How journalling your workouts increases your odds of achieving your fitness goals.
Most people - myself included - subscribe to the “Small Steps, Big Results” philosophy of training and a journal is a perfect way to record those small, yet very significant daily actions and results as you look to the future. It helps you keep on schedule and when and where to tweak your program.
Exercise journals are huge for those who exercise at home as it serves as a reminder to work out. If the exercise journal is sitting in a prominent location around the house, like a calendar, it will serve as a reminder of fitness goals. Even an App can be great to keep track of you crushing your workouts and you can even take it with you when you workout outside the home. I love using my Fitbit and a calendar/journal to track my progress. And of course I love that I can change up the band on my Fitbit to match my journal too lol. Ah fashion and fitness; two of my favourite "F" words;).
Keeping an exercise journal can also help to:
Clarify and focus your fitness goals
Break down goals into smaller, more manageable goals
Track progress towards goals
Plan future workouts
Record workouts done and progress
Record related non-workout information e.g. sleep, meals, overall energy levels
Gain a better understanding of exercise habits, helping you to troubleshoot and make changes.
Plan exercise rest daysIncrease motivation
Prevent and manage injuries
Provide a factual record of successes
But perhaps the biggest benefit of an exercise journal is its scheduling capabilities. One of the biggest barriers to fitness success is an irregular fitness schedule. Work, family, friends, life ... all can cause exercise to take a back seat. But as we all know, if we aren’t healthy and happy we are no good to anyone else do get that journal out and schedule your workouts like any other important appointment!
Ultimately a fitness journal doesn’t have to be anything elaborate but whatever a you choose, you can be sure that using a fitness journal will help you reach your fitness goals quicker than you ever thought possible.
Have a journal or want to get one? Feel free to contact me and I can answer any questions you may have:).
Interested in a fitness/wellness consultation or have some questions about nutrition and your current fitness program? Join any of my groups online (Facebook) and/or pick up my book, How to be Fit for Life - Eight Proven Steps to Reaching Your Fitness Goals, Getting Results, and Living the Fitness Life for more help with your fitness journey. And please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have:).