physical 3. True
activity. Note that the number of calories these 4. True
activities burn per hour is based on average speeds, 5. False. The opposite is true.
times, and distances, so is a general estimate. 6. True
Point out (if necessary) that the word football is not 7. True
the American use of the word, but the one which 8. True
refers to the sport that most of the world understand 9. False. It’s on Saturday mornings.
football to be. Golf is last in this list, but can burn 10. False. It will have a very positive effect.
over 200 calories per hour because it normally
involves a lot of walking. 4. Key language

Key: a. Students could be asked to do this exercise

1. boxing individually and then compare their answers in pairs.
2. road running Encourage them to check their answers by looking in
3. football the text.
4. cycling
5. tennis Key:
6. golf 1. on 4. on
2. in 5. in
b. Students discuss the questions. 3. in 6. on

2. Key words 5. Discussion

a. Ask students to do the exercise individually and a. Allow students time to note down their ideas about
then compare their answers in pairs or small groups. each statement and encourage them to say why they
Point out that the literal meaning of the word fiend is agree or disagree with each one.
‘a very evil person’, but it is more frequently used in
phrases such as ‘fresh air fiend’ or ‘health fiend’, with 6. In your own words
the meaning given in this exercise.
a. The task could also be done as homework and
students could then present their reports to the class.
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA

Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2022.

M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC

Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS

T
O
H
AN
•P
C