Keep track of workouts online

More people are opting for online exercise tracking over the traditional log book.  Photo:Buisness Wire

 Keeping track of your workouts just got easier and more fun.  There are several free websites that allow people to record exercise, compare workouts, interact with friends, find people to train with, and calculate statistics.  These sites can be helpful because they can hold you more accountable since your friends can see your workouts and you can see theirs.

Here are a few free sites:

BeginnerTriathlete.com : This site is not just for individuals wishing to do triathletes.  Their free workout logging is extensive.  You can log time doing any cardio, lifting weights, and stretching.  It gets very detailed with heart rate average, number of repetitions, pace, and body measurements, but you don't have to log anything you don't wish to.  It also offers a nutrition log and blog.  They offer a free race search and a very supportive network of exercisers.  It also has a connection feature between friends. 

Active.com : Active.com offers a calendar training log, blog, and race finder.  A unique feature of Active.com is that they offer pre-made programs based on the user's goals.   Some of the programs are free and some are not, but there are plenty of free ones to choose from.  When you pick a program, it puts it in your training calendar, and it will send you a daily reminder of your workout.  This website is professional and has many articles about fitness, health, and nutrition.

Dailymile.com : Dailymile.com is a great site for runners of any level.  The site is simple to navigate and understand.  Users log on each day to record the number of miles run or walked that day.  This site offers unique networking between friends that encourages motivation through support or competition.  It also keeps interesting statistics like number of donuts burned and gas saved.  Dailymile has a feature allowing you to post your workout to facebook for all your friends to see.

Onlinefitnesslog.com : Onlinefitnesslog.com is a very clean and professional looking website.  It has places to log goals, nutrition, cardio, strength, measurements, and notes.  It offers a questionnaire to help create an exercise program for those unsure where to start exercising.  It has a forum, but it doesn't connect with friends to allow them to see your workouts.

There are other free websites out there that keep track of workouts, but these are a couple of the best.  Keeping track of your exercise can help you stick to it, and it can be fun to look back and see the progression over time.