Health and Fitness / partner post
How to keep fitness a fun and positive part of your life
When we start a new class or exercise programme, there are so many new things to learn and new exercises to try that the idea of tracking our progress falls by the wayside.
But once you’ve settled into a regular routine, keeping an eye on where you’re at is a great way to keep up motivation and will encourage you to keep trying new challenges, keeping fitness as a fun and positive part of your life.
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There are many ways of measuring our success.
For some of us, it might be numbers-based, noting down the specific weights and repetitions of each workout and noticing how they increase over time.
Others might prefer a more lifestyle-based approach, keeping a diary of their energy levels, mood and how they feel in their body, appreciating the positive changes each week.
Some will enjoy a visual aid, taking a photo or video of themselves doing a certain movement to see how their form or endurance has improved.
Whichever method you choose, it’s important to go for one that suits you and your goals, as this will offer most benefits to you and your motivation.
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Read more: Getting results with the F45 Challenge
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Tracking our progress is a great way of celebrating our gym wins, but can also help when we feel as though we’ve stopped moving forward.
At the beginning of a new type of exercise, every session may offer a chance to achieve some kind of personal best, as it’s something we’ve never done before and we don’t yet know where our limits lie.
As we start to reach those limits, it can feel as though we’re no longer improving, but this is rarely the case – with a little effort and consistency over time, we’re sure to keep those achievements coming.
That’s where tracking helps; by noticing small successes each week, we feel far more motivated to keep coming back for more and we can see ourselves getting closer and closer to those bigger goals.
A record of progress is also useful when it comes to highlighting anything that might be preventing you from moving forward, whether that’s something gym-specific, such as poor form or flexibility, or related to lifestyle, like not getting enough sleep.
Once you know about these areas, you can focus on finding ways to make them better, which in turn will allow you to overcome them keep moving forward.
And remember, you don’t have to do this all alone – checking in with a coach or personal trainer about your progress and asking them for help in the areas you’re finding difficult is a fantastic way to keep on track and gain some friendly support through your fitness journey.
Jess Brown is head coach at F45 Bristol Central on All Saints’ Street
Main photo by JMP
Read more: How to make your fitness resolutions stick
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