GUEST BLOG
Research shows that tracking your fitness and setting goals helps you to move more and get healthier. If you’re new to running or fitness in general, you may be hesitant to record your current fitness and activity levels – particularly if you’re sharing them with someone else. However, tracking is a great way to see your progress and when you look back , you’ll be pleased with how far you’ve come.
In this guest blog, we have three ways that you can record your progress on your fitness and running journey.
Recording when you’re out running
Creating a vlog is not only great for yourself to track your journey, but if you share it online, it’s a really helpful way to motivate other women to start their journey and have someone to relate to. If you commit to regularly recording your runs from day one, you may want to invest in some basic equipment, such as a microphone and windshield for good quality audio. After all, you don’t want to record your content on your smartphone only to get home and realise you can’t hear a word that you’re saying due to background noise. It’s usually a good idea to have someone else record you, such as a running buddy, to get the best footage possible. This helps you to compare your running ability, technique and overall fitness throughout your journey, and you’ll probably be surprised at the difference you see within just a few weeks.
Get a fitness watch
Almost all smartphones automatically track steps now, and there are countless apps for tracking time and distance when you go out for a run. Running with your smartphone in your hand or pocket can be inconvenient though, as there’s a chance you’ll drop it. Fitness watches are a lot easier and more convenient to use. Look for one that can communicate with your smartphone so that you can easily view your information. Tracking steps is a good way to get more active on a daily basis, but being able to track your time and distance on a run can really help to show the progress you’re making. For example, if your goal is to run a 5K, you can see how much time you’re shaving off each time you do it until you reach your goal, which can really help to keep you motivated.
Photograph yourself
Many women find before-and-after photos inspiring, and most people would recommend taking pictures of yourself before you start your fitness journey and regularly throughout. Running will burn plenty of calories and help to strengthen your legs and core, but you may not notice this as it happens gradually over time. A lot of women will start to lose motivation after a few weeks of starting a new fitness regime, but being able to compare a photo of yourself from just a month before to now can help you to see the progress you’re making.
Recording, photographing and tracking your fitness journey is a perfect way to see the progress you’re making, which can be a great motivator for yourself and for the people you share it with.