Exercise is an important part of any fitness routine, but is all exercise effective for reaching your fitness goals? Interestingly, the answer is no. Some exercises help build muscles, like weightlifting, while others are more effective at fat burning, such as jogging. So which form of exercise is best for you?
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The first thing you must consider is what your goal is. Do you want to slim down or tone muscles? Are you wanting to improve your flexibility or your stamina? Perhaps your goal encompasses some of each; in that case, how do you know what the perfect routine is for you? The best answer for all of these questions is to use your fitness journal.
When beginning your fitness routine, it’s generally best to consult an expert. This expert can be someone who works at a gym or even just someone you know who has had success in their fitness efforts. Take your fitness journal to them and ask what will help you reach your goals. Be thorough when writing their advice in your fitness journal, and remember to get as many different options as possible. Some of the exercises may seem out of your skill range, but you never know how far you’ll progress and it’s always nice to have choices.
Fitness4Her combines aerobic exercise and strength training by alternating every other day for six days out of the week. My 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise Program will help you to reach your fitness goals in as little as 30 minutes each day.
Check out my workout routines in the Member’s Exercise section for moves that build and tighten your muscles and increase your overall strength. I explain what areas of the body each exercise targets and give you advancements to increase the intensity for optimum results.
But let’s get back to the fitness journal, which I believe to be just as important as diet and exercise to help you lose weight and get in shape. Simply acting as a holding place for your list of exercises is not all your fitness journal can do for you. Beyond this your journal can help you isolate the exercises that are best for you.
For example, you can comment on each workout in detail. Write down how they make you feel. Some might make you feel more tired while others make you feel rejuvenated. Perhaps there is a particular combination that you find to be stress relieving, while a different set helps pump you up. There’s also the time factor to consider; some workouts will be longer than others, and mapping out an average time required in your fitness journal can help you better plan your routine.
Now back to the routines that I am sharing with you in the Members Section, I have formulated each routine so that you can complete it in 30 minutes. Now if you take longer, that is just fine. Many of the Pilates movements are best executed slowly with accuracy in mind. Do as many as you are able and focus on your form.
Perhaps the best thing you can do with your fitness journal is use it as a weekly planner. Once you are familiar with your exercises you can start designing your own workout routine. Day-by-day works very well, and having such specific daily expectations can help you maintain your fitness schedule. It’s much easier to say, “I’m going to skip the gym today,” then saying, “I’m going to skip my routine today.”
The nicest thing about routines is they’re just that: a routine. Once you’ve got one going it’s much easier to keep it going, so remember to be consistent and continue to write your thoughts in your fitness journal. By closely monitoring how you feel about your exercise schedule you can avoid problems, like boredom from repetitive workouts, before they begin.
Your fitness journal will help to challenge you to do more and to achieve higher results. It not only keeps you accountable, it helps you to realize that you can do better. It encourages you to expand your fitness goals and to strive harder to accomplish them.
Be sure to record each day, all that you eat, drink and exercise. Keep track of important nutrients required for a healthy diet, and cut back on or avoid entirely foods with empty calories. Make notes of the way that you feel, and how well your willpower is working. Monitor your motivation too, because it’s important for helping you stay energized and get going.
Fitness journals are a great way to prove how far you have come on your journey to physical fitness. Many times we jump into a weight loss program without taking the time to record our starting point. A fitness journal keeps everything organized for you so you can tell where you are going and where you began.
I take my fitness journal with me to the gym and keep it close by at home so I can grab it at anytime to jot down a note, read an old one, or make a new goal. I faithfully record all of my meals, even after all of these years. I find it such a source of inspiration as I read over my goals and achievements. It’s the little things like this that keep me going.
Fitness is forever. You can help your body fight off the deteriorating effects of age by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. Strength training exercises have even been found to prolong the onset of Osteoporosis.
The journal is the silent partner that will give you the courage to keep going. With it’s recorded evidence of your success, how could you not embrace this helpful tool when your mission is to lose weight, get in shape and improve your overall health?
Exercise and the Fitness Journal go hand in hand, complemented by a diet that’s sure to help you attain the body that you desire.
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