Shadowing Practice: I Work Out Every Day and It's Changing My Life - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Lately, I've been feeling a bit low.
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Not with life in general, but rather with myself.
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I've felt like the days are just passing by while I'm kind of stuck at this lowness.
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And I know part of it probably has to do with everything going on in the world right now, and that's something that we're all dealing with,
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one way or the other.
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But I also think it's because I've kind of lost myself in the midst of it all.
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taking care of myself, not mentally or physically.
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I haven't been sleeping well, I've been really low on energy, which has affected my mood and that has ultimately affected my sense of self.
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And it's been as if I've just kind of let the days pass by waiting for the normal to return.
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But I've had to come to terms with the fact that
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We really don't know how long all of this will go on for.
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We can do our part and we should do our part, but The rest is out of our control.
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That's always how it is in life, regardless of what it is that we're going through.
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But the one thing that we do have control over is the control over ourselves.
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What we do, how we behave, and what we think.
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And sometimes, we need something to remind us of that.
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And sometimes, that reminder comes in the form of something new.
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challenge or a push.
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And in being at this low point, I knew that I needed just that.
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Now, what I wanted was a challenge
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that would be tough enough to where I would need to push myself
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but not tough to the extent that I would feel discouraged.
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Ultimately, I just wanted something that was good for me and that was going to make me feel good.
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And one thing that's given me all of that in the past has been workout challenges.
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I did one about a year and a half ago.
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It was a 94 -day challenge and it was completely transformative.
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And so, I decided to give that a go again, but I was going to start with two weeks.
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I decided to document the two weeks, not just through filming it,
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but through detailed daily journal entries as well.
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And I wanted to keep track of the four things that I mentioned earlier: so my sleep, my energy levels, my mood, and my sense of self.
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As for the workouts, here are some specifics.
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So I decided to do most of them outdoors in nature or at home.
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The gyms here in about that whenever I post something on my Instagram,
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but I still choose not to go to any gyms or studios.
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I also decided to get the workouts in either before breakfast or before lunch because historically that's what's worked best for me.
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I also did not follow any particular workout program.
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I mean, I've been working out on and off for a few years now, so I've sort of built my own routine and I decided to just go with that.
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But I did however add in more jogging and running.
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And as for the diet, I didn't make any major adjustments.
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I mean, I do eat pretty healthy normally.
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I just kept that up.
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I also want to say that prior to this challenge, I had probably worked out two times in the last month or so.
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And I actually checked the health app on my iPhone, where you can see how many steps you have taken.
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I have no idea how legit it is, but I'm According to that app,
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I had taken less than 50 steps on way too many days and on one day I had taken
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13 steps on the entire day. So, yeah.
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The first workout session done and I'm exhausted.
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But hopefully in two weeks, this will be easy breezy.
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The first few days were really tough.
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My body felt extremely stiff and I also quickly learned
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that working out outdoors is a lot tougher than working out at a gym.
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sunshine all in the same day and if you are from Sweden You know what I'm talking about here, the weather is very unpredictable.
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But it was also a lot more fun and refreshing and liberating than exercising indoors.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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. But...
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I...
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I'm still really excited to see some progress.
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I mean, I'm already looking forward to these workouts.
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You know, before I go to bed, I'm actually excited to go work out in the morning.
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And also, I've never really worked out outdoors.
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I mean, I've.. gone for runs and jogs but I've never really done workouts
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I've always been kind of a gym person but now that I'm doing it outdoors, it's so much better.
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Now, that does not mean that every day was fantastic.
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I remember there was one day, I think it was day 9, where I really did not feel like it.
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So today has been the day where I've probably been the least excited throughout the challenge.
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I don't know, I just don't really feel...
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Like I'm up for it, but I'm still going to do it.
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So day 10.
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Let's do this.
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Thank you.
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Now, after the two weeks had passed, I reflected back on my journaling notes.
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And I do want to say
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that there is no way for me to know for sure
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that physical activity has been the only reason for why some things changed for me.
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There might have been other contributing factors, but… That was the only thing that I changed about my routine.
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But since this was not a scientific study, I simply can't know that for sure.
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Anyway, so here are some of the things that I noted.
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My sleep has gotten significantly better, and this is definitely what's been the most noticeable change through all of this.
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I now sleep throughout the night instead of waking up multiple times, and that's something that I haven't experienced in weeks or even months.
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And I'm also not feeling like I constantly need to take a nap.
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I just feel a lot more balance throughout the day.
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And now naps are not a bad thing for you, by the way.
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We are reading a book that's all about sleep in the book club, so don't forget to check that out if you would like to join.
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As for my mood, it's definitely not like "oh, I exercise for two weeks and now I'm happy all the time."
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But the two things that did really affect my mood prior to this challenge and my low levels of energy.
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And now that I'm not dealing with that anymore, at least not to the same extent, Again, I just feel more balanced and better in general.
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Finally, my sense of self.
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No one likes looking themselves in the mirror only to see a sack of beans
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that hasn't moved from the couch in three days.
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It's just not a good feeling.
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But ever since starting this challenge and being consistent and dedicated, I've been I don't feel that way about myself anymore.
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I see someone who at least tries, and that's not what I saw a few weeks ago.
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Now, saying that something has changed your life is definitely a bold statement, but then again, if something changes your sleep,
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your energy levels, your mood, and your sense of I would say that's changing part of your life, at least to some extent.
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And now, I'm definitely going to continue exercising, not every day, that was for the challenge and your body does need rest,
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but I definitely do want to keep pushing myself.
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And I do really want to encourage you to try something like this out.
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Exercise is free, it can be done anywhere, and you don't need a fancy yoga mat, you don't need fancy workout clothes.
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You don't need anything.
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You just need your body, your mindset, and perhaps a YouTube tutorial.
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And since you are here watching this, I know that you have access to that.
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So what's your excuse?
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If you're interested in the journaling notes that I kept during those two weeks, I'll be uploading those on my Patreon page.
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Honestly, the support that I get there is So appreciated and it does help me in keeping this channel up and running.
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So feel free to check that out if you would like.
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I will leave a link for that in the description box.
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Thank you so much for watching this video and I will see you in the comment section.
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you

