Phrasal Verbs About Exercising and Sport

Phrasal verbs often Be aware that many of

include another these phrasal verbs
preposition if they take also have other
an object. meanings.

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) be into a) to reduce energy or calories through exercise

2) burn off b) to increase strength through eating

3) carb up c) to begin a football match

4) crash out d) to like and do, or practice a lot

5) fall behind e) to reduce velocity

6) kick off f) for a muscle, or part of the body, to stop working or moving very well

7) rub down g) to not participate in an activity

8) seize up h) to form a group of people for a particular activity

9) sit out i) to get very tired because of an activity

10) slow down j) to be eliminated from a competition

11) speed up k) to begin doing a hobby or sport regularly

12) take up l) to massage

13) team up m) to increase velocity

14) tee off n) to get into shape and improve one’s musculature

15) tone up o) to do exercise

16) warm up p) to start playing a game of golf, to hit a golf ball

17) wear out q) to lose a position, not stay at the front

18) work out r) to stretch the muscles, to make flexible and ready

LET’S PLAY BINGO!

 Phrasal Verbs About Exercising and Sport

be into burn off carb up crash out fall behind kick off rub down seize up sit out
slow down speed up take up team up tee off tone up warm up wear out work out

Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the sentences below.
You will need to conjugate them appropriately.

1) He raised the golf club high and ___________ _______. Unfortunately, the ball landed in the lake.

2) She _________ ______for 30 minutes in the gym and then has a swim. She does this 5 times a week.

3) Michael _______ really ________ swimming. He is always in the pool or at the beach.

4) He had run most of the marathon and was in second place but then his calf ___________ _________
painfully when he was only 200 metres from the finish line.

5) We got everybody at work to __________ _______and we formed our own football club.

6) He is a little underweight for his boxing category so, he needs to __________ _______. He will be on
large, heavy meals for the next couple of weeks until he reaches his ideal weight.

7) I was leading the race for the first 20 minutes but then he stared to __________ _______and he
finally finished in 8th position.

8) Before you start running, it is a good idea to spend at least ten minutes __________ _______to keep
your joints and muscles flexible.

9) John said he needs to go to the gym every day for the next month if he wants to __________
_______all of that food that he ate over the Christmas holidays.

10) He has a knee injury so the team manager has decided that he should __________ _______the next
two games and rest his leg until it has improved.

11) After a good session in the gym, we both like to go to the masseur who then _________ us both
_________.

12) Manchester United __________ _______in the quarter finals. Liverpool won the championship.

13) He is going to the gym to use the weights to __________ _______ so that his body is presentable for
the beach this summer.

14) The football match __________ _______at 3pm this afternoon.

15) The runners all __________ _______ in the final 200 metres of the race.

16) Playing tennis for so long in this heat can really _________ you ________.

17) Her doctor has advised her to __________ _______ some kind of physical exercise or hobby to
improve her overall health.

18) He was running very fast for the first 30 minutes but then he started to get tired and _________
_________ quite a lot.
 Exercise safely!
Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

be into burn off carb up crash out fall behind kick off rub down seize up sit out
slow down speed up take up team up tee off tone up warm up wear out work out

We are so used to hearing doctors and medical professionals telling us that we should
________ _______ regularly if we are to live a healthy life nowadays but we hardly ever hear those
same experts telling us to be careful in how we go about it. However, there is an increasing number of
concerned physicians who are of the opinion that we need educating before we decide to _________
_______ any physical sports or hobbies.
“A lot of people _________ _______ running, nowadays,” says Dr Emily Cunningham. “That’s
all well and good and a lot better than sitting around watching TV. But there are a lot of people that
suffer from muscle strain, torn ligaments and similar ailments simply because they didn’t _________
_______ before their run,” she adds. Anybody who has had a muscle suddenly _________ _______
painfully on them half-way through a run, leaving them completely immobile, is very likely to see her
point of view.
“Massages are another way to ensure better maintenance for a healthy musculature,” she
remarks. “People who run a lot need to have a professional masseur ________ them _______ at least
once a week if they wish to avoid problems in the future. And if they feel a small twinge while out
running, then they need to _________ _______ the pace for a short time until it passes. There is no
shame in _________ _______ a little in a race if it saves you lots of pain later on. Otherwise things
could get much worse,” she warns. “If the pain subsides and there is no sign of serious injury, only then
should the runner _________ _______ to a faster pace,” she concludes.
Another bugbear for Dr Cunningham is weight. Medical professionals often stress the
importance of a well-balanced diet for those that like to exercise. But those active types that like to
indulge in high endurance sports, such as long distance running, need to _________ _______
sufficiently to have the calories to be able to finish such long runs. The same goes for shorter distance,
high-speed runs. However, some athletes, for one reason or another, don’t always _________
_______ all the calories they have consumed which can lead to obesity.
Speaking of high endurance, football is surprisingly hard on the body. Youngsters seem to be
able to play it all day long, but when people in their late 30s or early 40s play a game, especially if they
haven’t played for a while, the effort can _______ them ______ pretty quickly. When a game
_________ _______, it is always a good idea to get the older players to _________ _______ at least
a small part of the game so that they are rested sufficiently. After all, it’s only a game! Well, if your
favourite team has just _________ _______ of the semi-finals for the Champions League, perhaps it’s
a little more serious.
Some people are not really that interested in keeping fit just for their health. Shortly before
the summer holidays there is often a surge in memberships to the local gym so that people can
________ their bodies _______ in readiness for the beach. Looking good in swimwear is important to
many, but the strains and problems with the body caused by people who are making too much effort
after months of inactivity can be very serious. Dr Emily Cunningham recommends much easier and less
demanding sports to get in shape.
“It’s much better to _________ _______ with a group of friends and play a round of golf than
risk injury which could put you out of action for weeks, which in turn can lead to more problems,” she
claims. “Once an individual _________ _______ on a golf course, that person is committed to at least
a couple of hours of walking around in the fresh air. What better exercise is there than that?” she asks.
“But whatever the exercise people choose, the idea is to stay fit and healthy. It’s not about getting
injured and suffering,” she concludes.
 Low Impact Gym Debate
Read the memo below and then read your personality card. After that, attend the
meeting and debate what the board should do next regarding the issue at hand.
Each person should spend at least 1 minute stating their opinion and a further 5
minutes debating what should be done once everybody has had their say. A vote
must be taken at the end of the meeting.

Read the text below and decide which of the words in bold are correct.

Walton Fitness and Leisure

To: Departmental heads
From: Director of Marketing
Date: 09/09/2019
Re: Low Impact Gym

Dear colleagues,

As you probably already know, we in marketing have been busy

holding/carrying out an extensive survey into the needs and tastes of our customers,
and potential future customers, for our gyms and leisure facilities/plants. The results
from our research are now available online for everybody to view and a meeting would/
will take place to discuss future strategies.
One result from the research that has already/yet been discussed at a high level
is the trend towards “low impact” exercise for senior citizens or people with disabilities
or injuries. “Low impact,” for those/some of you that don’t know, is gentle exercise that
does not cause injury or strain on muscles and bones. It has been suggested that a
special gym is/be opened for this particular demographic and I have to say that this
does seem a logical policy to chase/pursue, given that several such installations have
been in existence for some time in the US and Canada with varying/many degrees of
success.
As such, I would like to talk to you about this idea next week and receive your
input/output on it. The meeting will take place on Monday afternoon in meeting room 3
at 2 o’clock. I look forward to seeing you and hearing your points/views on this matter.

Yours sincerely
Felix Sighted
Director of Marketing for West Norfolk