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Exercise glossary

151 fitness and exercise terms in plain English, from METs and HIIT to creatine, whey protein and the talk test.

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151 terms

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12-3-30 Walking: A treadmill routine: a 12% incline, a speed of 3 miles an hour, for 30 minutes. See Incline Treadmill Walking →
1RM (one-rep max) Strength: The heaviest weight you could lift for a single rep with good form. Used to set training weights as a percentage.

A

Aerobic Effort and measures: Exercise that uses oxygen to fuel steady effort for a long time, such as walking, jogging, swimming and cycling. Also called cardio.
Amino acids Nutrition and supplements: The building blocks of protein. Nine are "essential", meaning your body cannot make them and you must get them from food.
AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) Training methods: A workout format where you repeat a circuit as many times as you can in a set time.
Anaerobic Effort and measures: Very hard, short effort that your body powers without relying on oxygen, such as a sprint or heavy lift. You can only keep it up for seconds to a couple of minutes.

B

Balance training Body and health: Exercise that practises standing and moving steadily, to reduce the risk of falls.
Barbell Strength: A long bar loaded with weight plates, used for squats, presses and deadlifts.
Base building Training methods: A period of mostly easy, steady training to build endurance before harder work.
Batch-tested Nutrition and supplements: A supplement that an independent lab has tested for banned substances and contamination, for example under the Informed Sport scheme. Important if you compete in tested sports.
BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) Nutrition and supplements: Three amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are found in all protein foods, so if you already eat enough protein, a separate BCAA supplement adds little.
Beetroot juice (dietary nitrate) Nutrition and supplements: Beetroot is rich in nitrate, which the body turns into nitric oxide. Studies suggest it may slightly improve endurance by lowering the oxygen cost of exercise.
Beta-alanine Nutrition and supplements: An amino acid supplement that may help efforts lasting about one to four minutes. A harmless tingling of the skin is a common side effect.
Blood pressure Body and health: The force of blood against your artery walls. High blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. Regular exercise can help lower it.
Bone density Body and health: How much mineral your bones contain. Higher density means stronger bones. Weight-bearing and strength exercise help maintain it.
Brick session Running and cycling: A triathlon workout that chains two disciplines, such as a bike ride straight into a run.
Brisk walking Walking: Walking fast enough to raise your heart rate and breathing but still talk, usually around 3 to 4 miles an hour. See Brisk Walking →

C

Cadence Training methods: How many steps (when walking or running) or pedal turns (cycling) you take per minute.
Caffeine Nutrition and supplements: A stimulant found in coffee, tea and energy products. Moderate doses can improve endurance and reduce the feeling of effort. It can also disturb sleep and cause jitters or a racing heart. NHS advice is no more than 200 mg a day during pregnancy.
Calcium Nutrition and supplements: A mineral needed for strong bones and for muscles to contract. Found in dairy foods, fortified plant milks and some leafy greens.
Calisthenics Strength: Strength exercises using your own body weight, such as push-ups, pull-ups and dips. See Bodyweight Calisthenics →
Calorie Effort and measures: A unit of energy. The calorie figures on this site are rough estimates from your weight, the time you spend and the typical MET of the activity. Real figures vary by 20% or more between people.
Carb loading Nutrition and supplements: Eating more carbohydrate than usual in the day or two before a long event such as a marathon, to top up glycogen stores. It is only useful for efforts lasting around 90 minutes or more.
Carbohydrate Nutrition and supplements: The body's main fuel for moderate to hard exercise. It is stored in muscles and the liver as glycogen.
Cardio Effort and measures: Short for cardiovascular exercise. Exercise that raises your heart rate and strengthens your heart and lungs.
Cardiorespiratory fitness Effort and measures: How well your heart, lungs and blood vessels deliver oxygen to your muscles. Often shortened to "cardio fitness".
Casein Nutrition and supplements: The other main milk protein. It digests more slowly than whey, so it is sometimes taken before bed. Not suitable with a milk allergy.
Circuit training Training methods: A series of exercise stations done one after another with short rests, working different parts of the body.
Class Formats and places: A group session led by an instructor.
Club Formats and places: A local group that meets regularly for an activity, often with coaching and social events.
Collagen Nutrition and supplements: A protein found in skin, tendons and joints. Collagen supplements are popular, but the evidence that they help joints or recovery is still limited.
Compound exercise Strength: A movement that works several joints and muscle groups at once, such as a squat or deadlift.
Confidence interval Effort and measures: The range in which the true result probably lies. A narrow range means a more precise estimate. On our evidence charts it is the thin line around each bar.
Conversational pace Training methods: An easy speed at which you could chat with a friend without gasping.
Cool-down Training methods: Easy movement at the end of a session that lets your heart rate settle gradually.
Core Strength: The muscles of your trunk, including abdominals, lower back and hips, that stabilise your spine and pelvis.
Couch to 5K Running and cycling: A free nine-week programme of walking and running that builds up to running 5 km without stopping. See Couch to 5K →
Creatine Nutrition and supplements: A compound your body makes and also gets from meat and fish. Creatine monohydrate is one of the best-studied sports supplements, with good evidence that it improves strength and short, intense efforts. The usual dose in studies is 3 to 5 grams a day. It can cause a small rise in body weight from water held in muscle. Check with a GP first if you have kidney problems.
Cross-training Training methods: Using a different activity, such as swimming for a runner, to build fitness while giving some muscles and joints a rest.

