Creating A Fitness Calendar

Developing a new fitness routine can be intimidating, especially if you have started and stopped in the past without reaching your goals. One way to stay on track is by creating a fitness calendar, or a way to plan and track your progress. Start by setting your goal for the first month, if weight loss is one of them you may want to also incorporate a nutrition calendar.
Once your goals are defined make a list, for example:
Run 5 miles at a 10mph pace
-20 push ups in 3 mintues
-10 pull ups in 2 minutes
-Increase squat weight to 80 pounds for 10 reps
It is important to set realistic and well defined goals, if your ultimate goal is to get stronger and build muscle put exercises on your list that get you closer to your goal. If your goal is to run a marathon, make sure you are defining your run times and distances.
After you have created your list, build your calendar around your goals. You can use a basic calendar, a digital calendar or download a template here.
Once you have your calendar start by mapping out when is your best time to workout, if you have the most energy in the morning and time before work; great, mornings it is! If you are not a morning person, maybe after work or at lunch, possibly even a different time each day but define it so you can be accountable to yourself. After you have your workout times outlined on your calendar, start filling in the details. If you goal is to run 5 miles by the end of the month and you currently are running 2, plan 3 runs per week with rest days between each one (which you can fill in with a different exercise) then increase your mileage incrementally each week until you reach the 5 mile mark. If your goal is strength training, stagger your workouts by muscle group like “legs”, “arms” and “core”, gradually increasing weight and repetitions until you reach your goal.
When you begin using your calendar set up a system of “checking off” your accomplishments and build in a reward system for yourself. This doesn’t mean reward yourself with unhealthy food if your goal is to lose weight but possibly book a massage, get a pedicure or treat yourself to a movie. When measuring your results, especially if your goal is weight loss, don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen as quickly as you’d hoped. There are a lot of factors involved in weight loss and training in general, sometimes it helps to work with a professional to get started and maximize what works for your body while setting realistic goals.