Focus On: Health & Fitness Blogs
Image via Flickr user The Library of Congress
Most of us could stand to exercise more (or at all) and health and fitness blogs are beloved by those who are seeking to make a lifestyle change. It’s easier to stick to a new routine if you’re not doing it alone, and fitness blogs are great sources of inspiration and information. If you’re going to blog about fitness, here are some tips for how to do it well:
- Set a goal. Tangible goals make sticking to a new routine easier – and they also make blogging about it more interesting. If you have a wedding on the horizon or you’ve signed up for a 5k, that sense of immediacy will give direction to your workouts and your posts. (Try using the milestone widget to highlight the countdown in your sidebar.)
- Identify a personal challenge. What lifestyle change would you like to make that’s really difficult for you? Giving up meat? Quitting smoking? Getting up early to exercise? If you write honestly about your struggle, others will relate and will be inspired by your progress.
- Find a new approach. Has getting a new puppy made staying in shape easier? Did a midnight run get you over your plateau? If you’ve discovered a fun and unexpected way to get in shape, let us know!
- Read up and inform. There’s a ton of contradictory health information out there. Should we eat lots of whole grains, or avoid all carbs? Is too much salt killing us, or is it fine? Stretch before a work out, or after? Help your readers make sense of all this at the same time as you’re figuring it out yourself.
- Provide practical advice. If you bike to work, how do you manage business attire in the bike lane? If you go to the gym every night, do you take your kids with you? How do you also fit in making dinner? If you have helpful tips or strategies for how to fit working out and eating right into a busy lifestyle, let’s hear them!
- Admit your lapses. Did you spend two weeks watching Mad Men on Netflix instead of taking evening walks? Did you eat an entire cake on your birthday? Did you injure yourself when you knew better? We’re all human, and revealing your own missteps can remind you and your readers that being healthier is an ongoing process.
Are you an active and healthy person, or are you trying to be? Would you ever blog about your fitness routine?
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Great info. I have a fitness-related blog where I post (among other things) my 1/2 marathon training, cross-training and learning to swim for fitness. There are mishaps and adventures along the way, and health challenges and lost motivation. I enjoy writing about it and it’s a great to keep me honest.
Cheers,
iRuniBreathe
Very true that blogging about fitness is a great way to keep yourself honest! Having an audience is good incentive not to slack.
Thanks for this. I was beginning to feel my ramblings about the middle-aged approach to triathlon were getting a bit repetitive. Now, I have lots of ideas vying for attention.
Great advice.
I focus on letting people know what has and hasn’t work in the past and people really appreciate honesty
I agree with every point. Honestly is definitely the best policy. I just started my weight loss and running journey and there have been some bumps along the way. I was hesitant about admitting my struggles at first, but I’ve found that my readers offer great support and encouragement. It has motivated me to brush it off and keep moving forward towards my health goals.
Love this post. I have a health and fitness blog focused on health/diabetic-friendly recipes and working out at home & at the gym! http://www.chicfitchef.om
My personal blog (there are 3 others that I have /blog for also) is fitness, but more lifestyle oriented where my exercise (cycling) leads me to other adventures and explorations of my world. So I can have a broader audience who may not want to read about cycling all the time. After all, we’re not one-dimensional in reality.
I doubt other people have a keen interest to read my cycling blog regularily if I were to treat it like a cycling journal. Very boring reading, unless they lived in the same cities (yes more than one) where I have been/am. It motivates me more to blog and show people what I see which allows me to bike….but to even forget I’m exercising alot of the time, while I’m cycling to work, store and exploring far and wide elsewhere.
Great points, and what a fantastic blog topic!
I am not much of a writer, but i think writing is the only way to clear your mind, i am presently trying to lose some weight and stay fit, these points would definitely help me focus and achieve my goal .
I think this is aptly timed as I have just started blogging about losing weight as a way to motivate me. There are some good ideas here which will help keep my blog original, and at the same time keep me focused on my long and short term goals.
Great tips! I’m a Personal Trainer and I blog with fitness and nutrition-related tips, ideas, and myth-busting. I’m always looking for feedback and specific questions from people so I know I’m providing helpful content.
This post makes me wonder if I should be putting more personal things up on my blog?! http://betterfitpersonaltraining.com/blog/
Thanks for the ideas!
Asking for feedback from your readers is a great way to make sure your posts are relevant and useful. I think readers enjoy some personal content, as well, because it helps them get to know you – but only as far as you’re comfortable with it.
Very intelligent posting. Yes, I WILL Blog about my health and fitness routine – and will do so soon because I hope it will help others.
That’s very good advice, I have been very emphasis on health, for environmental protection is more important to decorate
Such a co-incidence, I recently posted about my fitness resolutions and plans here:
http://nishitak.com/2012/07/16/a-fitness-initiative/
I periodically blog about fitness. I’ve shared stories of my own personal fitness journey (aka Run Diary) and did quite a few posts on exercise equipment in my early blogging days. I always vacilate between wondering if I’m sharing too much of my personal angst, and trying to not be too clinical/impersonal. Only the readers will know which is best I think.
Great advice. Fitness blog about one`s lifestyle progress would certainly be inspiring. I think sharing ups and downs is a great way how to stay focused on the change one tries to make.
Great post! I write a fitness blog mainly on interval training and being vegan!
http://fourtheloves.wordpress.com/
That’s a great topic, and one with a growing audience!
I blog about mine every day! Keeps me on track and maybe even inspires a person or two.
Reblogged this on happyandhealthyalex.
If anyone can point me towards the blogs where people take their health/fitness seriously, but not themselves so seriously, it would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, having a good sense of humor about yourself is important, no matter what you’re blogging about.
