In 2018, I set a goal of completing 250 workouts within the year. On January 1st this felt like a stretch goal, but by December 31st, I had clocked-in 308 workouts.
To break down exactly what I committed to:
- At least 5 workouts a week
- No less than 20 minutes
- Sweat or soreness required — long walks or restorative yoga wouldn’t count
If you’re the skeptical type like I am, you’re probably thinking “wow, this lady must have lots of free time and an easy schedule. Anyone with a busy work or personal life couldn’t do this.”
Free time? Not a lot. Predictable, easy schedule? Let’s just say there were more blips and bumps than I could have anticipated. Yet to even my own amazement, instead of leaning into life’s chaos and parking this goal for a smoother time, I stayed focused and on-track.
Did I hit this goal because I’m a gritty and stubborn person? In part, yes. But just like a good athlete, I made sure to equip myself with the right training tools.
Specifically, the tools I used were apps. From the palm of my hand, I equipped myself with four apps to help me keep pace with my goals, no matter what curve balls were being juggled. Here’s what I used to help complete over 300 workouts in a single year.
Done App
Tracking success
One of my non-negotiable rules of goal setting is that there needs to be some sort of tracking mechanism. Despite knowing how important “measurable” is in SMART goals, I find people often don’t define the measurement tool or tracker. Will you share progress on social? Mark it in a journal? Record in a spreadsheet? Whatever you use, it has to be something that’s easy to add inputs to, and ideally gives a good visual representation of how far you’ve come and how far you have to go.
For these reasons, Done has become my goal tracking app of choice. Since my phone is always on me I have no excuse for not recording progress. As well, the app interface is dead simple and gives both a calendar view and progress bar view to track your work towards hitting your goal. If you’re wondering, yes —it does also give you a little dopamine hit from clicking “done”.
ClassPass
Adding flexibility
If you’re a fan of group classes, this app and fitness plan is a must. ClassPass is a subscription program that gives you the ability to book classes at fitness studios across most major cities.
Not only is this the best commitment-phobic option, it’s also the best way to get a workout in when your schedule is all over the place. In the past when I would commit to only one studio, I was tied to the studio’s schedule. If there was a day I had to work early or late I risked not getting my daily sweat. With ClassPass, I’m able to find a workout at virtually any time of day.
In addition, since it’s in most major cities, it made getting in workouts during work or personal trips a lot easier.
Strava
Community connection
Achieving goals is more satisfying when you’re achieving alongside someone else. With Strava, you can track and share your running, cycling, and training progress with friends. You can also join running clubs, participate in challenges, and give kudos to other people for their training.
Nike Training Club
Allowing for improvisation
Sometimes despite your best planning efforts, things happen and your daily gym session isn’t going to occur as planned. You may find yourself nowhere near a fitness studio or proper gym, without running shoes, and only a tiny sliver of time to spare.
For times when you’re in a pinch, the Nike training app is an amazing resource for guiding you through any variety of workout and even lets you specify time or equipment limitations.
Key takeaway — your phone is a great training partner
If you struggle to hit the gym as many times as you’d like, having a digital support network of apps can go a long way towards keeping you focused, organized, and motivated.
Have any other fitness app recommendations? Let me know in the comments below, or follow along on Twitter (@LizCouto) to see if I’m continuing the sweat streak for 2019 ;)
