Amazing Benefits of Tracking Your Fitness Progress

By
Nikoleta P
-

Most people set certain goals before starting a new fitness program, and it’s much easier to reach them if you’re tracking your progress. You can do it by using fitness apps, journals, or before and after photos, and you won’t regret it no matter which method you end up picking.

Motivational Tool

Tracking your progress will motivate you to stay committed to your fitness plan. It will inspire you to reach, or even surpass your goals because you’ll constantly remind yourself what you’re working towards.

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Here’s a little real life update for you guys. I started coming down with a nasty cold/sinus infection on Sunday night (don’t worry, I tested negative for COVID) and I wasn’t able to do Morning Meltdown Monday-Thursday this week. I felt awful skipping but I knew my body couldn’t handle it. Today I felt a little better and was able to highlight workout 36 out of 100! It felt sooooo good to get back at it. Now I know that working out in the morning isn’t just a new fad for me, I’ve turned it into a habit. I had to make some adjustments to my workout calendar. It doesn’t look pretty but that’s real life. I didn’t just create this page for Instagram, I created it to actually use and reference. So I’m using it! (Don’t even get me started on how messy my current weekly spread looks in this planner). 😂 . . . #thehappyplanner #iamahappyplanner #classichappyplanner #livecreatively #planahappylife #embracethediscs #plannercommunity #plannerbabe #skinnyclassichappyplanner #fitnessplanner #happysquad23 . . . 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴.

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Staying Accountable

Progress tracking is also a great way to keep yourself accountable. When you’re regularly logging your progress after each workout, it’s much more difficult to skip them and the process of writing down your progress or taking pictures will be all the motivation you need.

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. ⌚Smart watch vs. fitness band: what's the difference? A fitness band is a slim little wrist gadget that can track some parameters and alert you of a few things (incoming phone calls, notifications, and alarms). A smart watch, with its larger screen, can do a lot more, from checking emails and social media to…well, I don't have one, so I'm not that sure! . ⌚Why I chose the band: I don't need to have a 'mini' phone, since I already spend too much time on my phone as it is. I wanted something simple that would track basic things and send some alerts – nothing fancy. I also didn't want something large and chunky on my wrist, and the band felt just right. . I had some questions about how they work, so I did some light reading and am doing my best to share it with you guys. . 🦶How can it measure steps? It uses a 3-axis accelerometer to measure acceleration based on start, intensity and end of motion. ❤️How can it measure heart rate? It uses a LED light to shine light onto your vessels, so that a sensor can measure the speed of the blood flowing. 😴How does it track sleep? It uses heart rate and your movement at night to estimate which phase of sleep you might be in (non-REM vs REM, etc.). 🍔How does it count calories? It estimates calories burned using your BMR (basal metabolic rate, which is based on your weight, height, gender, age) and some fancy-smancy mystery math involving your heart rate during your workout. . ❗How accurate are these fitness trackers and smart watches? The science seems to say that they're not *so* accurate. They're a work in progress, and there's a lot of improvements to be made. Exercise tracking and calorie counting can be especially inaccurate, but at least consistently so – so a motivated person can still definitely benefit. . ⌚My watch: Honor Band 5 – it pairs to my Huawei Mate 20 Lite's Health App, and suits me just fine! . Do you have one? . #fitnesstracker #healthyhabits #honorband5 #fitnesstips #techinfo

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Making Future Plans

Tracking your progress will also help you determine how close you are to reaching your goal and it helps you switch up your exercise regime and diet if needed. It will also drive the focus and direction of your fitness routine in the future, and point out the changes you should make.