Get Active and Track Your Activity
Stay motivated, stay focused, and stay fit — using just one sheet of paper!

You've no doubt heard how important it is to get plenty of exercise — and you also know how hard it is to squeeze a workout into an already busy day. But there's a simple trick to staying fit, and it's amazing how easy it is. If your computer is connected to a printer, and you can get ahold of a pencil (or pen, or marker, or crayon), the key to getting and staying fit is at your fingertips right now: It's the Everyday Health Fitness Log (PDF). The trick is tracking how many minutes of activity you get each day and each week. Once you see laid out on paper what you're doing, and where you're falling short, you can figure out how to pump up the volume enough to get some real health benefits. A plus side is that you get "credit" for what you're already doing!
For example, you might already be taking half-hour walks in the park with your dog on Saturday mornings and playing an hour of tennis each Sunday. That's great — log it on the sheet, and your cardio is done for the day. But look – your log shows no cardio at all from Monday through Friday, and that's not very good at all. What are you doing instead? Driving to work? You know what you need to do then – park far from the door and hike it; take the stairs instead of the elevator, get out for a walk at lunch, whatever it takes. Make it add up to 30 minutes or more, and your log is complete.

If your weekday routine keeps you closer to home, then your goal is to find half an hour and get your heart rate up while you're doing what you'd normally do — walk briskly to the store for milk instead of taking the car; march or jog in place while watching the news, play hopscotch with the kids instead of watching them play. Be creative! (See the next page for some ideas on what counts as cardio.) The only rule is that you have to get your heart pumping. Use the "talk test" to see if what you're doing qualifies: If you can talk easily while you're exercising, it's moderate cardio. During a vigorous workout, you'll feel a bit short of breath.

The log sheet also covers strength-building exercises and stretching. Both are as important as cardio, and the same rule applies: Give yourself credit for that yoga class, then find opportunities to work and stretch your muscles on "off" days.

Of course, you should always check with your doctor before you begin a new exercise regimen, especially if you have any kind of health condition. The Everyday Health Fitness Log has suggestions on what your weekly and daily activity goals might be – show these to your doctor to make sure they're appropriate for you. Then log your activity each week, and work to increase your totals every week until you reach your goal. Good luck!
Last reviewed October 2006 by Holly G. Atkinson, MD