Q: Why is it beneficial to track workouts?

A: It is a good idea to record your workouts so that you can monitor your progress — and so that you can determine what is working.

To start, you might want to use a pedometer to count your daily steps. You might also want to record the weight, sets, and repetitions that you perform with each exercise. And when you are ready to elevate your fitness even more, you can then think about using a heart rate monitor to help you understand how hard your heart is working. For instance, if you perform 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and your heart rate is an average of 135 beats per minute (BPM), and then a month later your heart only elevates to 125 BPM for the same activity, then you know your heart has gotten stronger. This information is important because it will help you determine when you should be upping the intensity of your exercise.

By recording your workouts, you can also increase variability. A variety of exercises will help to prevent psychological burn-out and physical adaptation. This should then create better results overall, as repetitive and unvaried training programs often lead to plateaus.

Recording your workouts is not only applicable for those of you who workout in a gym. It is also great for monitoring your running, hiking, swimming, and many other activities. This way you can set personal goals and consistently improve upon your current personal best!

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.