Very good info and I agree with setting a goal as it’ll help keep you motivated especially if it’s a race that you’ve signed up. It’s good to tell others about it as they will constantly ask how your progress is going keeping you accountable. I’ll repost this on my blog caolinafit.wordpress.com
Reblogged this on carolinafit.
Reblogged this on hyhomoodgym and commented:
Good advice
really good advice…..
Good
Just started a fitness blog, so this is timely advice. It has a focus on philosophy, training, nutrition and will eventually branch out to supplements and a whole lot more.
I live near the Coromandel and love the bush. I am instigating an endurance trail run/walk across the Coromandel range from Thames to Pauanui and am in the process of measuring distances and times. It will be a monumental achievment to do it in one hit with times expected to range from 12 hours to 22 hrs. keep an eye on my blog for updates or visit targetfocus.co.nz.
That sounds awesome! Good luck!
Great blog I just stumbled upon! Love the tips! I myself blog about health and fitness. Keep up the great work and keep spreading positive advice!
If you’re interested in more healthy advice and blog posts please feel free to drop by my blog! I’m still quite new to the blogging world!
http://www.nutritionbees.wordpress.com
-Stay healthy!
Great information! I just started my blog 3 days ago, after reaching one of my goals of losing 25 pounds! Friends and family were writing me asking me what my “secret” was, or what my “trick” was. My blog is about the hard work and dedication it takes to stick to a schedule, but also about how eating healthy and working out out can be fun! I also in the future will put up decorating ideas that I have done in my college apartment on a college budget! leenpockets.wordpress.com
Ha, if only there were a trick! Congrats on reaching your goal.
Yes! I so needed to read this today. I just can’t find the motivation. Mainly because I want to pick up where I left off…10 years ago! I don’t want to start slow, but I know that’s the only way. I must say, I’m glad I don’t run into guys at the gym wearing the outfit above. Scary!
Thanks for the tips!
Yes, getting started again after a long period of inactivity is tough, isn’t it? But lots of people can relate. Might be some blog posts in that!
Maybe
This is perfect! I just started my own fitness blog 3 days ago:
http://fitorama.wordpress.com
I am trying to be active and healthy and an all around granola yoga runner girl.
However, I am taking things one step at a time, because I am pretty far from my ideal goal. I am actively chronicling my health journey on my blog.
Ha, ‘granola yoga runner girl’ – love it!
Great stuff. I love reading great fitness articles. Check out my blog for some great health, fitness and nutrition tips. My goal is to make it your one stop shop for fitness information.
http://www.fitnessexercisewellness.wordpress.com
I just started my own health/nutrition blog so this great! I am interested in others blogs of this nature.
I love fitness … even took part in the wwwp5k and blogged about it here: http://laavventura.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/automattics-worldwide-wp-5k-my-sardinian-life/
Great post, and what gorgeous scenery! I sometimes listen to Florence on runs, too.
She makes running that much easier!
hallo !
good advice .. I will try on my website http://www.thefacialmasks.com to be better
I also advise a teacher to stay focused and focus focus
Agree on the importance of practical advice! My two cents: The practical tips should also feel fresh– which can be a challenge for topics related to health and fitness.
Denise, alternahealthgrrrl.com
Great tips, I ‘d advise too do what has you moving more and staying active.
j…
at last!!!! revelations from above that are consistent and fascinating!!!! thank you!!!!!!
just be satisfied with what you have, if your heart is pure the rest will come automatically…. be grateful and fees will disappear and abundance will appear – as it did for me!!!!
thank you
great advice for a new blogger as me. i am 20lbs away from my goal ( 100lbs lost) and wanted to share this and inspire others
I lost 14lbs for 10 weeks and I created my own diet and workout plan.
Awesome to stay fit,but I need more motivation
Reblogged this on Trail-Hike-Life and commented:
Great points here. Setting goals is one thing, but having a measurable short term goal is key!
Reblogged this on 55 US and commented:
This is great advice. I especially like the short term goals. You can fool yourself into thinking that this exercise endeavor is a short term project. Then once you reach that goal, set a new one!
I have a blog on health (http://bettereating.wordpress.com). Something that has always driven me crazy is people who claim to eat “healthily” but really have no idea what they’re talking about! So, through my blog, I try to share some things I’ve learned.
What a great idea cos honestly, I don’t exercise at all even though am a health personelle with a tight schedule I always know I should be exercising but with this post INSHALLAH, I ll make it a duty
I have a blog on health! (http://oliviasfitnessjournal.wordpress.com/)
& I love this idea!
Great ideas for creating a healthy lifestyle! Am going to share with my husband who is in a 16 week weightless challenge! These tips will SURELY help him succeed! Read about his efforts at http://hebslimdown.wordpress.com/author/greggsdsd/
That’s the key is staying consistent, because, you will hit plateaus in your training. Really good article! Glad to see so many peeps into staying healthy!
Thanks so much for the link! I tend to think of biking as a lifestyle thing, not a fitness thing, but it’s undeniable that I’m in MUCH better shape since I started bike commuting.
I hate working out for the sole sake of working out – it either has to be part of socializing (i.e. casual ultimate frisbee league) or transportation (biking or walking). Still can’t figure out why a good friend drives to the gym to pay for parking to ride a stationary bike, but it’s working for him. Perhaps the sauna has something to do with it. Find the exercise that works for YOU and your own tendencies.
If you’re having problems putting on or losing weight, I advise you to do a bit of research into how energy is used by your body. I wrote an article a while back on the three sources of fuel that your body uses. It’s a bit long so you can just skim to the bits you need. I’ve helped dozens of people put on muscle and lose weight. I’m not claiming to be a miracle worker, just telling you the science behind how weight gain/loss works.
http://scepticalprophet.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/nutrition-and-exercise/