Fitness & Exercise Vocabulary in English
25 essential fitness and exercise vocabulary words in English with definitions and example sentences — ideal for A2–B1 learners talking about sport, health, and gym routines.
Fitness vocabulary is one of the most practical sets of words you can learn in English. Whether you are joining a gym, following a workout video, chatting with a personal trainer, or simply reading a health article, words like cardio, repetition, and endurance come up constantly. At A2 and B1 level, knowing this vocabulary lets you give instructions, describe your routine, and understand advice from coaches and fitness apps without getting lost.
English fitness vocabulary is also rich in compound words and collocations that are worth learning as complete phrases. You do not just “do a repetition” — you “complete a set of repetitions.” You do not just “exercise hard” — you follow a strength training programme or run cardio sessions. Understanding the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, or knowing why a rest day is as important as a heavy workout, helps you communicate about fitness at a much higher level than simply knowing the basic words in isolation.
Many fitness words at B1 level come from Latin and Greek roots shared across European languages, which makes them easier to recognise than you might expect. Aerobic comes from Greek aer (air) — exercise that requires oxygen. Anaerobic adds the prefix an- (without). Endurance shares a root with the French endurer and the Spanish endurecer. Flexibility comes from Latin flexibilis (able to bend). Recognising these connections across languages speeds up vocabulary acquisition and makes new terms feel familiar rather than foreign.
What You'll Learn
- 25 fitness and exercise vocabulary words in English with clear definitions and natural example sentences
- The difference between related terms such as cardio vs strength training and endurance vs stamina
- Key gym vocabulary — from warm-up and cool-down to individual exercises like squat, lunge, and plank
- Which fitness words appear most often in gym instructions, health articles, and everyday conversation at A2–B1 level
Essential Fitness & Exercise Words
| Word | Meaning | Example Sentence | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| warm-up | light activity done before exercise to prepare the body and reduce injury risk | Always do a five-minute warm-up before you start running. | A2 |
| cool-down | gentle movement done after exercise to slowly lower the heart rate | She finished the session with a ten-minute cool-down walk. | A2 |
| stretching | the act of extending muscles gently to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness | He spent fifteen minutes stretching after his morning run. | A2 |
| cardio | exercise that raises the heart rate and improves the efficiency of the heart and lungs | The doctor recommended thirty minutes of cardio three times a week. | A2 |
| strength training | exercise that uses resistance to build and develop muscle power | She added two days of strength training to her weekly routine. | B1 |
| repetition | one complete movement of an exercise, such as lifting a weight once | Do ten repetitions of each exercise before moving to the next. | B1 |
| set | a group of repetitions performed without a break between them | Complete three sets of twelve push-ups with a short rest in between. | A2 |
| endurance | the ability to sustain physical effort over a long period without stopping | Long-distance running is one of the best ways to build endurance. | B1 |
| stamina | the physical and mental energy needed to keep going during a long or demanding activity | Playing ninety minutes of football requires a lot of stamina. | B1 |
| flexibility | the ability to move joints and muscles through their full range of motion easily | Yoga is an excellent way to improve your flexibility over time. | B1 |
| muscle | body tissue that contracts to produce movement; the source of physical strength | Regular weight training helps you build muscle and burn more calories. | A2 |
| workout | a session of physical exercise, usually following a structured plan | I had a great workout at the gym this morning. | A2 |
| resistance | a force that makes movement harder, used in exercise to strengthen muscles | Resistance bands are a convenient tool for home training. | B1 |
| aerobic | describing exercise that uses oxygen to produce energy and improves heart and lung fitness | Cycling, swimming, and jogging are all aerobic activities. | B1 |
| anaerobic | describing intense exercise that works without oxygen, typically short bursts of maximum effort | Sprinting and heavy lifting are examples of anaerobic exercise. | B1 |
| sprint | to run as fast as possible over a short distance | She sprinted the last hundred metres to win the race. | A2 |
| jog | to run at a slow, steady pace for exercise | He jogs around the park every morning before breakfast. | A2 |
| squat | an exercise where you bend your knees and lower your body as if sitting, then stand again | Squats are one of the most effective exercises for the legs and glutes. | A2 |
| lunge | an exercise where you step forward with one leg and lower the opposite knee toward the ground | Add twenty lunges to your routine to strengthen your thighs and hips. | B1 |
| push-up | an exercise where you lower and raise your body using your arms while lying face down | He can do fifty push-ups without stopping. | A2 |
| pull-up | an exercise where you hang from a bar and pull your body upward until your chin is above it | Pull-ups are challenging but excellent for building upper-body strength. | A2 |
| plank | an exercise where you hold a rigid horizontal position supported on your forearms and toes | She held a plank for ninety seconds to strengthen her core muscles. | A2 |
| rest day | a day with no intense training, allowing muscles to recover and rebuild | Your body grows stronger on rest days, so do not skip them. | A2 |
| personal trainer | a qualified fitness professional who designs and guides individual exercise programmes | She hired a personal trainer to help her prepare for a 10 km race. | A2 |
| hydrate | to drink enough water to keep the body properly supplied with fluid during and after exercise | It is important to hydrate before, during, and after a long run. | B1 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between “endurance” and “stamina”?