D

Deadlift Strength: A lift where you pick a weight up from the floor to hip height with a straight back.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) Body and health: Aching muscles that appear a day or two after unfamiliar or hard exercise. It is normal and fades in a few days.

E

E-bike Running and cycling: A bicycle with a motor that assists your pedalling, helpful for hills and longer rides.
Eccentric Strength: The lowering part of a movement, where the muscle lengthens under load, such as lowering a weight slowly.
Effort dots Effort and measures: Our five-dot rating of how demanding a regime is. One dot is very gentle and five is very hard. It is a general guide and you can usually scale an activity up or down.
Electrolytes Nutrition and supplements: Minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that carry electrical signals in the body and are lost in sweat. Most people replace them through normal food and drink. Electrolyte drinks matter mainly in long, hot or very sweaty exercise.
EMOM (every minute on the minute) Training methods: A workout format where you do a set amount of work at the start of each minute and rest for the remainder.
Energy gel Nutrition and supplements: A small packet of concentrated carbohydrate taken during long runs or rides to keep fuel topped up.
Evidence (strong, moderate, limited) Effort and measures: How much good research backs a regime. Strong means several large or well-run studies. Moderate means some good studies. Limited means little or early research. It does not say how enjoyable or safe an activity is.
Exercise snacks Training methods: Very short bursts of activity, one to a few minutes, spread through the day.

F

Fartlek Training methods: Swedish for "speed play". Unplanned bursts of faster running mixed into an easier run.
Flexibility Body and health: The ability of muscles to lengthen. Stretching and yoga improve it.

G

Glycogen Nutrition and supplements: The form in which your body stores carbohydrate in muscles and the liver. Long or hard exercise uses it up, and eating carbohydrate afterwards refills it.
Gravel riding Running and cycling: Cycling on mixed surfaces such as tracks, towpaths and quiet lanes.

H

Hatha Mind and body: A general name for gentle, slower-paced yoga that teaches the basic poses.
Hazard ratio Effort and measures: A research figure comparing how likely something is in two groups over time. A hazard ratio of 0.80 means 20% lower risk. We convert them into "% lower risk" in our charts.
Heart rate Effort and measures: The number of times your heart beats in a minute. It rises as you exercise harder. A watch or chest strap can measure it.
Heart rate zones Effort and measures: Bands of heart rate, usually five, from very easy (zone 1) to maximum effort (zone 5). Used to plan easy, steady and hard training.
High impact Body and health: Exercise with jumping or hard landings, such as running or skipping. It loads bones well but is harder on joints.
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) Training methods: Short hard efforts alternated with rest or easy periods. A workout can be as short as 10 to 20 minutes. See HIIT →
Hill repeats Running and cycling: Running or cycling hard up a hill, jogging or freewheeling down, and repeating.
Hill walking Walking: Walking over hills and uneven ground, harder than flat walking and good for leg strength. See Hill Walking and Hiking →
Home workout Formats and places: Exercise done in your own home, often with little or no equipment.
Hydration Nutrition and supplements: Having enough water in your body. Drink to thirst for most sessions. Drinking far more than you need during long events can be harmful.
Hypertrophy Strength: Growth in muscle size. Training aimed at building muscle is often called hypertrophy training.

I

Incline walking Walking: Walking uphill or on a treadmill set to a slope. See Incline Treadmill Walking →
Interval training Training methods: Alternating harder and easier efforts instead of keeping one steady pace.
Iron Nutrition and supplements: A mineral that carries oxygen in your blood. Low iron causes tiredness and is common in female endurance athletes. Get tested before taking iron supplements, as too much is harmful.
Isolation exercise Strength: A movement that works one joint and mainly one muscle, such as a bicep curl.
Isometric Strength: Holding a position without moving, such as a plank or wall sit. The muscle works but does not change length.

J

Japanese interval walking Walking: Alternating three minutes of fast walking with three minutes of easy walking, repeated five times. It was studied in Japan. See Interval Walking (Japanese) →

K

Kata Mind and body: A set sequence of movements practised in martial arts such as karate.
Kettlebell Strength: A cast weight with a handle, used for swings, cleans and presses.

