Health appears in Part 1 (exercise, sleep) and Part 3 (healthcare, lifestyle). Most health idioms are about feeling ill or getting better, so they fit personal answers best; for Part 3, keep to neutral phrases like "out of shape".
The labels tell you how each one lands with a listener. Natural idioms are safe in any Speaking part. Informal ones suit relaxed Part 1 and Part 2 answers. Overused ones are correct but examiners hear them constantly, so use them once at most. Avoid means dated, slang or a cliché that sounds memorised. None of these belong in Writing Task 2.
14 idioms
slightly ill
I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so I'm staying in.
The most common health idiom. Natural, but many candidates use it.
healthy again after an illness
It took two weeks, but I'm finally back on my feet.
Natural for recovery stories.
getting better after an illness or injury (British)
My knee is on the mend, so I'll be running again soon.
Natural and less over-taught.
tired and likely to get ill
After exam season I was completely run down.
Common in everyday British English.
not physically fit
I got really out of shape during lockdown.
Neutral, so it works in Part 3 as well.
a doctor's confirmation that you are healthy
The doctor gave my father a clean bill of health.
Natural and precise.
slightly unwell (British)
The baby seemed a bit off colour, so we stayed home.
British and casual.
full of energy (British)
After a good night's sleep, I'm full of beans.
Lively and natural for energy rather than health.
catch a minor illness
I picked up a bug on the plane.
Very common and natural.
a very bad headache
I woke up with a splitting headache.
A fixed phrase every native speaker uses.
relax and avoid hard work
The doctor told me to take it easy for a week.
Natural in any part of the test.
have a surgical operation
My uncle went under the knife last year to fix his back.
Casual. Fine for a story, but "have an operation" is neutral.
eating healthily prevents illness
As they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
A children's saying. It sounds memorised in an adult answer.
very healthy
My grandmother is ninety and as fit as a fiddle.
Sounds dated from a young speaker. "In great shape" is better.
Part 2
Here is a sample answer we wrote to show how a few of these idioms fit into natural speech. Notice that it uses only a handful, spread out, with plain English around them.
Last winter I picked up a bug that turned into a chest infection. I'd been studying late for weeks and was already quite run down, so it hit me hard. The doctor told me to take it easy, which was frustrating with exams coming up. After about ten days I was back on my feet, and the experience taught me that sleep isn't optional. Now I try to switch off my laptop by eleven.
It is very common, but it is also simply what native speakers say. Using it once is fine; for variety, try "run down", "off colour" or "I picked up a bug".
Part 3 health questions are about society, so neutral phrases fit better: "out of shape", "a clean bill of health" and "take it easy" can all describe people in general.
No. Idioms belong in Speaking. Writing Task 2 is a formal essay, so idioms and contractions make it sound too casual. Use precise, neutral vocabulary there instead.
One or two, only where they fit what you want to say. Forced idioms sound memorised and can lower your score. On this page, be careful with "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", "as fit as a fiddle": examiners hear them often or they sound dated.
Keep going
More idiom themes:
Practise them on real questions:
Written by Fizza Butool Zaidi and Ali Zaidi. Lexical Resource is one of the four Speaking criteria in the public IELTS scoring guide on ielts.org. BandLadder is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council or IDP, and no list of idioms guarantees a band score.
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