Believe it or not, we're already half way through the year. Are you where you want to be at this point in 2019? Now would be a good time to check on that so you can make the needed changes.
At this point I'm about 70 workouts for the year. As long as I keep this pace, I'll finish the year with about 140 workouts. That's pretty much a workout every 2-3 days.
I'm counting any organized/planned bout of exercise as a workout. So for me this year that would include about 50 lifting sessions, about 10 cardio (runs) and about 10-15 jiu-jitsu classes (there've been a few days where I've lifted and done a jiu-jitsu class, I've counted those as one workout).
At last check (last Wednesday) I'm down 6 pounds since midway through January. Not bad considering weight loss hasn't really been a focus. I've been able to run further and faster on shorter runs. As far as jiu-jitsu goes there's been some improvement (I think).
Now I'm telling you this for a few reasons. The least of which is to pat myself on the back, but that's definitely a reason also.
Keep a log: I know all of this because I keep a log of all of this stuff. I track dates of my workouts and what I do in them. I also periodically track my weight and certain strength numbers. Nowadays most cell phones will have a built in app that will do this for you but I use mapmyfitnessfor my runs and google keepfor my lifting workouts. The log becomes a progress tracker and a motivational tool.
Unintended benefits: consistency of workouts can bring some pleasant surprises. Weight loss hasn't necessarily been a goal so it was nice to see a lower number on the scale. It's also nice when someone else notices for you. These benefits aren't just weight loss related either. Better sleep and stress relief are a couple.
Accountability: the only way to know if you're on pace for reaching your goals is knowing where you are in the moment. This requires that you check in periodically. Depending on the goal(s) this might checking everyday or it could mean checking every six weeks. Be careful with you check-ins though, depending on your personality type, checking in too often (or too little) could cause more stress than it's worth.
