Regular physical activity including aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises will reduce your risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hardened arteries, obesity and musculoskeletal injuries. Additionally, you can maintain your functional capacity or your ability to perform everyday activities with ease, especially as you age. Creating a personal fitness plan using a calendar and a spreadsheet is vital if you want to maintain or improve your productivity with vigor and vitality, living a productive life.
Monthly Schedule
Step 1
Look at your monthly schedule using a day planner or a large monthly calendar. Block out the periods of time during the day in which you are otherwise committed such as your work schedule. Block out weekly or monthly commitments that you are unable to change such as going to church or a monthly work meeting.
Step 2
Highlight the hours in which you can commit to a regular exercise program. Pick morning hours if possible, ensuring you get in your training sessions before the day begins; sometimes family, friends and work can prevent you from exercising at the end of the day. Choose three to five days to schedule your workouts.
Step 3
Write down the name of a friend, family member or a colleague whom you think might be interested in meeting you at the gym during your predetermined time. Having someone waiting for you at the gym increases the likelihood you will stick with your workout schedule and ultimately, your overall fitness plan.
Step 4
Schedule at least two days of resistance training and three to five days of cardio every week.
Workout Log
Step 1
Create rows in a spreadsheet listing the exercises you will incorporate in a resistance-training program. Make columns to list the dates when you actually do the exercises; for instance, list chest presses, one-arm dumbbell rows, lunges, leg curls, dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell curls, triceps extensions and double crunches. Do three to four sets of each exercise, performing the workout two days per week. Ensure there are two to three days between each workout.
Step 2
Write down the weights, sets and reps on your workout log.
Step 3
Review your log before the next session, noting the exercises in which you can lift a little bit more weight or do a few more repetitions.
Step 4
Make a new list or a new spreadsheet of exercises every three weeks, preventing your body from adapting to your workouts so you can continue to improve your fitness.
Step 5
Create a log for your cardio sessions as well, listing the duration, intensity, number of calories burned and training route based on your routine or if you used a cardio machine. Compare your data, increasing any of the variables, improving your personal fitness performance.
Tips and Warnings
- Weigh and measure yourself so you have body size data to compare as you implement and alter your personal fitness plan over the years.
- Start your fitness plan slowly with 10 minutes of cardio and only two sets per resistance-training exercise, reducing excessive soreness and avoidable injuries.
Things You'll Need
- Calendar
- Spreadsheets
References
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Balancing Weight with Physical Activity Part II; Edward Howley, Ph.D., et al; January/February 2005
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