by Sofia Moreau

Regardless if your objective is to tone up, run at lightning speed, or reduce body fat, closely monitoring your fitness journey is crucial in keeping your motivation high and maintaining laser-sharp focus. Here are some easy-to-follow tips that you can begin implementing today…

1. Embrace Innovative Gadgets

Fitness-oriented smart devices—like watches—prove to be a fantastic way to monitor your journey towards optimal fitness. From tracking your daily step count to checking your resting heart rate—the lower, the better—to showing how you’re progressively accelerating your 5k runs. A good example is the recent fitness smartwatch offering named Sunnto 3. Besides tracking your heart rate, recovery, sleep, and calories expended, it also links to MapMyRun and Strava apps – informing you of your speed, distance, relative effort, and comparing each recorded workout’s stats.

2. Make it Tangible with Pen and Paper

Nothing beats recording data by handwriting in a physical journal. The Fitlosophy Fitbook journal for example, is an absolute delight. This 12-week planner not only lets you write down cardio and strength training accomplishments but also helps you track your food and water intake. Also, you can jot down your goals and the treat that you’d give yourself once you hit the target. A little self-reward, say, a spa trip, why not?

3. Keep Measurement Tabs

Gauging body proportions can be an effective strategy to monitor your bodily changes without having to step on a weighing scale. Start by measuring your chest, right bicep, waist, hips, and right thigh and mark these down. Document the numbers weekly in a training journal or an app like BodyTracker Photo & Measurement. This app lets you take progress photos and compare physical changes as you journey on.

4. Take Mental Notes

Monitoring your mood and overall well-being daily is another important but often overlooked method to see if you’re on the right road. Are you sleeping well? Do you feel vigorous and active? How do clothes fit you? Try to quantify these feelings. For instance, rate your physical and mental energy levels from 1-10. How confident do you feel when you look at yourself in the mirror? Observing these metrics will give you an excellent grasp of your progress without needing scales or tape measures.

5. Run the Right Way

The NURVV Run Insoles is a superb tool that helps measure your running strides, efficiency, and overall pace. Simply put these inner soles in your trainers; the sensor GPS combo displays your pace, distance, cadence, foot strike pattern, pronation, balance, and more in a personalised app. Knowing how you run—and improving on it—will lead to quicker and longer, as well as more effective and efficient running. Your personal best is just within reach!

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