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Context & Background

In the video titled "I Work Out Every Day and It's Changing My Life," the speaker shares a personal journey about overcoming feelings of low energy and lack of motivation. They discuss how external factors, including world events, have influenced their mental and physical state. Importantly, the speaker emphasizes the power of self-control in navigating life's challenges. They introduce a two-week workout challenge as a means to regain their sense of self and boost their mood, outlining the details of their routine and reflections on their progress.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "I’ve been feeling a bit low." - A common expression to describe feelings of sadness or lack of motivation.
  • "I haven’t been sleeping well." - This phrase can be used to discuss sleep issues, a topic many can relate to.
  • "I need to push myself." - A motivational expression to indicate the need for personal effort.
  • "I want to feel good." - A powerful affirmation related to personal well-being.
  • "The workouts were tough." - A straightforward way to describe challenging physical activities.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Using this video as a resource to learn English with YouTube can be highly effective, especially through a technique known as shadow speech. Follow these steps to enhance your English speaking skills using the content from this video:

  1. Watch the Video: Begin by watching the video a couple of times to familiarize yourself with the speaker's tone and the topics discussed.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Play segments of the video and pause frequently. Repeat the phrases exactly as the speaker says them, mimicking their intonation and rhythm. This will not only help with pronunciation but also improve your fluency.
  3. Use Daily Phrases: Practice using the top phrases in your own sentences. For instance, you might say, "I've been feeling a bit low this week, but I'm planning to start a workout routine to lift my spirits."
  4. Write Journal Entries: Inspired by the speaker’s method, keep a daily journal of your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This can significantly help with vocabulary and expressing yourself better in English.
  5. Engage in IELTS Speaking Practice: Focus on speaking continuously for about 2 minutes on the topics mentioned in the video. This allows you to simulate part of the IELTS speaking format, preparing you for real-life conversations.

Through these techniques, you can effectively improve your English speaking abilities while engaging with content that motivates you. Remember, consistency is key—practice regularly to see substantial progress as you integrate shadowspeaks into your learning journey.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going onhaven't been sleeping · I've been working
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowI've felt · I've been · it's been
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingenergy, which has · someone who at

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →