WHY SHOULD YOU TRACK YOUR WORKOUTS TO BEGIN WITH?
First, tracking the right metrics can help you reduce the risk of injuries by not over-doing your exercises, said Kelvin Teo, the head of functional training at RetroFit.
And if you’re put on an exercise regime by your doctor, “metrics offer an objective baseline to which healthcare and fitness providers can use to monitor and prescribe physical activity for individuals”, said Adj Asst Prof Lim. “It’s similar to how we may adjust medications to treat a condition.”
Even if you’re exercising on your own, tracking your metrics can empower you on your fitness journey, said Mok. “They provide a sense of accountability, helping you determine if you’re achieving the prescribed intensity of exercise or physical activity.
“Moreover, tracking metrics over time can be a powerful tool for self-motivation as it allows you to see your progress and encourages you to increase your activity further and improve your health,” said Mok.
WORKOUT DURATION, DISTANCE, NUMBER OF STEPS, HEART RATE: WHICH SHOULD YOU TRACK?
It’s about understanding the type of exercise you do. “For aerobic activities such as basketball and running, you may wish to track your heart rate, duration and/or distance, if applicable,” said Mok. “For strength training, you may want to track the weights used and how many repetitions you are able to achieve.”
Your goal is another deciding factor, said Teo. “For instance, if you want to complete a marathon, a simple way of structuring your workouts would be to include mileage work, in which the primary metrics are distance and duration,” he said.
If you’re aiming to get more active, simply taking more steps would suffice, Teo said. “For general fitness, it’s more important to keep the activity consistent.” Fitness newbies can also increase the frequency of their physical activity, said Adj Asst Prof Lim. “For example, start brisk walking three times a week for 20 minutes, and then increasing to five times a week.”
For regular exercisers aiming to progress in their workouts, Mok suggested tracking your heart rate. “Monitoring the heart rate can provide valuable insights into your exercise intensity and ensure you stay within your target heart rate range.”
