Investigation
My goal for this project was to investigate how people plan for their exercising routine and meal plan. I specifically wanted to document a month of my nutrition and exercise goals to inspire others and present an idea of how one can create a new routine. To reach this goal, I needed to look into designing an exercise plan and documenting one’s meals. I have always been interested in fitness since my grandfather has been a high school coach for more than 40 years. He cared about my nutrition and fitness and often shared helpful advice, which I took to heart.
Before starting this project, I gained knowledge about fitness from my granddad and my trainer. For example, I knew that different exercises affect specific body parts. Therefore, to develop a healthy body, a person needs to pay attention to various muscle groups and design a plan that targets legs, arms, back, and other parts. Also, I knew that food groups and their contents played a role in one’s health. Regular meals should contain healthy fats, proteins, and carbs to help the body to build muscle. When I created my blog, I used this information to develop the plan and decide how I would explain my meal choices.
The first source I considered for the blog was an article written on the website of Mayo Clinic, “Fitness Program: 5 Steps to Get Started.” In it, the author talks about the first steps towards creating a personal fitness plan. For example, the text advises assessing one’s fitness level and determining how many repetitions a person can handle from the beginning to avoid health risks (Mayo Clinic Staff). Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit medical center focused on education and research, which makes it a great, credible resource. It is not affected by advertisements or other money-based influences.
For a second source, I chose a blog entry about diet planning for bodybuilding by Julian Shapiro. This is a personal perspective, but it incorporates many sources, including studies, fitness websites, and bodybuilders’ diet records. So, it is reliable as most points made in the blog entry are supported by evidence. Shapiro’s guide gave me a helpful explanation of which foods and how many calories were needed to gain muscle.
Planning
To complete my digital publication, I first examined my sources to see which exercise plan I would be introducing to my potential blog readers. I also read through the guide “How to Build an Exercise Plan” on the website Help Guide. While my workout plan was a success, I made a single set of exercises for each day, which could be seen as repetitive for a blog entry. However, I recorded my meals and tried to introduce different foods every day. I decided that I would not only describe my meals daily but also show how my weight changed throughout the month when I undertook this project. This choice allowed me to track my progress and show how small steps can make a difference. When making my blog and creating new entries, I tried to adopt a template so that my readers could easily see all the important information. Sometimes, I struggled to write down my meals, especially if I accidentally skipped one. In these situations, I put “N/A.”
Taking Action
My blog has 26 entries in which I describe my meals for the day and my current weight. One additional post documents my daily fitness plan with specific exercises, repetitions, sets, and off-day ideas. Each entry is designed to deliver the main information to the reader, so it weights the top and meals right under. I used several pictures for meals and exercises so that the audience had a chance to understand which products or movements I was describing.
Reflecting
This digital publication met my expectations, but I have some ideas on how I could improve my blog to make it more interesting to readers. On the one hand, I believe that my blog’s content delivered all the necessary information about my fitness journey for a while. I disclosed my nutrition and exercise plans and reported the results regularly. On the other hand, people are usually attracted to blogs with a particular personality or a unique feature. So, while I achieved my basic goal, I may not have succeeded in explaining why fitness is essential to all people. For example, such blog authors as Shapiro include much more personal and academic information to explain the role of fitness in one’s life. I could do the same in the future to engage the audience and invite readers to enjoy my content.
The completion of this project led me to research more about personal exercising plans. I learned that every person has unique needs and limits. Also, the healthcare website of Mayo Clinic explained to me which tests may help determine how other people and I may start exercising. In the end, I got even more invested in learning about nutrition and exercising. I will continue researching this topic and finding different ways to motivate others.
References
“How to Build an Exercise Plan: A Guide to Getting Started and Developing a Balanced Plan.”Help Guide. Web.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Fitness Program: 5 Steps to Get Started.”Mayo Clinic, 2019. Web.
Shapiro, Julian. “Bodybuilding Diet Plan.”Julian Shapiro. Web.