Tag: fitness

I track my progress in a few different ways because I have several goals that I am working towards at the same time. I am going to break down how I track my progress toward my aesthetic goals, my performance goals, and my nutrition goals. 

I did not start my fitness journey with any aesthetic goals, but as time has gone on, I have set out to lose weight to look and feel healthier and stronger. There are a few ways that I track my progress toward this goal. First, I weigh myself every morning to ensure that I am moving in the right direction. It is normal to see some fluctuation from day to day, so it is not the only way I track progress, but it is a good tool to use to identify and understand the trends in my weight loss. In addition, I take a lot of photos. It can be really hard to see any changes in the mirror because we are our own worst critics, so photos are a great way to compare the changes that have occurred over a longer period of time. I have also noticed changes in the way my clothes fit, which can be a great indicator of progress if you are not comfortable weighing yourself or taking photos. 

In the gym, my goal has always been to get stronger. I have recently started to track my progress every week by writing down the amount of weight and reps that I do for each exercise, and then I try to increase that a little bit every week. I included a screenshot of my notes app to demonstrate what this looks like. 

When it comes to nutrition, I use an app to track my daily food intake to ensure that I am eating the right amount of food, as well as the right types of food. I am going to dedicate a post to nutrition in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more details about how I set and track my nutrition goals! 

I truly believe that if you look good, you feel good, or at least that’s what I tell myself when I’m trying to justify buying more activewear. What you like and don’t like in activewear is really going to come down to personal preference, but here are a few of my favourite activewear brands and their standout pieces!

I only recently discovered Amazon activewear, but I wish I had found it sooner. A lot of the pieces you can find on Amazon are relatively inexpensive, similar quality to the leading activewear brands, and on top of that they are super cute and trendy. I find that the key to finding good pieces on Amazon is to read the reviews. I won’t buy anything from Amazon unless the reviews are almost all positive. There are two brands from Amazon that I really love, Aurola and Yeoreo. The Aurola Dream and Yeoreo Tiedye shorts are comfortable, compressive, and squat-proof, and they come in so many cute colours.  Recently, I’ve gotten into super strappy sports bras and the Yeoreo Criss Cross Back and Aurola Venus are my favourites. 

When I feel like splurging, Gymshark is my go-to. They are definitely in the higher price range, but their quality shines through. Their items hold up well in the wash, the materials they use feel really sturdy, and their product design is super minimal, so they are great for mixing and matching. My top three favourite Gymshark items are the Bandeau Sports Bra, the Minimal Sports Bra, and the Everyday Seamless Shorts. 

While I find that Lululemon isn’t my favourite for weightlifting, it is my favourite brand for athleisure, and for other physical activity that I do outside of the gym. I really love the Wonder Train Tights, the Align bra, and the Align Shorts. 

There is so much information available online about fitness, and it can be difficult to decide who to listen to. When it comes to picking a workout plan to follow, I would start by asking yourself a few questions:

What are my fitness goals?

Identifying specific fitness goals takes a bit more precision than finding your “why”. Do you want to improve your strength and build muscle, increase your speed and endurance, work on your mobility and agility? Are you interested in a specific activity, like bodybuilding, powerlifting or pilates, for example? 

What do I want my physical activity to look like?

Would you prefer to workout in a weight room, in a class setting, at home, or even outside? What kind of equipment do you need for the activity you want to pursue?

Do I want to workout independently or with a coach?

The answer to this question is largely dependent on how much money, if any, you are willing to invest into your workout plan. Creating and following a plan independently is the most cost-effective option. You can even make it completely free if you workout at home and create a workout plan with your own research. I would say that the next step up would be to purchase a plan, or subscribe to a fitness app. Many online personal trainers have workout plans that they have created and sell for a set price. They are meant to be used for a specified amount of time, and they take a one-size-fits-all approach. Fitness apps typically serve the same purpose, but instead of being a one-time purchase, they offer subscriptions and tend to update the content of their plans more often. Classes can be a great way to get your exercise in, as they are structured, an instructor is available to help you, and cancellation fees can serve to help you stay accountable, or at least they do for me. Many fitness classes are quite expensive though, making them somewhat less accessible. The most costly option available to you is hiring a personal trainer or coach. That being said, if you are willing to spend the money, hiring a coach takes a lot of the mental effort out of fitness. They are trained to create plans based on your unique needs and abilities, and they know how to gauge whether a plan is working or not. Finding the right plan, app, or coach is completely dependent on what you identified as your fitness goals. Social media can be a great place to start! I found my current plan by following personal trainers who specialize in weight training, and once I consumed enough content to decide who’s goals and values aligned with mine closely enough, I purchased a plan. That being said, please be careful who you buy products from. I highly recommend only buying fitness-related plans and products from certified fitness professionals. This will help to ensure that you are investing in something that is effective, and most importantly, safe. 

Fitness means so many different things to so many different people. Whether fitness is your career, one of your passions, a hobby that you enjoy, or even if it’s something that you take part in just because you think you should, finding your “why” is the first step to success. 

As a kid, I tried several different types of exercise, ranging from team sports to dance lessons. Nothing ever stuck, I never felt super passionate about or connected to them. I first felt genuinely excited about a sport when I started playing rugby in high school. The difference was that I had found a “why.” The team was like a family, the game was a great emotional outlet, and practicing four days a week made me feel healthy. 

After I got out of high school, I stopped playing and lost all desire to make fitness a part of my life. For the following few years, I was in and out of the gym inconsistently, but I never took it seriously. It wasn’t until earlier this year that I truly found my “why,” which turned into a passion for fitness. At the beginning of this year, my anxiety was at an all-time high, and my self-esteem was at an all-time low. One day, as I was scrolling through TikTok, one of my favourite influencers posted about how fitness helped her find herself again, and it resonated with me. The next day, I stepped back into the gym, and I haven’t stopped since. After a few months of weight training consistently, my mental health was in a much better place, and my goals shifted. 

At this point in my journey, I am pushing my body every day to see how much it is capable of, I am practicing discipline and consistency, and I am focused on the process, rather than the end goal. 

Whether your goal is to look a certain way, feel a certain way, or move a certain way, your “why” is what keeps you going.