For optimal health, you should be working out at least 3 times a week. And your workout can be something as simple as a brisk walk. But whatever activity you choose, you should plan to improve and set yourself goals. Consider keeping an exercise journal.
Here are: 3 Ways an Exercise Journal Will Help You
Exercise journals allow you to record all of your physical activity in an organized and fun way. Here are some different ways having an exercise journal can help you.
1. You Can Track Your Daily Workouts
One great reason to start keeping an exercise journal is simply to track all of your workouts. When you don’t track them, you might forget how much you do, or on the other side, not work out quite as much as you think you do. Without a journal, it’s hard to check back on how you’re doing and look for ways to improve upon your exercise regimen. With a journal, you know right away how much you’re doing, and in what ways you can improve.
2. It Helps You Schedule Future Workouts
Another thing to consider is that with a workout journal, you can also keep a schedule for future workouts. This allows you to have something to look forward to and to fit into your busy schedule. No longer are you just hoping for some free time and exercising whenever it’s most convenient. Instead, you’re actually making exercise a part of your other appointments. On Tuesday, not only do you go to work and head to your dentist appointment, but you know you’ll also do yoga before bed.
Go ahead — stick your exercise plan and your journal together. You’ll find yourself motivated, inspired, and more likely to stick with it.
3. You Remain Accountable
Finally, it helps keep you accountable. Make it a point that every day, you record all activity for that day, even if you did none. You remain accountable by looking back and seeing which days you got enough exercise, and which days needed some improvement. You will, of course, want to fill your days with enough exercise. That accountability further helps to motivate you to keep up with your fitness regimen in the future. (You don’t want to see a lot of pages marked “none” next to exercise, do you?)
Do what I recently started doing — use one agenda for everything. It’s an experiment and I like it so far. Marked in there with hospital rounds and office hours is “workout“, and whatever it is I’m supposed to do that day, abdominal exercises, upper body, etc. Once I’ve done the workout I make a few short notes about it. A number of repetitions, weight pounds, how long I walked, etc.
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