Have Exercise / Do Exercise

Exercise is a tricky word.

It can be a noun:

Running is good exercise.

or it can be a verb:

I exercise every day.

When we use “exercise” as a verb we don’t need another verb.  It can stand alone.

Yet, a lot of my students will say things like:

I make exercise every day.

You can’t make exercise.

You can do exercise (noun) or you can just exercise (verb).

You can make up an exercise, like you created an exercise.  For example, “I made up a new exercise.  You squat down while holding a cat over your head.  I call it the “cat squat’.

WRONG

I like to make exercise.

CORRECT

I exercise every day. 
I like to exercise.   
I like to workout. 
I like to go to the gym.