4 Ways to Blog Yourself Fit

The road to fitness can be lonely. If you’re overweight and self-aware enough to do something about it, that makes you incredibly brave, but you still probably don’t want to advertise your mission from the rooftops (at least not until you’ve gone down a couple jeans sizes). Coworkers, friends, and family can be less than supportive when you’re trying to achieve something that they’re too lazy to attempt themselves. And if you stumble, it’s never fun being humiliated in front of your peers.

However, accountability can be a powerful motivator. The right cheerleaders can get you out of bed at 6am for that much-needed kickboxing workout. Admitting your daily calorie count to a crowd makes that Big Mac combo a lot less appetizing. And when you succeed at your weight loss goals – which you will eventually – it’s so much more fulfilling to share the victory with others.

This is where blogging comes in. When you track progress in an online forum, social interaction becomes much less stressful. You can decide how anonymous you want to be. You can embrace your fans and freeze out any negativity. You also become part of like-minded community that looks to each other for support and advice.

Plus, it’s fun!

So if you’re ready to take this step, here are a few tips to make that fitness blog really sing:

1. Be honest, and stay positive. Nobody likes a whiner, not even in a digital one. There’s nothing wrong with a good self-deprecating sense of humor and if you’re having problems or frustrations, by all means voice them, but temper them with positivity. People are looking to you to be inspired. You’re looking to you to be inspired. The only thing you’ll inspire by wallowing in your failures is more failure.
2. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Blogging daily can be a first-class challenge. You’ve already got that weight-loss challenge on your plate. Is there room for two? A weekly update can be just as effective – and it might work better for those of you prone to obsess. You know who you are, the ones who weigh yourselves three times a day. You own your blog. Your blog doesn’t own you. If you’re trying to drive up traffic, two or three posts a week has been shown by many blogging experts to be every bit the draw that seven posts would be.
3. Mix things up. Don’t be afraid to try new topics. There might be days when your progress is pretty standard and you have nothing to report. Take these opportunities to explore the nutrition and fitness world and express your views. Comment on a study or article you’ve read. Review a new workout DVD or diet book you’re using. Muse about the weird people you see jogging in Central Park. Neither you nor your readers will want to a read a blog that lacks variety.
4. Involve yourself with the blogosphere. As is the case with any online community, no blog is an island. The interaction with readers and other bloggers is part of what makes your work special. When you’re using your blog for personal enrichment or to achieve a specific goal, such as weight loss, this interaction is a golden opportunity for inspiration. Thousands of people have traveled this aforementioned “lonely” fitness road. Read about them. Learn from them. Comment on them. They will read, learn, and comment in return.

The journey to good health begin with one workout or one balanced meal, but it can also begin with one openhearted blog post, so start writing today.