In Italian, we use a word that should be a loanword to mean "an activity such as race or march, practiced for training or healthy activity": footing.
An American friend of mine has never understood what I mean, and told me she doesn't use footing like that. I also looked at the NOAD, and the OED; both report the meaning of footing, but they don't give to the word the meaning we give in Italian.
What is the word that I should use to describe that kind of activity?