10th October is World Mental Health Day – a day that encourages us to think about, of course, mental health and well-being. It also provided me with the perfect excuse to create a C1 mental health lesson exploring a slightly unexpected question – can someone be extremely fit but still be unhealthy?
When we think about elite athletes, healthy is probably one of the first words that comes to mind. They train for hours, follow carefully planned diets, and have access to some of the best physical support available. But physical fitness is only one part of health. What happens when the habits that helped athletes succeed start affecting their mental and emotional well-being?
I came across an interesting article by The Guardian about the health of Olympians and the challenges some athletes face during and after their sporting careers. The article features the experiences of four female athletes and explores the topics such as perfectionism, discipline, burnout, and the difficulty of adjusting to life after retirement. As the original article was quite complex, I adapted the material into a C1-level reading lesson with a CAE Reading Part 8 task and a vocabulary focus. This resulted in a perfect combination of exam and speaking practice.
If this C1 mental health lessson sounds useful, scroll to the end of the post to download the worksheet and the teacher’s notes that include the link to the presentation.
Warmer: Fit or Healthy?
Begin the lesson by introducing two contrasting people. One exercises six days a week, follows a strict diet, has excellent physical fitness, and never skips a workout. The other one isn’t particulraly fit. They exercise only a couple of times a week, eats a varied diet, makes time for friends and relaxation. Students decide which statements describe each person and then discuss what the differences might tell us about their lifestyles. This provides a simple way of introducing the central question – is being physically fit the same as being healthy?
Discussion: What Does It Mean to Be Healthy?
Then, discuss ideas about health. Students consider what it means to be healthy. They discuss which aspects of health they consider most important, and whether someone can be physically fit but still be unhealthy. There are no right or wrong answers here. The aim is to get students thinking about health as something broader than exercise and physcial fitness.
Reading for Gist: Beyond Fitness
Before delving into the full adapted article, read its title Olympians are super fit. That doesn’t mean we’re healthy followed by a short introduction. Based on this, students are asked to select the best title for the text. Then, students read four statements about life as an elite athlete. They decide whether they think each statement is true or false. This gives students something to look for while reading. It’s not another task that asks them to read the texts without any clear purpose.
Reading for Detail: Four Olympic Athletes
I used ChatGPT to split the article into four shorter texts. Each text depicts the firsthand experiences of four female athletes as they transitioned from their professional careers to retirement. The athletes featured are Laura Zeng (gymnast), Katie Spada (swimmer), Alexi Pappas (runner), and Jessica Parratto (diver). Although their experiences are different, all four texts explore the idea that physical fitness doesn’t necessarily equal overall health. Students encounter issues such as difficulty adjusting to retirement, underfueling, perfectionism, extreme discipline, burnout, and the importance of mental and emotional well-being. This part ends with students checking whether the statements from the previous task were true or false.
CAE Reading Part 8: Multiple Matching
As you may have noticed, this task closely resembles the CAE Reading Part 8. The texts are quite similar, so for brevity, I removed two questions. As the texts are quite similar, so students need to look carefully for specific information and recognise paraphrases. I always recommend asking students to underline the evidence for each answer. This encourages them to justify their choices and makes the task more useful as exam preparation.
Vocabulary in Context: Health and Fitness
The reading is also an excellent source of C1 vocabulary. Students match ten bold words from the text with their definitions, including words such as anew, encompass, epitome, or underfueling. The vocabulary is closely connected to the topic, so students encounter words they can realistically reuse when discussing health, fitness, routines, and well-being.
Controlled Practice: Using the Vocabulary
Students then complete a series of sentences using the new vocabulary. The sentences recycle ideas from the reading, such as strict routines, unrealistic standards, and the difference between physical appearance and overall health.
Speaking: Be the Coach
At the end of the class, students take on the role of a coach working with an Olympic athlete who has recently retired. The athlete is struggling to adapt to their new lifestyle, still follows a rigid training regimen, equates physical fitness with being healthy, and strives for perfection. Students discuss what the athlete could change about their daily routine, how they could develop a healthier attitude towards fitness and achievement, and what they could do to improve their overall well-being. This final task brings the lesson back to its central idea while giving students a practical reason to use the vocabulary they have learnt.
This C1 mental health lesson is a reminder that being fit and being healthy aren’t necessarily the same thing. Elite athletes may have exceptional physical fitness, but maintaining good health also means finding space for rest, relationships, flexibility, and mental and emotional well-being.
Do you think someone can be extremely fit but still be unhealthy? What does being healthy mean to you?
