IELTS Speaking band 8 sample test 10: Health and fitness

Examiner: Let's talk about health and fitness. Do you do any regular exercise?

Candidate: Yes, I'm fairly consistent now, though that wasn't always the case. I lift weights three times a week at the campus gym, and I run at weekends if I'm not too hungover. It's become a routine, which I think is the key. Once it's in your calendar, you stop negotiating with yourself about whether to bother.

Examiner: What do you do to stay healthy?

Candidate: Mostly the basics, though I'm more disciplined about sleep now. I try to eat plenty of vegetables and protein, and I keep sugary drinks to a minimum, which is harder than it sounds on a student budget. I also take rest days, because I learned the hard way that pushing through an injury is a false economy. Honestly, the boring stuff does most of the work.

Examiner: Has your attitude to health changed as you have gotten older?

Candidate: Absolutely, it has changed a lot. In high school I only cared about how I looked, so I'd crash diet before big events and then rebound. Now I care more about how I feel day to day, like having energy for lectures. I suppose I've come to see health as a long-term habit rather than a short-term project, and that mindset shift has made it much easier to stick with.

Examiner: Now, I'd like you to describe a time you tried to improve your health or fitness. You should say: what you did, why you decided to do it, and how successful it was. And explain how you felt about the experience. You have one minute to prepare.

Examiner: All right, please start speaking now.

Candidate: The time I'd like to talk about was during my second year at university, when I decided to get properly fit after a rough few months. I'd spent most of exam season in the library, eating takeaway pizza and barely moving, and by the spring I'd put on a noticeable amount of weight and I was constantly tired. My roommate, who runs marathons, suggested we train together for a 10K race in the autumn. I thought, why not? It gave me a clear goal, which I think I needed.

Candidate: We started with a twelve-week plan that mixed short runs, a couple of strength sessions and one longer run at the weekend. The first few weeks were humbling, honestly. I could barely manage three kilometres without stopping, and I remember wondering whether I'd made a huge mistake. I also cut back on the late-night snacking and started cooking more, which was a bit of a learning curve. By week eight, though, the runs felt easier, and my sleep and mood had improved noticeably. On race day I finished the 10K in just under an hour, which, for someone who'd never run that far, felt like a real achievement.

Candidate: Looking back, the success had less to do with the race and more to do with the habits I built. I felt proud, but also a bit surprised, because I'd always assumed I wasn't a running person. What really stayed with me was how much sharper my concentration was once I was active regularly. So I'd say the experience changed how I think about myself. Fitness stopped being something I did to look a certain way and became something I did to feel capable.

Examiner: Thanks. Would you consider running another race in the future?

Candidate: Probably, yes. I've already signed up for a half marathon next spring, although I'm a bit nervous about the longer distance. I think the training will be tougher, but I'm looking forward to it.

Examiner: Let's move on to some broader questions. Why do you think health problems related to lifestyle are increasing?

Candidate: I think it's a combination of factors, and most of them are tied to how modern life is structured. Many jobs involve sitting at a desk for hours, and we've become so used to convenience that we rarely walk anywhere. Food is also a major issue, because ultra-processed, high-calorie meals are often cheaper and quicker than fresh ingredients. On the other hand, people are more aware of health than ever before, so the knowledge is there. The gap, I'd argue, is between knowing what's good for you and having the time, energy and money to act on it. So it's less about individual laziness and more about an environment that makes unhealthy choices the default.

Examiner: What can governments do to encourage healthier lifestyles?

Candidate: Governments have quite a lot of levers, and some of the most effective ones are structural rather than preachy. For instance, a tax on sugary drinks has reduced consumption in some places, and the revenue can fund sports facilities. Cities can invest in safe cycle lanes and green spaces, which make active travel the easy option. Clearer food labelling is another, since many people simply don't realise how much sugar or salt they're eating. The tricky bit, I think, is that these measures can be unpopular, so politicians often avoid them. But if we want long-term change, governments need to be willing to nudge behaviour, not just tell people to try harder.

Examiner: Is it more important to focus on mental health or physical health?

Candidate: To be honest, I don't think you can separate them very cleanly, although I understand why people ask. Physical activity has a well-documented effect on mood and anxiety, and at the same time, chronic stress affects sleep and the immune system. Personally, I found that when I started training, my mental state improved before my body changed at all. That's why I'd argue mental health deserves equal attention, because it often determines whether someone can sustain healthy habits. In practice, the two reinforce each other, and neglecting one usually undermines the other over time.