SPORT AND EXERCISE is a common topic in IELTS. Here is a list of words that you need to know to get a good score.

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 sports because 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 !