Tracking Your Way To Fitness Success

-how monitoring your health & fitness goals can help you achieve them

When it comes to health and fitness, achieving your goals is not always a linear process. There will be ups and downs, plateaus and setbacks. That's why it's so important to track your progress along the way. Monitoring your progress can help you identify when you're off course so you can make adjustments, and it can also help you celebrate your successes, even when they're small. 

Tracking is a crucial part of achieving your health and fitness goals for several reasons:

1. It enables you to make tweaks as soon as you notice you're not gaining results. 

2. It allows you to see results when they aren't immediately apparent. For example, if the number on the scale isn't moving, you might see improvements in the number of repetitions you can do or the weight you're able to lift. 

3. It keeps you motivated and on course for your goals. Seeing that you are making progress, even if it's slow, can be the motivation you need to keep going when things get tough. 

4. It allows you to adjust your goals as needed. As you get stronger, faster, or more fit, you may need to readjust your goals to ensure that they are challenging but still achievable. 

But what should you track? 

Here are 9 things you should keep an eye on as you work towards your health and fitness goals. 

1. Nutrition: What and how much you're eating has a huge impact on your overall health and fitness. What goes in affects how you look and feel on the outside. If you're not seeing results, it could be because of your diet. That's why it's important to be conscious of both the quality and quantity of the food you're consuming. Track what you eat using a food journal or app, such as my fitness pal, and pay attention to how your body feels after eating different types of foods.

2. Body measurements: It's not all about the numbers on the scale! Focus on more than just weight loss or gain when tracking your progress. Measurements such as waist circumference, body fat percentage, and BMI can give you a more complete picture of your health, and a more accurate picture of your progress

3. Sleep: Getting enough quality sleep is essential for both your physical and mental health. Track the number of hours you're sleeping each night, as well as how rested you feel when you wake up in the morning. Keep a sleep journal or using a sleep tracking app (such as Fitbit or Sleep Cycle).

4. Energy levels: Feeling tired all the time can sabotage your efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle. Do a morning check-in each day to rate how well-rested and energetic you feel on a scale from 1-10. This will help you identify patterns and make necessary adjustments (such as increasing sleep or cutting back on caffeine) accordingly. Keep tabs on your energy levels throughout the day, and look for patterns or possible triggers that might be impacting them. 

5. Strength: This is especially important if you're lifting weights as part of your workout routine. Keep a record of how much weight you can lift for each exercise, and aim to beat your personal best each time you work out.

6. Cardio endurance: Not only is cardiovascular fitness important for heart health, but it's also a great way to burn calories and tone up. Keep track of how long you can sustain a certain heart rate or level of intensity. The MyZone technology we use at Unit 11 tracks this.Tracking how many reps (of something like burpees) you can do in a set amount of time will show just how far you've progressed too.

7. Recovery time: Pay attention to how quickly your body recovers after a workout. If you're seeing improvements in this area, it means you're getting stronger and fitter.

8. Mindset: Being in the right frame of mind is crucial when it comes to making lasting lifestyle changes. Tools such as visualisation, meditating, and setting intentions can all play an important role in helping manifest desired outcomes. Keep track of how often you engage in these activities as well as their effectiveness for helping you stay on track. Our Wellness Planner is a great tool to track these.

9. Mental health: Don't forget about the mind-body connection! Tracking indicators such as stress levels, mood, and anxiety can give you valuable insights into how well you're managing overall wellness goals like reducing stress, improving sleep quality, etc. 

So, the bottom line is this: if you want to achieve your health and fitness goals, start tracking!monitoring and tracking progress along the way is an essential piece of the puzzle. 

By tracking different elements of your journey, you'll not only be more likely to stick to your goals but also better equipped to make any necessary tweaks along the way. By paying attention to key indicators, you set yourself up for success by ensuring that you are on track and making progress towards achieving those all-important goals. 

So what are YOU waiting for? 

  Need some help? Book a free consultation call, and we’ll give you some tips to get you started.

Cheering you on

Sean