L

Lactic acid / lactate Body and health: A by-product of hard muscle work. It is not the cause of next-day soreness, despite the old belief.
Low impact Body and health: Exercise that does not involve jumping or hard landings, so there is less force through your joints.

M

Macros (macronutrients) Nutrition and supplements: The three main nutrients that provide energy: protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Magnesium Nutrition and supplements: A mineral involved in muscle and nerve function, found in nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy vegetables. Supplements are rarely needed if you eat a varied diet.
Maximum heart rate Effort and measures: The highest rate your heart can reach. Often estimated as 220 minus your age, but that is only a rough guide and can be well out for individuals.
MET Effort and measures: Metabolic equivalent of task. A way of rating how hard an activity is. 1 MET is the energy you use sitting still. Walking briskly is around 4 to 5 METs, so it uses four to five times as much energy as resting. We use METs to estimate calories, and the figures are approximate.
Meta-analysis Effort and measures: A study that pools the results of many earlier studies to give a stronger overall answer.
Mindfulness Mind and body: Paying attention to the present moment, including your breathing and body, without judgement.
Mobility Body and health: How freely your joints move through their range.
Moderate intensity Effort and measures: Effort that raises your heart rate and breathing but still lets you talk. Brisk walking and easy cycling are examples. Official guidance is at least 150 minutes a week.
Multivitamin Nutrition and supplements: A tablet containing many vitamins and minerals. It can fill gaps in a poor diet but does not improve fitness in people who already eat well.

N

Non-contact Formats and places: A version of a sport with no tackling or body contact.
Non-exercise activity (NEAT) Training methods: All the movement in your day that is not formal exercise: walking to the shops, housework, gardening, standing.
Nordic walking Walking: Walking with specially designed poles that you push against with each step, using your arms and upper body as well as legs. See Nordic Walking →

O

Obstacle course racing (OCR) Formats and places: Races over a course with walls, crawls and carries, such as Spartan or Tough Mudder.
Omega-3 Nutrition and supplements: Fats found in oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, and in fish-oil capsules. Important for heart and brain health.
Open water Formats and places: Any swimming outside a pool, in lakes, rivers or the sea.
Orienteering Formats and places: Finding your way between marked points using a map and compass, usually on foot.
Osteoarthritis Body and health: A common joint condition where cartilage wears down, causing pain and stiffness. Gentle movement usually helps.
Osteoporosis Body and health: A condition where bones become weak and brittle and break more easily.

P

Pace Running and cycling: How long it takes to cover a distance, usually shown as minutes per mile or kilometre.
Pacing Training methods: Spreading your effort evenly so you do not start too fast and tire early.
Parkrun Running and cycling: A free, weekly, timed 5 km run or walk held in local parks, open to everyone. See parkrun →
PB (personal best) Running and cycling: Your fastest time or best result so far in an event or distance.
Pelvic floor Body and health: The muscles at the base of your pelvis that support the bladder, bowel and, in women, the womb. Some high-impact exercise can strain them after childbirth.
Periodisation Training methods: Planning training in blocks that vary in volume and intensity so you build up, peak and recover.
Physiotherapist Body and health: A health professional who helps with movement, pain and injury, and can advise on what exercise is safe for you.
Pilates Mind and body: Low-impact exercise focused on core strength, posture and controlled movement.
Plant protein Nutrition and supplements: Protein powder made from peas, soy, rice or hemp. A good option if you avoid dairy. Blends of plant sources give a fuller range of amino acids.
Pole planting Walking: In Nordic walking, placing the pole behind your front foot at an angle and pushing off it.
Pre-workout Nutrition and supplements: Powders or drinks taken before exercise, usually containing caffeine plus other ingredients. Strengths vary a lot between brands, so read the label and count the caffeine in your daily total.
Progressive overload Training methods: Gradually increasing the demand on your body, with more weight, time, reps or speed, so that it keeps adapting.
Protein Nutrition and supplements: A nutrient made of amino acids that your body uses to build and repair muscle and other tissue. Most adults get enough from food. Active people and older adults are often advised to aim a little higher, so ask a dietitian or GP what suits you.
Push, pull, legs (PPL) Strength: A training split with pushing movements one day, pulling movements another, and leg work on a third.

Q

Qigong Mind and body: Gentle Chinese movement and breathing exercises, related to tai chi.

