Developing self-accountability will get you off the couch, out the door, and on your way to your best body, health, fitness, and life. Read on for 10 Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable to Get and Stay Fit!

Last week, in the Walking for Health and Fitness Podcast Episode 7, I covered why holding yourself accountable is essential.

Let’s first review the 5 Steps to Hold Yourself Accountable:

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1. Start small: Don’t expect to become a self-accountability expert overnight.

2. Set goals: Goal-setting forces you to own what you set out to do, so think carefully about what you aim to accomplish.

3. Create a schedule for yourself.

4. Reward yourself: Make it a habit of celebrating big and small wins.

5. Have an accountability partner: It’s my goal to make the Walking for Health and Fitness podcast your accountability partner.

In episode 8, we discuss 10 Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable to use walking as a way to get in shape and stay in shape.

Five benefits of holding yourself accountable:

1. Greater self-awareness. You’ll have an easier time finding patience with yourself, feeling in control of your life, and deepening personal relationships when you can understand and accept your actions.

2. Better goal-setting: Self-accountability also helps you prioritize when working toward your goals.

3. Growth mindset: Accountability encourages you to be open to learning and developing rather than staying in the same place.

4. Increased self-confidence.

5. Develop greater motivation: Your motivation grows after reaching certain milestones, fueling your drive to keep setting new goals.

Developing accountability will get you off the couch and out the door and on your way to your best body, health, fitness, and life.

“It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one’s acts.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

As I was doing market research for my Walking for Health and Fitness program, the number one issue my interviewees had were holding themselves accountable.

10 ways for you to hold yourself accountable to get fit and stay fit.

You don’t have to do all 10 at one time. If you slowly implement each one, you’ll quickly be on your way to developing accountability for your health and fitness.

Set specific and realistic goals: Clearly define what you want to achieve through your fitness routine. Make sure your goals are attainable and measurable, such as exercising a certain number of days per week or reaching a specific weight or fitness level. In EP. 6 of the Walking for Health and Fitness podcast, I completely cover why it’s important to set goals
Create a schedule and stick to it: Plan your workouts in advance and treat them as non-negotiable appointments with yourself. You wouldn’t think of cancelling an appointment with your doctor, why would you cancel an appointment with the most important person in your life… YOU! Block off dedicated time in your daily or weekly schedule to ensure you prioritize your fitness routine.
Find an accountability partner: Seek out a friend, family member, or workout buddy who shares similar fitness goals. Having someone to check in with regularly can provide motivation, support, and a sense of accountability. You can hold each other responsible for sticking to the routine.
Track your progress: Keep a record of your workouts, including the exercises you performed, the duration, and any milestones or improvements you achieve. Use a fitness app, journal, or spreadsheet to monitor your progress and visually see how far you've come, which can be highly motivating.
- In episode 6, Setting Goals, I gave a detailed description of how I tracked my progress for my Virtual Walk Around the United States. For me, having a log to track the miles I walked in each state and how many miles were in each state motived me to put in the extra effort to walk an additional mile or two, and to get off the couch on days that I would rather have stayed inside.
- You can use my Walking Logbook Journal as a way to track your miles and have my weekly insights educate and motivate you to greater health and fitness.
- Get a free download of the first three walking insights and logbook pages.
Stay motivated with a positive mindset: Cultivate a positive attitude towards fitness and embrace the benefits it brings to your physical and mental well-being. Remind yourself of the reasons why you started and visualize the positive outcomes you're working towards. Surround yourself with motivational quotes, imagery, or music that energizes and inspires you. Walking Inspiration January Chapter Giveaway. Pleasure walking exercise program.
Join a fitness community or class: Participating in group workouts or classes can provide a sense of camaraderie and accountability. Knowing that others are expecting you to show up can make it more challenging to skip a session.
Join my Facebook Groups: Your First Walking Club and also the Walking for Health and Fitness Program page.
Post pictures, write about your walk and your fitness journey. Use social media groups to inspire others and keep yourself inspired.
Set reminders and utilize technology: Set reminders on your phone or use fitness apps to keep you consistent and on track.
Map My Walk
Google Earth: to find routes, get a street view, and get a sense of the terrain.
Mappedometer will help you set easily find mileage for your routes. Just click a start point, then as you add more points.
Mix up your routine: Prevent boredom and plateaus by regularly changing your workouts. Trying new exercises, classes, or activities can keep you engaged and motivated to stick with your fitness routine over the long term.
1. The Fitness Walking Exercise Program combines walking and bodyweight exercises.
2. The Pleasure Walking Exercise Program combines walking, affirmations, and music tracks to enhance your mindset and creativity.
Be flexible and adapt: Life can throw unexpected challenges or disruptions, making it difficult to adhere to your fitness routine. Instead of giving up entirely, be flexible and find alternative ways to stay active. Adjust your schedule, modify your workouts, or explore at-home exercise options to maintain consistency.
If you can’t do a long walk, then break it down to 3 15-minute walks. Try walking for 15 minutes after breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Reward yourself: Establish a system of rewards for reaching your fitness milestones. It could be treating yourself to a small indulgence like a massage or buying new walking gear. Celebrating your achievements along the way can help maintain motivation and reinforce positive habits.