Plan It, Write It, Do It, Log It

I have read for many years that people are more likely to exercise if they write it down as part of a weekly/daily plan and/or write it down after completing the exercise.  I suggest both.  I call it "Plan It, Write It, Do It, Log It."  Just like other personal and/or work weekly or daily goals or "to do lists" or meeting/appointment scheduling, exercise takes commitment and should be written into your plan.  Call it "an appointment with yourself."  It is that important!!

Yesterday, while at Barnes and Noble, I stumbled upon a great way to follow this advice.  Published by Hinkler Books Pty Ltd out of Australia, it is called the Anatomy of Fitness: Personal Training & Workout Diary.  Not only does it have weekly and daily planning sections for you to record your exercise plans for the week and to write down exactly what you did but it also has sections for the following:

• Daily food diary including fluid intake;
• Place to record what vitamins and supplements you took;
• Personal reflections on your weekly energy level, stress level, hours of sleep, sleep quality, mood, appetite, and injuries or illnesses;
• Place to record your weekly start weight and BMI and your ending weekly weight and BMI;
• A monthly planning section; 
• A complete physical assessment section to record your measurements and physical ability at the beginning of the year and at the end of year including a place to record your own goals; 
• Sections to capture your monthly progress;
• A section to track your heart rate;
• An End of the Year Assessment; and,
• A lot of valuable information at the beginning of the publication on general health and wellness including information on BMI, strength training, cardio training including a comparison of calories you will burn doing different forms of cardio, stretching and flexibility, warming up and cooling down, setting goals and staying motivated, nutrition, a guide as to how to use the diary, and diagrams of the human body showing all of the human muscles.

Amazingly enough, it was on sale for under $6.00 and I was able to pick it up for $5.65.  

I recommend this resource highly but however you do it, start today making this important appointment with yourself.  Remember - "Plan It, Write It, Do It, Log It."