B2 FIRST · VOCABULARY · TOPIC VOCABULARY
Health and fitness
Words like keep fit, a balanced diet, stress and get over an illness.
Finn says
Health and sport are common in Speaking and Listening: how you keep fit, food, sleep and stress. Learn the words in groups, with the words they go with, and try to use two or three of them next time you practise Speaking or Writing.
Staying healthy
keep fit / stay in shape
stay healthy through exercise
I go swimming to keep fit.
work out
do exercise, often in a gym
She works out three times a week.
a balanced diet
eating a healthy mix of food
A balanced diet includes fruit and vegetables.
get enough sleep
sleep the hours you need
Teenagers often don't get enough sleep.
cut down on
eat, drink or do less of something
I'm trying to cut down on sugar.
a healthy lifestyle
a way of living that is good for you
He leads a very healthy lifestyle.
Being ill
catch a cold
become ill with a cold
I caught a cold on holiday.
get over
recover from
It took me a week to get over the flu.
stress / stressed
worry and pressure / feeling it
Exams cause a lot of stress.
a symptom
a sign of an illness
A high temperature is a symptom of flu.
an injury / injured
damage to the body
He can't play because of an injury.
prescribe
what a doctor does with medicine
The doctor prescribed some antibiotics.
Make it better
The same idea, first in basic English, then in the kind of language that gets a higher mark.
- Basic: I do sport to be healthy.Better: I do sport to keep fit.The natural expression.
- Basic: I want to eat less sugar.Better: I'm trying to cut down on sugar.A useful phrasal verb.
- Basic: I was ill but now I'm better.Better: I've finally got over my cold.More precise and natural.
- Basic: I eat good food.Better: I try to have a balanced diet.Shows a wider range.
Finn's exam tip
Be careful with injury and wound: you get an injury in an accident or doing sport; a wound is usually made by a weapon. And we say 'I hurt my leg', not 'I injured me the leg'.
Quick check
Choose the best answer.
🇪🇸 Guía en español: Los 40 phrasal verbs más útiles para el B2 First →
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