If you’ve been working out regularly, making movement part of your routine and adopting healthy habits, it’s only fair to assume you’ll be rewarded with the fruits of your labour. Right?
While it can be motivating to see your body change (whether that’s as a result of muscle gains, improved mobility or a change in your body composition), it’s also important to remember this isn’t the only telltale sign you’re making fitness progress.
If you’re in the early days of your health and fitness journey, don’t stress if you’re not seeing any physical changes yet as this takes time. Remember the saying “it’s a marathon, not a sprint?” Trust us when we say you ARE making progress, even if it isn’t instantly visible in the mirror or on the scales.
Your weight can fluctuate daily and the numbers on the scale and your BMI can both be deceptive, so when it comes to tracking your progress, these are the signs you should be looking out for. After all, the benefits of exercise go far beyond any physical changes.
You feel more mentally fit
One of our favourite things about making fitness a habit? The epic impact it has on our mental health. When you work out, your brain releases feel-good, mood-boosting chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin. From helping to reduce the symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety to stress reduction, the relationship between exercise and mental fitness is well documented. If your workout routine is having a positive effect on how you feel mentally as well as physically, this is a pretty awesome sign.
You feel more energetic and alert
The mental and emotional benefits don’t stop there. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), there’s a reason you experience an energy boost and feel more alert when you’re regularly making time for aYogaFokus session, as exercise improves brain functions like memory and cognition immediately and long after your workout.
As the Mayo Clinic explains, regular physical activity delivers blood supply and oxygen to your tissues, helping your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. This means you’ll also have more energy when you’re not working out.
You’re sleep is improving
Sleep quality is another big clue your fitness routine is working its wonders! You should always be aiming for seven to nine hours each night, but you might notice that when you’re exercising regularly, you fall asleep faster, wake up less during the night, or wake up feeling more refreshed.
The link between exercise and sleep has been proven time and time again, but interestingly one 2019 meta-analysis found moderate activity had a better outcome on sleep quality than more intense exercise. Love your strength sessions? You might be in an even stronger position to take advantage of those sleep gains, with research finding strength training is particularly effective in helping you sleep better.
You feel more confident
Feeling confident in your own skin could mean anything from feeling more happy and healthy in your body to an improved sense of self-worth, and exercise can definitely provide a boost to your self-esteem, with studies finding physical activity to be directly and indirectly linked to self esteem and improved body image.
At the end of the day, the most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself, and if your fitness routine is helping you unlock a new level of confidence and self-empowerment? Well, that’s a win in our book.
Your friends and family have noticed changes
If friends, family members or colleagues have started asking about your secret to healthy, glowing skin (yes, exercise can do that!) or noticed an improvement in your energy levels, mood or mindset, it may be down to your new routine.
You’re making tangible progress
If you’re new to fitness, you might have started your journey with shorter workouts, longer breaks between sets or modified exercises to make it easier. Once you get into the swing of your new routine and start progressing through your program, you might feel more confident upping your weekly workouts and increasing your weight load. These are all great signs that your strength and fitness is on the up!
Your performance metrics are improving
Another sure-fire way to keep your eye on your progress? Track your metrics using the Activity tab in the YogaFokus app or a fitness wearable. You can use the YogaFokus app to keep an eye on the weights you’re lifting alongside your daily steps, distance and water while a wearable can help you measure everything from your sleep quality to heart rate variability, heart rate zones and cardio fitness (aka your VO2 max).
You’re performing daily activities easier
If you find you’re no longer breathless after taking the stairs or perhaps your tight hips are a thing of the past (bring on deeper squats!), this could be a sign you’re getting fitter! Plus, if you’re doing any type of resistance workout, it’s likely your routine includes compound movements such as push-ups, lunges or plyometric exercises, which are a great way to improve functional strength and make it easier to perform everyday activities like lifting, running and climbing.
You’re feeling stronger
If you’re feeling confident and lifting heavier weights, performing more reps and/or sets, decreasing your rest periods or adding an additional strength session to your routine, then good news: these are all signs you’re getting stronger by following the principles of progressive overload training. Another great way to measure your strength progress? Use one-rep max (1RM) in your training alongside tracking your weights in the YogaFokus app.
You look forward to working out
At YogaFokus, we’re all about fitness that fits into your life. That’s why we encourage you to choose training styles you love, find the joy in making movement a habit, and mix things up if your routine is starting to feel a little bit stale.
Getting into a good workout rhythm can help you become your best self, inside and out — and if you find you’re excited for your next session, are loving pushing yourself and trying new things and are counting down the days until the next YogaFokus Challenge, you’ve probably already discovered this! Working out doesn’t have to be boring and shouldn’t feel like a box to tick, and if you’ve started finding it’s become one of your favourite parts of the day, it’s a sign you’re making progress.
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Fitness progress is more than just what you see
If committing to a full program or long workouts is just not possible with your schedule right now, can you commit to shorter bursts of movement? Every bit counts and can go a long way to improving your wellbeing. For short feel-good sessions, we always recommend Britany Williams’ The Daily 10 and The Daily 20 Challenge. They’re two of our most popular programs and are the perfect place to start.