锻炼 (duànliàn)

锻炼 means physical exercise or training. It is one of the most common words in health and fitness discussions in Chinese, used both as a verb and as a noun.

Meanings

[verb] to exercise; to work out; to train physically
[noun] exercise; physical training; workout

Example Sentences

我每天早上都去公园锻炼。 Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dōu qù gōngyuán duànliàn. I go to the park to exercise every morning.

医生建议他多锻炼，少吃油腻食物。 Yīshēng jiànyì tā duō duànliàn, shǎo chī yóunì shíwù. The doctor advised him to exercise more and eat less greasy food.

坚持锻炼对身体非常有好处。 Jiānchí duànliàn duì shēntǐ fēicháng yǒu hǎochù. Sticking to regular exercise is very beneficial for the body.

她通过锻炼成功减轻了体重。 Tā tōngguò duànliàn chénggōng jiǎnqīng le tǐzhòng. She successfully lost weight through exercise.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
坚持锻炼	to stick to exercising
锻炼身体	to exercise / work out (lit. train the body)
体育锻炼	physical exercise
锻炼意志	to train one's willpower

Usage Notes

锻炼 is versatile — it can describe physical exercise (锻炼身体) but also metaphorical "training" of character or willpower (锻炼意志). As a verb, it is often followed by a complement or duration: 锻炼了一个小时 (exercised for an hour). It can also follow 坚持 (to persist) to express the idea of maintaining a regular exercise habit.

Memory Hook

锻 (to forge metal) + 练 (to practice/drill) — just as a blacksmith forges metal through repeated hammering, you forge a strong body through repeated exercise.