The benefits of keeping an exercise journal outweigh the commitment and time it takes to keep one. Here are some easy-to-follow suggestions to writing your way to fitness.
You feel like you’ve spent a sufficient amount of time exercising this week. When in reality, if you were to get out a piece of paper and document your exercise, you would be surprised to see how your busy schedule interfered with your exercise routine. Or, maybe, you had a week where you had many opportunities to exercise but the time you actually spent working out was lacking. If you were to log all of these bits of exercise, you might find, when added together, you didn’t do as bad as you thought.
Your journal doesn’t have to include a lot of details or it can be very descriptive. The best part is, it’s your journal and no one else will be reading it. If you would like to take an active role in your fitness routine, keeping track of simple things such as what you did, how long you did it, at what intensity and how you felt, could provide you with some helpful, as well as interesting, information.
Journaling can help you evaluate why you are having a good day or a bad day. It may help you see patterns that you wouldn’t otherwise recognize. It may answer questions like: When do I feel tired? When do I have more energy?
An exercise journal makes you accountable for what you did or didn’t do in the same way keeping a food journal makes you accountable for what you did or didn’t eat. If you are already keeping a food journal you can combine the two, which may be helpful in noting how certain foods or eating habits affect your exercise routine. By writing everything down you are able to see your successes as well as your failures.
Try to keep your focus on what you have accomplished. Be honest with yourself. How many people keep a food journal and only record the good foods that they eat? It’s the same with exercise. You need to record the days you don’t exercise as well as the days you do. And you need to record honestly what you did or didn’t do. By keeping a journal you can document the reason why you didn’t exercise on certain days. It may help you pinpoint your downfalls and the things you need to avoid, such as answering the phone when you know it will keep you from your routine. Be sure to set realistic goals for yourself so you don’t become discouraged.
Your journal can be kept in any format that is convenient for you. For some it may be as simple as a spiral notebook in which you make daily entries or it can be as fancy as a calendar you print out from your computer. You will want to record the type of exercise you did: biking, running, swimming, walking, etc. Be sure to schedule a rest day at least once a week. Record the amount of time the exercise was performed and how you perceived the intensity level. You can use a scale of 1 to 5, one being the lightest. Record any other information you feel relates to your activity such as cramping, muscle aches, etc. Indicate your average level of energy for the day, using a symbol, a number system or just describing in writing how you felt. Make additional notes if there was something in particular that may have affected your energy level for the day, such as interrupted sleep the night before, illness or stress.
You may see patterns that you’ll want to change or maintain. Using this feedback is a great way to keep in touch with your body, keep track of your progress and keep you motivated. Be sure to reward yourself for accomplishing your goals. Your fitness story could turn out to be number-one on your bestseller’s list.