What This Habit Helps You Do
Most people only remember the workouts they missed, not the ones they did. An exercise diary flips that script. It shows you what you’re actually doing, how often you’re moving and where the gaps really are.
It’s motivation in disguise. Seeing your own effort and achievement written down makes it easier to keep going.
Why It Works
When you track your movement, even in the simplest way, you build awareness. Awareness creates momentum. It also helps you notice patterns: the days you tend to be active, the days you aren’t and what influences both.
Think of it like checking your step count but with a bit more meaning attached.
What to do
- Choose one place to record everything. A notebook, a phone app or our worksheet you can download here. For each day, jot down three quick details:
- What you did (walk, class, home workout, stretching)
- How long it lasted
- How you felt before and after
- Do this for one week. Keep the entries short. If it takes more than a minute to write, you won’t keep it up.
- Be honest. A ten minute walk counts. A stretching session counts. This is about noticing movement, not judging it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Only recording “proper workouts” and skipping all the smaller bits of movement.
- Writing too much detail.
- Treating the diary like a performance report. It’s a log, not a test.
What You’ll Need
- A diary, notebook, phone or our downloadable template here
- A pen if you’re using paper
- A week of ordinary days
- Optional: a timer or step counter, but absolutely not required
How to Know It’s Working
- You’ll start to see your activity patterns clearly.
- You might realise you’re more active than you thought. Or less… Either way, the picture becomes visible and that makes planning easier.
- Small streaks also appear, and those streaks often spark more motivation than any pep talk.
Your Next Check-In
Bring your diary to our next session. We’ll look at what’s working, where you’re consistent and where we might gently add more movement.