Plan It Out — Fit + Finesse

“I guess when your stars align you do like the solar system and plan it out.”

-Big Sean

Is it archaic that even though we both wear fitness trackers, we still write everything down in a fitness planner? I like the terms, quaint and efficient a bit better. A fitness planner can be equal parts planner to keep your life and schedule straight, and a journal or diary to keep pulse of so much more than just your work.

We’ve been using fitness planners for the past two years, and it has been a serious game changer to our health and wellness routines. Planners allow us to write out which days we will work out each week, the days we will rest, the type of workout we will do, and even details like what we ate, how we feel and moments of reflection throughout the days, weeks or month. While wearable tech allows us to track our heart rate, calories burned, hours of sleep, and much more, planners are a great tool to help further ensure you are seeing regular process and crushing your goals. Here’s why:

CaCera & Shawnie’s 10 Reasons to Plan it Out:

Focus on your goals. Most fitness planners provide a few pages at the beginning of each month to write out your goals. Studies show that vividly describing your goals in written form is strongly associated with goal success. People who write their goals are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals than those who don’t.
They provide an extra boost of motivation. Think about it this way, it is much easier to tackle one workout, meal, or glass of water at a time, instead of thinking about the loftier goal and complete journey ahead.
Planners can serve as an “accountability partner.” We love being able to check things off our “to-do” list. Think about the accomplishment that can come with scratching a line through that workout after you crushed it, or shading in the space for that last eight ounces of water each day.
Track milestones and progress. Signed up for a race? Lost another two pounds? Write it down in your planner! This way, you can keep track of how long you have to train for an event, or look back at how far you’ve come.
They serve as an archive, or point-of-reference. Ever looked back at a picture and note how great you looked, or wondered what you were doing different? Keeping a fitness planner can serve as that point of reference. Flip back to see what workouts you were doing at the time. Maybe you were in the midst of Whole30 or focused on high-protein and eating six small meals a day. Were you drinking more water and have since fallen off the wagon? Having a fitness planner serves as a quick way to flip back and take a pulse on what you were doing different.
It’s built in “me time.” We have the tendency to schedule everything else, why not a little time for ourselves?
They help keep a pulse on how you feel. Feeling more tired than usual? Noticing a little more bloat? Maybe you enjoyed more sugary desserts and beverages this week. Maybe you felt better after a tough workout because you had something more fueling like a sweet potato or whole grain toast and peanut butter. Trackers can help you keep track of your mood, as well as what is working for you.
Keep track of everything in one place. When you are able to write down your workouts, but also your daily schedule in one place, you can always assess where you can fit in that workout.
Can help with the “spice of life.” Noting the type of workout you complete each time will help ensure you are moving your body in different ways. Check that you are equally working upper and lower body, varying your runs, allow you to note when you have some time to try that new class, and more. This also allows you to tweak your workouts to your specific goals.
Promotes overall health and wellness. Fitness planners can come with many different features, including space to journal. Having a dedicated space to write down thoughts after meditating, reflect on your day, or just keeping track of your mood allows you to stay in constant check with yourself and emotions. This can lead to not only physical health, but better mental clarity as well.

We have tried a few fitness planners and definitely have our favorites. Check them out in our “Favorite Things” post