Best Ways To Track Your Fitness Progress

If you want to save money, you track your bank account and expenses. If you want to lose weight, you track your calorie intake, exercise, and weight. No matter what your goal is, tracking your progress is vital to success. That is true of any goal including those for fitness. Not everyone’s fitness goal is the same. Some people want to lose weight and others want to build energy. Some people want to improve their health, while others want a toned body. Each goal will have some similar tracking techniques, but also some tracking techniques unique to that goal.

Tracking your goal can be a real eye-opener.

You might think you are eating fewer calories until you start recording every bite you eat and your caloric intake. You’ll be surprised at how often you grab a handful of candy when you pass a coworker’s candy dish or eat the last few spoonfuls of dessert left in the bowl. When you record your calorie intake, it provides a visual picture that makes you more aware. It keeps you more accountable. You may think you’re doing well, but tracking helps you identify places you can do better.

If you want to get healthier, identify how you’ll know you’ve reached your goal.

Getting healthier is a broad goal that needs to be defined better. Is your blood pressure too high? Do you have high resting blood glucose levels? Are you out of breath just walking up one flight of stairs? For blood pressure, track both your blood pressure and your doctor’s recommendations for lowering it. Did the healthcare provider suggest more exercise, weight loss, or stress management? Set goals for each of these suggestions and track those things, too. Do you want a boost in endurance? Test yourself by seeing how many floors you can climb stairs before becoming exhausted.

You’ll see where you can make valuable changes.

If you’re tracking meals and your exercise program to lower your blood pressure and see a spike in blood pressure one week, you see what you did differently to cause that spike. Maybe it was eating junk food or food high in sugar or salt or skipping exercise for the week that made the difference. You can even narrow down causes by noting what didn’t change to help identify what else triggered the rise.

• People often fool themselves into thinking they’re doing everything right. Writing down everything and tracking it can give a different picture. It holds you accountable.
• You can use apps and fitness trackers to track your progress. A fitness tracker shows your activity level. Many apps will track your calorie intake or health indicators.
• Tracking your fitness goals in multiple ways gives a better picture. Using weight is one way. Inches lost is another. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue, so even if you’re not losing weight, you may be losing inches and making progress.
• Tracking your food intake can help you identify other issues. It can help identify emotional eating or a food allergy or intolerance.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness Studio