How many of you actually keep track of your workouts?! I know I am one who used to find this tedious and only for the hardcore runners or the OCD type. Well this is not true! Tracking your workouts actually has been shown to have many benefits!
Keeping track of your workouts is a very effective way of tracking your progress. This can result to also motivate you to continue to improve. When I achieve a new personal record, it is such a rewarding feeling. But I am really only satisfied for a little bit, because I then want to beat that.
Knowing your hours and hours going into your workouts is working and that you are indeed improving is a great motivator to make you want to keep at it. If weight loss is your goal, it would also be a good idea to track your inches, weight and body fat percentage to see where you are improving there.
It helps keep you honest. Knowing you did so many miles/reps last time, proves to yourself you can not only do that again, but you can beat it. You will never get better if you keep sticking to the same weight or speed, without ever testing yourself and pushing for progression. It also helps you to make adjustments that may be needed.
The great thing about treadmills and elliptical trainers are that they record your mileage and speed right on the display for you, take the guess work out of it. Some treadmills, such as the NordicTrack Commercial 1500 even have the convenient iFit.com that automatically tracks your workouts done on the treadmill. You can then go in and add other workouts along with your nutrition and weight loss. Makes it so simple!
Another benefit for runners in tracking your runs is it lets you know when your shoes have reached the end of their lives. Shoes are only made to last about four to six hundred miles, depending on many factors, according to RunningFit.com. It is recommended to replace your running shoes about every 12 months if you are a pretty frequent runner.
Here’s a great list from Tim at LogYourRun.com of the reasons we should track our running data:
- Track your progress – speed, mileage and weight are our favorites
- Keep track of your aches and pains – was it my left or my right knee that was killing me yesterday?
- Stay motivated – track your accomplishments
- Lets you know how many miles you have on your shoes
- Follow your training program to avoid injuries
There is no one way to record your workouts, just do what works for you. You just need to make sure you are including: weight/distance/speed, time, and date. Depending on if you are doing weight training or cardio exercises will determine exactly what you need to be including in your log. You can also leave side notes of how you felt that day, or anything else you find important to note.
Make sure you are scheduling and writing down your rest days as well, because they are equally important as your workouts! Check out why rest days are so important on this article. Knowing when you took your last rest day will help you stay on track and avoiding any injuries or burnout.
Here’s a list of a few of my favorite sites to help you track your workouts:
Check them out, give them a try and let me know what you think!!!
Written By: Jentry
