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Taking Care of Physical Health

Listen to two people talk about the importance of staying healthy.

Tahia: So I've been really worried about my physical health lately and think that I need to have a far better routine. What do you think are the most important things that I should do to have good physical health?

Christian: That's a great question. I think it's a combination of things. You need to make sure that you're eating healthily. That means lots of fruits and vegetables, no junk food like fried food, and no sugary foods like cookies and chocolates. You can treat yourself here and there of course, but don't make it part of your routine. And I also think that exercising is very, very important.


Free Worsksheet
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Tahia: How do you exercise and how often do you exercise?

Christian: I exercise by going to the gym, which is where I run on the treadmill and lift weights to tone and grow my muscles, which is super important to me. Usually I work out for around one hour each time and try to go at least five times a week. How about you? What's your favorite way to exercise?

Tahia: I do like going to the gym, but I enjoy it best when I mix it with going to classes like Zumba and Pilates classes. It's a great mix and it means that I don't get bored. Another thing that I'm trying to do as well as exercising is drinking way more water. It helps to keep you more energetic, helps your skin be clearer, and generally helps your health in a lot of ways. How much water do you drink in a day?

Christian: Let me think. Usually I aim for two and a half liters of water a day, and I like adding lemons and strawberries to my water to make drinking more exciting. Because, you know, drinking only water every day can get a little bit boring. One thing that I'm working on right now is having a very healthy sleep routine. Right now, I'm only sleeping for around four hours a night and it's been making me feel very tired throughout the day. What about you? How many hours do you sleep?

Tahia: I try to sleep for about eight hours, but sometimes it's longer and sometimes it's shorter. The key is to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning so that you can build a routine. But you brought up an interesting point about feeling tired throughout the day. That's definitely something that I'm struggling with. I feel like my energy levels are low all the time and I'm not sure what to do to help boost my energy. Do you have any tips for that?

Christian: Yeah. Do you drink coffee in the morning?

Tahia: I do. Actually, I think I drink about three cups of coffee a day.

Christian: Wow. That's a lot, but I do know some people that can drink up to seven cups of coffee a day. So I don't know what to tell you. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing that you drink so much coffee, but maybe you should try not drinking coffee for a week and see if your energy levels improve. Do you think that's something that you could do?

Tahia: I did read in a study once that drinking coffee gives you a lot of caffeine, which can make you feel like you have a lot of energy at the time, but really interrupts with your sleep schedule. So for example, if you drink coffee at 6:00 PM, you'll struggle to sleep. And maybe that's the reason why you don't actually get enough sleep. Do you drink a lot of coffee too?

Christian: Yeah. Not too much. Sometimes I'll drink one cup on another day, I'll drink two cups. Sometimes I can even drink five cups if I have a lot of things to do that day. But my energy levels don't change too much when I drink coffee. I think I'm just so used to it now that it just doesn't impact me that much, which is probably not a good thing. What do you think?

Tahia: I don't think that's a good thing at all. I think as well as coffee, energy drinks is a problem. Yeah, sure, you might get energy in the moment, but it can really affect the quality of your sleep, not just the quantity. So that's definitely something that I think you should work on.

Christian: Yeah. I think we should both stop drinking coffee for a little while and see how it affects us.

Answer these questions about the interview.
Audio Lessons about Phrases and Vocabulary

treat yourself

image

You can treat yourself here and there of course.

When you treat yourself, you do something nice for yourself, like buy yourself a gift. Notice the following:

  1. After a long day, I treated myself to a bowl of ice cream.
  2. She treated herself to a day at a spa.

here and there

image

You can treat yourself here and there of course.

In this instance, 'here and there' means something happens occoasionally at different places. Notice the following:

  1. You sometimes see toursits here and there.
  2. Around the city, you see stray cats here and there.

aim for

image

I aim for two and a half liters of water a day

Here, 'aim for' means to try to accomplish something. Use 'aim for' for a noun, and 'aim to' as a verb when speaking. Notice the following:

  1. Every night, I aim for eight hours of sleep.
  2. I aim to retire by the time I am fifty.

work on

image

One thing I'm working on is having a healthy sleep routine.

When a person is working on something, they are actively trying to complete it or improve it. Notice the following:

  1. I am working on my Master's degree.
  2. My Japanese is terrible, but I am working on it.

bring up

image

You brought up an interesting point .

Here, the phrase 'bring up' means to mention something in discussion. When a person brings up a good point, they introduce something worth taking about. Notice the following:

  1. In the meeting, he brought up our lack of sales.
  2. That brings up a good point.

up to

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Some people can drink up to seven cups of coffee a day.

Here, 'up to' means 'as much as' or 'at least.' Notice the following:

  1. My dog can sleep up to ten hours a day.
  2. I spend up to 300 dollars a month on taxis.

Vocabulary Quiz

treat • here and there • aim
work on • bring up • up to
  1. You a good point.
  2. I often watch ten movies a week.
  3. I often see food trucks .
  4. I to get eight hours of sleep a night.
  5. You should yourself to a nice meal.
  6. You need to your anger issues.

How to Practice Grammar | Download the Worksheet

  • Choose the correct word for each blank.
  • Check you score at the end. Three attempts are allowed.
  • Study Tip - Play the video and choose the words as you listen.

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Hello, and welcome to elllo. My name is Todd Beuckens. I've been an ESL teacher for 25 years. I created elllo to provide teachers and students free audio lessons and learning materials not usually found in commercial textbooks.
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