The holiday season has begun, but your fitness progress is not all done. 

Are you making progress with your health goals?

Certified Personal Trainer and ACE Coach, Luke Andrus discusses 5 strategies to keep your health goals goals on track and look beyond weight; it is not all about that dreaded number on the scale.

Chip Away at a Bad Habit

Find a habit that is difficult to eliminate and then chip away at it. For example, if you drink five sodas each day, knock it down to four. If you are still drinking soda a month from now, what matters most is that your are consuming less– and your willpower is getting stronger!

Track Performance

Measure your performance during a personal training session or average workout. Are you lessfatigued than in the past? Have you increased your load in resistance training or completed a cardiovascular activity quicker?

Consider specific exercises to track your progress. For example, track how long you can hold a plank or wall squat, or how many pushups you can perform in one minute. Assess your performance and record your progress each month.

Outside of the gym environment, measure other areas of your improved fitness level. Is it easierto walk upstairs? Do you have more energyto walk your dog or play with your kids? Are common household chores, such as lifting laundry and pushing the lawnmower easier? Your average day can highlight many ways to progress!

Keep an Eye on Your Clothes

If you are weight lifting regularly, you may lose fat and gain muscle, but your (scale) weight stays the same. However, you clothes will fit differently! How are your pants fitting? Do your clothes appear oversized in recent photos? Try on some clothes in your closet, which you have not worn in a long time. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Schedule a Routine Doctor’s Visit

While there are many reasons to schedule routine visits with your primary care physician, a simple benefit is seeing key numbers change. How is your blood pressure? Are you consuming the same level of medications? Are you at-risk for diabetes? Daily exercise and a healthy diet both help improve these numbers. Receiving a blood test will provide you with a detailed report of the key numbers to monitor.

Watch Other Measurements

Depending on your specific goals, (scale) weight can still be a helpful number to track, which is okay. There are additional measurements that may also be beneficial to note, such as waist, bust, or belly circumference, and quality and length of your sleep.

Source: Anytime Fitness Corporate Blog