Embarking on a fitness journey is an exhilarating experience, filled with the promise of improved health, increased energy, and a stronger body. However, one key aspect often overlooked by fitness enthusiasts and their trainers is the measurability of their workouts. You get what you measure in life. Just as businesses track their progress through key performance indicators, individuals seeking to improve their fitness should measure their workouts to ensure they are on the right path. Here's why measurability is crucial in fitness:
1. Tracking Progress
One of the most significant benefits of measuring your workouts is the ability to track progress over time. Without measurable data, it’s challenging to see how far you’ve come. By recording metrics such as weight lifted, distance run, or time spent exercising, you can compare your current performance to past sessions. This tangible evidence of improvement can be incredibly motivating and encouraging. Making progress makes us happy 😊.
2. Setting and Achieving Goals
Measurability allows for precise goal setting. Instead of vague objectives like "get fit" or "lose weight," you can set specific, measurable goals such as "run a 5k in under 25 minutes" or "bench press 150 pounds,” or “hold a plank for five minutes with perfect form.” Clear, quantifiable goals provide a roadmap for your fitness journey and a sense of direction. When you reach these goals, the sense of accomplishment is profound and fuels further motivation to keep going.
3. Identifying Plateaus and Adjusting Routines
Even the most dedicated individuals encounter plateaus where progress seems to stall. Measurability helps identify these plateaus early. By regularly recording your performance, you can notice when improvements slow down or stop. This awareness allows you to adjust your workout routine, incorporating new workout types, increasing intensity, or changing your approach with cross-training to break through the plateau and continue progressing. I have a flight of stairs that I sprint as hard as I can run up for ten straight sprints. I do this as a supplement to my infrared training as a prep for an upcoming mountain trek. When I first began this I used every step on the way up and had to stop after three sprints. Now, a couple of months later, I run five straight without stopping and striding over multiple stair steps instead of each one on the way up. This is a classic example of the ease of measurability when you remain consistent with a workout, or an exercise type. It’s all about the progress, and progress cannot be recognized without measurability.
4. Personalizing Workouts
Everyone’s body responds differently to various types of exercise. You should tailor a cross-training routine that will get you to your health, aesthetic and athletic goals. Measurable data enables you to tailor your workouts to suit your individual needs. By analyzing your performance metrics such as your calorie burn during workouts, your heart rate average, and your all important after workout calorie burn, you can identify which workouts yield the best results for you and which ones might need to be modified or replaced. Cross-training personalization ensures that your workout routine is effective and efficient.
5. Enhancing Accountability
Having measurable data can significantly enhance accountability. When you have specific targets to hit and progress to record, it’s easier to stay committed to your fitness plan. Many people find that sharing their progress with a workout partner, or online leaderboard increases their accountability, making them more likely to stick with their routine. The HOTWORX Burn Off App was designed to keep members motivated with workout calorie burn and after-burn tracking as well as a rolling 90 day challenge rewards program, and an annual competition with leaderboard rankings.
6. Motivating Through Data
For many people, seeing the numbers improve over time is a powerful motivator. Whether it’s shaving seconds off your running time, adding weight to your lifts, training inside of an infrared sauna and improving posture form, or increasing the number of sets and repetitions, these small victories are reflected in your measurable data. Celebrating these achievements keeps the fitness journey exciting and encourages you to keep pushing forward.
Use the data to keep you going. I think it was David Goggins who said, “You don’t stop when you’re tired, you stop when you’re done!” I can say from experience that when you measure progress you will keep going until you are sufficiently “done” with your workout. A good fitness tracking program can keep you in the game!
7. Ensuring Safety
Measurability also plays a crucial role in ensuring workout safety. By keeping track of your limits, such as maximum weights or running speeds, or flights of steps climbed, you can avoid overtraining and reduce the risk of injury. Monitoring your performance helps you understand when it’s time to rest and recover, ensuring that your body stays healthy and injury-free. I always advise customers to keep an eye on their tracker to ensure that they remain in the most efficient and safe heart rate zone during workouts.
Did you know that training in an infrared sauna can provide recovery while you are working out? Adding infrared can give a boost to your recovery time, thus improving your progress towards your fitness goals.
Ok, it’s time to hit the gym, but remember to put on your Apple Watch or Fitbit and sync it to your HOTWORX Burn Off App! Incorporating measurability into your fitness routine is essential for achieving and sustaining progress. It provides a clear picture of where you started, where you are, and where you want to go. Progress is happiness! By tracking your workouts, setting precise goals, and adjusting your routine based on data, you can maximize the effectiveness of your fitness journey. Remember, what gets measured gets managed – and in the world of fitness, this management is the key to your fitness bliss.
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