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Tracking my workouts is one of the best habits I do because it allows me to see the progress I’m making. It’s a fitness habit that even beginners should be doing because it’s easy, you can track any activity at home or in the gym, and you’ll see your workout progress way faster. Read on to see how I track my workouts to see the progress I’ve made in managing my chronic pain!
Last week I talked about how keeping my training simple by doing the same workout all week actually helped me see my progress better. This week I realized that tracking my workouts is another way I can really understand and appreciate my progress.
It wasn’t until I was recording my Friday workout and reflecting on the week that I realized how much progress I’ve made.
I noticed that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were little to no workout days. Generally, taking more than one day off is a bad idea for folks with hypermobility. It gives weak, stretchy muscles just enough time to “forget” what they’re supposed to be doing (you know, holding your skeleton together)!
Yet somehow I didn’t get any of the pain I would have after three days off even a few weeks ago!
The only thing my body required was an extra long workout on Friday to help strengthen and re-coordinate my muscles. That’s MAJOR progress I never would have noticed if I wasn’t tracking all my workouts!
What progress would you notice by tracking your workouts?
Even if you don’t have a set workout plan, tracking your workouts will help you see progress you would NEVER have noticed otherwise! If you think you aren’t doing enough activity, I bet after tracking your activity for a bit you’d realize you’re actually doing a lot more than you think! Or you’d notice some small strength or endurance gains you’ve made when you *think* you’re not making any progress!
Start tracking your workouts to see your progress!
I’m working on an awesome printable training log that you can use, but in the meantime, you can try what I do! Besides writing these Training Logs, I just take the cheap little notepads you can buy at the grocery store and write my workouts and any notes in there. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Do you already have a system for tracking your workouts? Let me know in the comments!
Still struggling to make time to exercise? Give this article a read and grab the free workbook and calendar to get you started!
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Monday
Warm Up + Full Body Workout
Today’s workout was the same workout I did all last week since I still need to sit down and create my workout plan. It’s been a great workout to hit all the areas that I need to work and keep me consistent.
Tuesday
Off
Family day! We had plenty of catching up to do around the house so I enjoyed having a little extra time to be with my family.
Wednesday
Warm Up + Full Body Workout
I kept it light today since we still had plenty to do at home. A warmup and one round of my workout was all I needed to keep my body feeling awesome all day!
Thursday
Off
I didn’t plan to take today off. Normally doing more than two days in a row of little to no exercise doesn’t go over well for me. Hopefully Wednesday’s workout was enough. I felt good all day and was active with the family so we’ll see how my body handles this.
Friday
Long Warm Up + 2.5 mile Easy Run
After three days of light activity, I made sure to get my butt into the gym. I spent a LONG time doing all my warm up exercises. It ended up taking me a full half hour before my core and hips were coordinating well. Even then, my left hip was still clicking a bit at the end ranges of motion.
I guess that’s the consequence of three days of little to no working out. But compared to a few months ago that’s freaking amazing! I would have been in massive pain and my hip and neck would probably have slipped out of place. Now I just have to spend extra time in the gym? I’ll take it!
It was also high time I get back to running so once I was confident my body was holding together well enough I got on the treadmill. No goals, no expectations. Just an easy run where I could focus on my form and breathing.
Saturday
Warm Up + Squat Balance Workout + 1 mile Run
I FINALLY made some time last night to put together a solid workout plan for myself for the rest of the year. It’s such a relief to have an actual plan with my workouts scheduled. Plus this plan is designed to start preparing me for my first half marathon. Am I crazy? Probably. But I really enjoy this ability to challenge my body and mind in ways I never believed possible.
Obviously, there will be plenty of flexibility with this plan since I don’t always know when something is going to go wonky with my body. But the goal is to continue improving my strength and endurance while fostering that positive, trusting relationship with my body.
I’m also excited to test out this plan and work out the kinks so I can roll it out to you! Even if you aren’t interested in running a half marathon, the workouts are going to be perfect for any level, any goals!
I did the first strength workout today and it felt amazing. Not too hard but definitely not easy.
Sunday
Warm Up + 30 min Speed Interval Run
Today’s run felt great. It was a little challenging, but I kept the speed intervals at a very do-able pace so I finished feeling confident.
I can tell my strength workouts are doing exactly what my body needs since my breathing, form and hips are all spot on. Not too long ago, my hips or my breathing were the first parts of my body to give out.
I mastered my breathing using the method I teach in the Getting Started with Cardio Program. And now I *think* I’ve mastered my hips since they haven’t complained at all this week!
This week’s runs were perfect for getting back to my running after totally overdoing it two weeks ago. And I’m so grateful I’ve put in the work to learn to listen to my body. I feel like my body is finally my teammate and we are making some amazing progress together!