R

Range of motion Body and health: How far a joint can move in each direction.
Recovery Training methods: The rest, sleep and easy days that let your body repair and adapt after exercise.
Red flags Body and health: Symptoms that need urgent medical attention, such as chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting or sudden dizziness during exercise. Stop and get advice.
Rep (repetition) Strength: One complete movement of an exercise, such as one squat.
Resistance band Strength: An elastic band that adds resistance to an exercise. Cheap and light to store.
Resistance training Strength: Any exercise where muscles work against a load: weights, bands, machines or your own body weight. Also called strength training.
Resting heart rate Effort and measures: Your heart rate when you are calm and rested. It often falls as your fitness improves.
RPE (rating of perceived exertion) Effort and measures: A simple 1 to 10 scale for how hard something feels. 1 is no effort, 10 is the hardest you could possibly go. Moderate exercise is about 4 to 6.
Rucking Walking: Walking with a weighted backpack, called a ruck. It adds load to ordinary walking. See Rucking →
Run/walk method Running and cycling: Alternating set periods of running and walking, to go further with less strain. See Run/Walk (Galloway) →

S

Sarcopenia Strength: The gradual loss of muscle mass and strength with age. Strength training is the best-known way to slow it.
Sedentary Body and health: Spending much of the day sitting or lying down with little movement.
Set Strength: A group of reps done without a rest. For example, "3 sets of 10" means ten reps, rest, ten reps, rest, ten reps.
Small-sided Formats and places: A team sport played with fewer players on a smaller pitch, so more touches and more running per person.
Spin class Running and cycling: An instructor-led group session on stationary bikes, usually to music.
Split routine Strength: Dividing training over the week by body part or movement, for example upper body one day and lower body the next.
Sports massage Body and health: Massage aimed at easing muscle tightness after training.
Sprint distance Formats and places: The shortest standard triathlon distance, about 750 m swim, 20 km bike and 5 km run.
Squat Strength: Bending the hips and knees to lower your body and standing back up.
Steady state Training methods: Exercise at one even, manageable effort for a long period.
Step goal Training methods: A daily target for number of steps, tracked on a phone or watch. A common target is 7,000 to 10,000. See 10,000 Step Target →
Stride Walking: The distance covered in one step. Longer, quicker strides raise the effort.
Strides (running) Running and cycling: Short, relaxed accelerations of about 20 seconds, used to improve running form and speed.
Studio Formats and places: A room, usually in a gym or leisure centre, used for group exercise classes.
Supplement Nutrition and supplements: A product such as a powder, capsule or drink that adds nutrients to your diet. Food comes first. Supplements are not tightly regulated, so quality varies, and some interact with medicines. Speak to a GP or pharmacist before starting one.

T

Tabata Training methods: A very short interval format: 20 seconds all-out, 10 seconds rest, eight rounds, so four minutes in total.
Tai chi Mind and body: A Chinese practice of slow, flowing movements with deep breathing, studied for balance and falls prevention.
Talk test Effort and measures: A simple way to check your effort without a gadget. If you can talk but not sing, you are working at a moderate level. If you can only say a few words, it is vigorous.
Taper Training methods: Cutting back training in the last days or weeks before an event so you arrive rested.
Tempo Training methods: A comfortably hard, steady effort that you could hold for about an hour, used to build stamina.
Trail running Running and cycling: Running on paths, tracks and uneven ground rather than roads.
Triathlon Formats and places: A race combining swimming, cycling and running.
Turbo trainer Running and cycling: A stand that lets you ride your bicycle indoors.

V

Vigorous intensity Effort and measures: Hard effort where you can only say a few words at a time, such as running or fast swimming. 75 minutes a week counts the same as 150 minutes of moderate effort.
Vinyasa Mind and body: A style of yoga that links poses in a flowing sequence with the breath.
Vitamin D Nutrition and supplements: A vitamin that supports bones and muscles. Your skin makes it in summer sunlight. UK health advice is to consider a daily 10 microgram supplement in autumn and winter, and all year round if you are rarely outdoors.
VO2 max Effort and measures: The most oxygen your body can use during hard exercise. It is a common measure of cardio fitness. Higher is generally better, and it tends to fall with age unless you stay active.

W

Warm-up Training methods: Easy movement at the start of a session that raises your heart rate and loosens your joints.
Weight-bearing Body and health: Exercise where your bones support your body weight, such as walking or dancing. It helps keep bones strong.
Whey protein Nutrition and supplements: A protein from milk, left over when cheese is made. It digests quickly and contains all the essential amino acids, so it is a popular powder for people who struggle to get enough protein from food. It is not suitable if you have a milk allergy, and some types contain lactose.
Wild swimming Formats and places: Swimming outdoors in lakes, rivers or the sea.
Wim Hof method Mind and body: A breathing technique often combined with cold exposure. Not suitable for everyone, so ask a GP if you have a health condition.

Y

Yoga Mind and body: A practice of postures, breathing and relaxation from India. Styles vary from gentle to strenuous.

Z

Zone 2 Training methods: Easy aerobic effort where you can hold a conversation. It builds an endurance base. Roughly 60 to 70% of maximum heart rate.

Nutrition terms are general information, not advice. Speak to a GP, pharmacist or registered dietitian before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. For more on individual nutrients, see our sister site Nutrient Explorer.