What Are Ways to Track Your Fitness Progress?

Since you’re exercising regularly, it’s important to keep track of your fitness so you will know what’s working for your body. You don’t need to spend money on an app or tracker (unless you already have one). There are plenty of ways to monitor your progress that can provide you with useful insights. Read on.

Keep a fitness journal.

Write down your top goals in your journal. Whether that’s dropping a few pounds, increasing muscle mass, reaching a certain body fat percentage, or improving your flexibility — write it. Doing so will remind you of what you’re striving for, especially during days when you’re motivated. In addition, write down the foods you eat, your exercises, and how you feel.

Take progress pictures.

It can be hard to tell how much you’ve changed over time if you simply look at yourself in the mirror each day. This is why progress pictures are extremely helpful! Here’s a tip: When taking pictures, use the same angle or pose, wear the same clothing, and make sure there’s proper lighting. Avoid comparing photos that are three days to a week old. You’ll want to compare photos that are several weeks apart.

Use a tape measure for your own body measurements.

Relying on the weighing scale to track fitness may not be the best strategy, especially since you’re also building muscle. Weighing scales cannot differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss. You might be losing fat in certain areas of your body — such as your arms, hips, and thighs — but it doesn’t show on the scale. Better yet, use a tape measure to record the size of these body parts every few weeks and at the same time of the day.

Gauge your progress through your clothing.

In other words, see how your clothes fit! You might be surprised to find that you can now fit into those skinny jeans that used to be a little tight. Your pants don’t lie. This may seem too obvious, but using your clothes to track your progress is simple and highly effective.

Track your active minutes.

If you have a fitness tracker, take note of how much you’re moving on average. Hitting more steps (or active minutes) is a good indicator that your fitness is increasing. Staying physically active is so important for burning more calories throughout the day, losing body fat, and improving your metabolic health.

Final Thoughts

No matter which method you use to measure your fitness, remember to stay patient. There are many factors that can impact your progress — from your food choices to your schedule — not to mention, your hormones also play a role. Keep showing up and remind yourself that great things take time!

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