| Level: | Topic: | Speakers: | Length: |
| intermediate | exercise and fitness | two men | 1:15 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
Describe different types of exercise that are helpful in these areas: flexibility, strengthening, and endurance. What kinds of workouts do you do?
Idioms
"throw in the towel" = give up and accept defeat
"Jim realized he couldn't continue the race, so he threw in the towel."
"put on pounds" = gain weight
"He's put on a few pounds this past year, so he decided to start jogging."
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
What does the man usually do on Mondays and Wednesdays?
Michael: I almost always go jogging for about a half hour, you know, to improve my endurance.
Before he goes out to exercise, he ____.
Michael: Of course, before I leave, I usually make sure I do some stretches so I don't pull a muscle on my run.
The man lift weights to ____.
Michael: This helps me build muscle strength.
The man goes hiking on Saturdays ____.
Michael: Finally, I often go hiking on Saturdays with my dog [What dog!?], well, and I like hiking because it helps me burn off stress and reduce anxiety that builds up during the week.
What does the man do on Sundays?
Michael: And on Sundays, I take the day off from exercising, but I usually take my dog for a walk.
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
What are some of the reasons why people exercise? What are some of best types of exercise for losing weight, improving cardiovascular fitness, and strengthening and stretching? Share your experiences or those of people you know who have had positive experiences in improving their health by exercising.
Online Investigation
People participate in different forms of exercise for various reasons. Compare these three types of exercise and identify the physical and possibly emotional benefits of each: aerobics, running, and weight training. Use the Internet to gather this information.
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