Regimen
This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Marco in Italy. Here is Marco's question:
Dear Teacher,
I want to understand more when to use the word 'regimen' for exercise or other actions.
Thank you.
I'm happy to answer this question, Marco.
A regimen is usual and repeated action, especially in training. In health care, it is a systematic plan to improve a person's health.
A training regimen, for example, can include exercises people can do to help them get the results they want. For example, a long-distance runner's regimen might include runs of 10 or 20 kilometers every week.
Note that we often put another noun before the word 'regimen' to help identify it more clearly. These are called attributive nouns. They act similarly to adjectives, as in the following examples:
a weightlifting regimen, a workout regimen, a running regimen, a walking regimen, a stretching regimen
In fact, you can more clearly identify any kind of regimen by placing an attributive noun before it. For example, musicians can have a 'practice regimen,' and students can have a 'study regimen.'
To express what actions or steps are in a regimen, we can use the verb and preposition 'consist of,' as the following example shows:
My exercise regimen consists of strength training two days a week and running or walking most other days.
Note that native speakers might substitute the word 'routine' for 'regimen' in some situations. Here are some examples:
What practice routine do you follow?
You can use this daily routine to improve your fitness.
A medical regimen is a series of repeated treatments. For example, a doctor might tell a patient to take a certain medicine two times a day for two weeks.
We often put adjectives, like medical, before the word 'regimen,' also. 'Daily,' and 'effective' are commonly used, as in:
Try to include long walks in your daily regimen.
You need an effective regimen for losing weight.
And it is not unusual to use both an adjective and an attributive noun, like in this example:
She swims two kilometers a day as part of a strict training regimen.
For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? Do you have a special study regimen? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. And please let us know where you are from, too.
And that's Ask a Teacher.
I'm Andrew Smith.
Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
consist of -verb phrase. To be formed or made of
fitness -n. the state of being in strong physical condition
certain -adj. specific, exact
strict -adj. exact and precise, with little variation
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Regimen
This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Marco in Italy. Here is Marco's question: Dear Teacher, I want to understand more when to use the word 'regimen' for exercise or other actions. Thank you. I'm happy to answer this question, Marco. A regimen is usual and repeated action, especially in training. In health care, it is a systematic plan to improve a person's health. A training regimen, for example, can include exercises people can do to help them get the results they want. For example, a long-distance runner's regimen might include runs of 10 or 20 kilometers every week. Note that we often put another noun before the word 'regimen' to help identify it more clearly. These are called attributive nouns. They act similarly to adjectives, as in the following examples: a weightlifting regimen, a workout regimen, a running regimen, a walking regimen, a stretching regimen In fact, you can more clearly identify any kind of regimen by placing an attributive noun before it. For example, musicians can have a 'practice regimen,' and students can have a 'study regimen.' To express what actions or steps are in a regimen, we can use the verb and preposition 'consist of,' as the following example shows: My exercise regimen consists of strength training two days a week and running or walking most other days. Note that native speakers might substitute the word 'routine' for 'regimen' in some situations. Here are some examples: What practice routine do you follow? You can use this daily routine to improve your fitness. A medical regimen is a series of repeated treatments. For example, a doctor might tell a patient to take a certain medicine two times a day for two weeks. We often put adjectives, like medical, before the word 'regimen,' also. 'Daily,' and 'effective' are commonly used, as in: Try to include long walks in your daily regimen. You need an effective regimen for losing weight. And it is not unusual to use both an adjective and an attributive noun, like in this example: She swims two kilometers a day as part of a strict training regimen. For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English? Do you have a special study regimen? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@ And please let us know where you are from, too. And that's Ask a Teacher. I'm Andrew Smith. Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. _______________________________________________________ Words in This Story consist of -verb phrase. To be formed or made of fitness -n. the state of being in strong physical condition certain -adj. specific, exact strict -adj. exact and precise, with little variation
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Quiz - Advice on Successfully Keeping New Year's Promises Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________ Words in This Story daunting –adj. something that causes people to lose confidence or to be afraid dessert –n. a sweet food eaten at the end of the meal occasion –n. an event or happening achieve –v. to reach a goal or to complete a task positively –adv. in a good way benefit –n. a good result from an action or deed habit –n. a repeated behavior that might be good or bad stress –n. a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation accountable -adj. to be held responsible perfection –n. a state in which nothing is wrong, there is no error or mistake compassion –n. a deep feeling of sympathy for others calendar –n. a document that shows the day and months of the year from the start to the finish
