1Physical exercise or gymnastics — general bodily movement done for health, flexibility, or warm-up purposes (e.g. radio calisthenics). Often used with する as 'to do exercises'.
毎朝、出勤前にラジオ体操をするのが習慣だ。
Doing radio calisthenics before work every morning is a habit of mine.
授業が始まる前に、みんなで軽く体操をした。
Before class started, everyone did some light exercises together.
準備体操をせずに走ると怪我をしやすい。
If you run without warming up first, you're more likely to get injured.
2Short for 体操競技 (artistic gymnastics); refers to competitive apparatus gymnastics, or the sport/competition itself.
オリンピックの体操で、日本代表が金メダルを獲得した。
Japan's national team won gold in Olympic gymnastics.
体操の選手には高い柔軟性とバランス感覚が求められる。
Gymnasts are required to have great flexibility and balance.
3An obsolete usage that once referred to school physical education (PE) classes; rarely if ever used today.