Endurance refers specifically to the ability to sustain physical effort over a long period — it is most often used to describe cardiovascular capacity, such as running a marathon or cycling long distances. Stamina is broader and includes both physical and mental staying power: the energy and determination to keep going through a demanding activity. In practice, a marathon runner needs endurance; a footballer who plays hard for ninety minutes needs stamina. The two words overlap considerably and are often used interchangeably in everyday speech, but in sports science contexts, endurance tends to refer more specifically to aerobic capacity.
What is the difference between “aerobic” and “anaerobic” exercise?
Aerobic exercise uses oxygen to produce energy and can be sustained for a relatively long time — jogging, swimming, cycling, and dancing are typical examples. Your breathing and heart rate rise but remain at a level you can maintain. Anaerobic exercise is short, intense effort where the body cannot supply enough oxygen fast enough, so it uses a different energy system — sprinting, heavy weight lifting, and interval training are anaerobic. Aerobic exercise mainly improves heart and lung fitness and burns fat; anaerobic exercise builds muscle power and strength. Most gym programmes combine both types for balanced fitness.
What does “repetition” mean in a gym or exercise context?
In fitness, a repetition (usually shortened to rep) is one complete movement of an exercise. If you lift a weight from your side to shoulder height and back down, that is one repetition. Reps are usually grouped into sets: for example, “three sets of ten reps” means you do the movement ten times, rest, then repeat that twice more. The number of reps and sets you perform, and the weight or resistance used, determines whether you are training for strength, endurance, or muscle size. Understanding the words rep and set is essential for following any gym programme or exercise video in English.
Why is a “warm-up” important before exercise?
A warm-up prepares your body for the harder exercise that follows. Light activity raises your heart rate, increases blood flow to the muscles, and gradually raises your body temperature — making the muscles more elastic and ready to work. A proper warm-up reduces the risk of injury such as muscle tears and strains, improves your performance in the main session, and mentally prepares you to train. Typical warm-up activities include a brisk walk, light jogging, arm circles, and dynamic stretches. Most fitness professionals recommend at least five to ten minutes of warm-up before any moderate or intense workout.
What does “hydrate” mean and why does it matter in sport?
To hydrate means to take in enough water or fluids to keep the body properly supplied. During exercise, you lose water through sweat and breathing, and if you do not replace it, performance drops quickly. Even mild dehydration — losing as little as 2% of body weight in water — can cause fatigue, reduced concentration, muscle cramps, and a higher risk of injury. Sports professionals recommend drinking water before, during, and after exercise. In English you will often see the noun forms too: hydration (the state of being hydrated) and dehydration (the dangerous state of having too little water in the body).
What is the difference between a “squat” and a “lunge”?
Both are lower-body exercises but they work in different ways. A squat is performed with feet shoulder-width apart: you bend both knees simultaneously and lower your hips as if sitting onto a chair, then stand back up. This works both legs equally at the same time. A lunge involves stepping forward with one foot, then lowering the opposite knee toward the ground — so you are working one leg at a time. Lunges challenge your balance more than squats and are especially effective for the thighs, hips, and glutes. Both exercises appear in gym programmes, fitness classes, and sports training at all levels.
What is a “rest day” and do I really need one?
A rest day is a day when you avoid intense training to allow your body to recover. During hard exercise, muscles develop tiny micro-tears; the body repairs these during rest, and it is this repair process that makes muscles stronger and larger. Without enough rest, you accumulate fatigue, performance drops, and the risk of overuse injuries rises significantly. Most fitness experts recommend at least one or two rest days per week. A rest day does not have to mean total inactivity — a gentle walk, light stretching, or yoga counts as active recovery and can actually speed up the process.
What is the difference between “jogging” and “sprinting”?
Jogging means running at a slow, comfortable pace that you can maintain for a long time without stopping. It is a popular form of aerobic exercise and is gentle enough for beginners. Sprinting means running as fast as possible, usually over a short distance — 100 metres is a classic sprint distance, but sprint intervals in training can be anywhere from 20 to 400 metres. Sprinting is anaerobic: it demands maximum effort and can only be sustained for a few seconds to a minute. Many training plans combine both: long jogging sessions build base fitness, while sprint intervals develop speed and power.
What does a “personal trainer” do?
A personal trainer (often shortened to PT) is a qualified fitness professional who works one-to-one with a client to help them reach their exercise goals. A PT assesses your current fitness level, sets realistic goals, creates a personalised programme, demonstrates exercises correctly, and monitors your progress over time. They also provide motivation and accountability — which many people find just as valuable as the technical knowledge. Personal trainers typically work in gyms, sports centres, or online. In English you might also hear the term fitness coach, which carries a similar meaning but sometimes implies a broader lifestyle or nutrition focus as well.
Which fitness vocabulary words should I learn first in English?
At A2 level, start with the words you will hear most often in a gym or fitness class: warm-up, cool-down, workout, set, muscle, cardio, jog, sprint, push-up, squat, plank, and rest day. These appear constantly in exercise videos, gym instructions, and fitness apps. Once you are comfortable with these, move on to the B1 words: repetition, endurance, stamina, flexibility, resistance, aerobic, anaerobic, lunge, and hydrate. Following English-language fitness channels on YouTube or reading fitness articles online is one of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to reinforce all of these words in context.