Collocation for IELTS: Sport and Exercise

1. to take up sport/to take up exercise

Meaning: to start doing a sport, to start doing exercise

Example: Governments should provide sports facilities to encourage more people to take up sport.

2. to get into shape

Meaning: to become fit

Example: If people have a sedentary lifestyle, they must do regular exercise to get into shape.

3. to keep fit

Meaning: to stay in good physical condition

Example: A healthy diet and plenty of exercise are essential for people to keep fit.

4. to exert oneself

Meaning: to make a big physical effort to do something

Example: I believe that sports professionals deserve high salaries, because constant hard training is necessary so that they can exert themselves to the limit when they compete.

5. to work out at the gym

Meaning: to train the body by physical exercise at the gym

Example: As part of a healthy lifestyle, people of all ages should work out at the gym on a regular basis.

6. to be out of condition

Meaning: to be physically unfit

Example: One of the causes of obesity is that many people are out of condition and fail to exercise regularly.

7. to be in the peak of condition

Meaning: to be in the best possible physical condition

Example: Sports professionals should receive high salaries, because they must always be in the peak of condition in order to perform at the highest levels.

8. to take gentle exercise

Meaning:to do exercise which is not physically demanding or tiring

Example: Even the elderly can keep fit by taking gentle exercise, like jogging or even a walk in the park.

9. alternative forms of exercise

Meaning: taking exercise in less common ways, involving the mind as well as the body

Example: Alternative forms of exercise, such as yoga and tai chi, are popular in my country among people of all ages.

10. to outlaw dangerous sports

Meaning: to ban or prohibit sports which have a high risk of causing injury

Example: I believe that the government should outlaw dangerous sportsbecause participants may suffer serious injuries.

11. on safety grounds

Meaning: for reasons of safety

Example: Boxing is a very dangerous sport and must be outlawed on safety grounds.

12. a high/low probability of injury

Meaning: you are very likely/not very likely to be injured

Example: If anyone plans to take up mountaineering or skydiving, they should be aware that there is a high probability of injury.

13. life-threatening injuries

Meaning: injuries which are so serious that the person may die

Example: Paragliding and cliff-jumping are two examples of extreme sports in which life-threatening injuries are sustained all too often by those who take part.

14. an extreme sport

Meaning: a sporting activity which is very dangerous

Example: Personally, I cannot understand why some people take up an extreme sport, and they should consider all the risks first.

15. essential sports gear

Meaning: the equipment and clothing needed to practice a particular sport

Example: In order to reduce the risks associated with dangerous sports, participants should undergo rigorous training and use all the essential sports gear required.

16. to take sensible precautions

Meaning: to do something in advance in order to prevent problems or to avoid danger

Example: Anyone engaging in an extreme sport must take sensible precautions and seek expert advice.

17. to foster a competitive spirit

Meaning: encourage the desire to beat others in a sports event

Example: The problem with encouraging sport at school is that it fosters acompetitive spirit among students, instead of teaching children simply to do the best that they can in all aspects of life.

18. the Olympic ideal

Meaning: the ultimate goal is not to win but to know that you have taken part and done your best in a competition

Example: Unfortunately, professional sport is just another branch of the entertainment industry, and the Olympic ideal has been lost.

19. a win-at-all-costs attitude

Meaning: an idea that a match or competition must be won, using all possible means

Example: Youth sport is being ruined by a win-at-all-costs attitude, which includes cheating and breaking the rules in order to achieve victory.

20. be disqualified from participating

Meaning: not to be allowed to join a competition

Example: Sportsmen or sportswomen who take drugs should be disqualified from participating in sport for a long time.

21. performance-enhancing drugs

Meaning: drugs which improve the ability of a sportsperson to compete

Example: Athletes who take performance-enhancing drugs are not only cheating, but they also set a bad example for young people.

22. to fail a drugs test

Meaning: to fail an examination before or after a competition to make sure that you have not taken illegal drugs to improve your performance

Example: Cycling is a sport which has been discredited in recent years, as so many competitors have failed drugs tests.

23. to use illegal substances

Meaning: to use drugs or medicines which are not allowed under the rules of a competition

Example: In professional sport, it has become increasingly common to use illegal substances in order to win at all costs.

24. to place too much value on sport

Meaning: to regard sport as too important

Example: I would argue that schools place too much value on sport in the curriculum, and participation in sport should be an out-of-school activity.

25. a sports fan

Meaning: a person who takes a keen interest in sport

Example: While I think that it is healthy to be a sports fan, people should remember that for most people, sport is just entertainment, not a matter of life and death.

26. to set a record

Meaning: to achieve the best result ever achieved in a sport

Example: Real Madrid haveset a record for the number of goals scored in a match.

27. sports coverage

Meaning: the activity of reporting news related to sport

Example: Many top sports stars are now known to millions of people around the world because of global sports coverage by the media.

28. sports commentators

Meaning: people who are experts on sport and talk or write about it in the media

Example: Not only sports stars, but even some sports commentators have become well-known celebrities.

29. sports merchandising

Meaning: the activity of selling products connected with a sport or sportsperson

Example: Sports merchandising is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide, in the form of t-shirts and sports equipment.

30. the endorsement of sporting goods

Meaning: an advertising statement, usually by a famous sportsperson, saying that they use or like a particular product.

Example: In addition to their fabulous salaries, sports celebrities also make a great deal of money through their endorsement of sporting goods such as trainers or even casual clothes or deodorants !