Posted on September 20, 2013 by Jenny Cromack

We all want to know the optimum way to achieve our health and fitness goals and this is solution I really simple…..keep an exercise diary. We all know that it is a combination of a good diet and exercise plan that help us to achieve our health and fitness goals. However keeping track of everything and ensuring you’re doing enough to reach your fitness goal can sometimes get confusing, therefore here at motive8 North we recommend our members keep an Exercise Diary.

Your exercise diary should log everything from the amount and quality of sleep you get, to everything you eat and drink in addition to the exercise you do….in fact you could call it a lifestyle diary! Call it what you want, an exercise diary is one of the best ways to monitor your progress. Those of you who are more technological savvy then keep it on your phone, tablet or laptop but wherever you keep it make sure you always have your exercise diary to hand so you can keep it updated as often as possible without having to rely on your memory.

There are numerous advantages to keeping an exercise diary. It acts as the starting point and allows you to visualise your goals making your goals more of a reality as you can look back and reflect on decisions you have made. It’s so much harder to forget about the Full English Breakfast you had if it’s logged in front of you!!

From an exercise perspective it is a great tool as it allows you to cement a routine by forward planning. You are more likely to complete sessions you have planned a week in advance and when you don’t completing these sessions, put a large cross through it….this will be a surprising eye opener about how many training sessions you may actually miss compared to what you thought you missed!  Another element is you can plan in advance when you want to take your workout to the next level. By writing your fitness goals in your diary it will help you be motivated to step it up a gear.

It has been proven on numerous occasions that people who keep an exercise diary allows them to reach their fitness goals quicker and more successfully than those who do not. If you feel that this technique would be beneficial for you then you have to ensure that you are as detailed as possible.

9 Top Tips To Keeping An Exercise Diary.

1. When logging your nutritional intake be as detailed as possible there is a big difference between putting chicken salad as opposed to writing homemade chicken salad, one grilled chicken breast, handful of lettuce, 6 tomatoes,  handful cucumber, ½ avocado, 1 boiled egg, half red pepper.  Being as detailed as possible allows for hidden calories, fat and sugars to be taken into account.

2. When logging fluid intake again be as specific as possible how many litres glasses of water. How many teas? Milk? Sugar? INCLUDE ALCOHOL!

3. Again it is important to be a specific as possible with your exercise log. It is important to ensure enough exercise is been done but also allows you to ensure you maintain a good routine. Also it ensures you progress your training.

4. Write how you are feeling. Write a quick sentence about how you feel 20 minutes after eating…. this is a good indicator if what you’re eating is appropriate.  Describe how you felt during and after training….this is important to ensure you are pushing yourselves.

5. Update it regularly so that you don’t forget anything. After a long day at work you are bound to forget how many reps you did on an exercise or how many glasses of water you had. Write it there and then!

6. Be 100% honest otherwise what is the point? The whole purpose of the diary is to help you clearly see the steps you are taking to ensure you are on the right track. Naughty treats and lack of training can be modified but not if it is denied.

7. Log your process every week whether you want to lose, gain weight or achieve a fitness goal regularly monitor your progress clearly in your diary.

8. Regularly look back over the diary this will give you motivation as during the weeks you worked hard you will see success.  Even if you have a bad week you can see clearly were you went wrong and focus on keeping clear of those mistakes in the future.

9. Take advantage of your Motive8 personal trainer by showing them your diary on a regular basis, discussing both fitness and nutritional goals together and setting targets for you to work towards each week.

If you need a little motivation, structure or routine start an exercise diary and set yourself goals and targets.

I got given my first exercise diary when I was 14 to help me juggle my training, food and school work when I used to travel around the county for hockey. I must admit it took me about a month to really get into a routine but I soon started to see the benefits of it and I still keep one to this day. If you need any help or more tips to help plan your weekly routine feel free to contact me.

If anyone else has any success with exercise diaries then please let us know why they work for you!

Happy Planning!

Lucy Harrison