How to measure progress with your health & fitness

Many of my clients feel stumbled on how to set goals for their health. When it comes to health and fitness, not everything can be measured the same way.

Some things are best explained with numbers, while others are better understood through how a person feels. This is where quantitative and qualitative measures come in.

Both give useful information, and together they give the full picture.

Quantitative Measures

Quantitative measures are all about numbers. They’re objective, meaning they don’t rely on opinions, and they’re commonly used in gyms, sports, and medical settings.

Examples include:

• Heart rate and blood pressure

• Blood markers 

• Waist circumference 

• Muscle and body fat percentage

• How fast you run a certain distance

• Distance walked each week or month

• Range of motion about a joint

• Clothes fitting differently

• Cups of water or veggies consumed

• More meals cooked at home vs. ordering in

• Number of steps or stairs taken per day

• The volume of weight you can lift (sets x reps x load)

• VO₂ max or fitness test scores

• Reduction or elimination of medication

• Less screen time and more reading, activity, creative time

• Less money invested in treating symptoms and more into getting to the root cause

Upsides:
The big advantage of quantitative measures is that they’re clear and easy to compare. You can track progress over time, like running faster or lifting heavier weights, and see solid proof of improvement. Because the results are numerical, they’re reliable and useful for setting goals.

Downsides:
The downside is that numbers don’t explain everything. For example, a “good” fitness score doesn’t mean someone feels healthy or motivated. From my clinical experience, I’ve seen clients form an attachment to the numbers, that they struggle to lean in and listen to their body’s communication of progress. Quantitative measures also ignore things like stress, mood, and enjoyment, which play a huge role in long-term fitness.

Qualitative Measures

Qualitative measures focus on how someone feels and what they experience. They’re more subjective, and they add important context to fitness results.

Examples include:

• Waking up excited for the day

• Energy, mood and motivation levels

• How challenging an exercise feels (perceived exertion)

• Whether someone enjoys their workouts

• Drive to pursue new hobbies or activities/doing the things you love

• Experiencing reduced or eliminated pain

• Feedback from a coach or personal reflection

• Improved skin health

• A sharper mind

• Soaking up higher quality sleep

• Greater fulfillment in your work/life’s purpose

• Practicing healthier coping mechanisms for stress

• Stronger, more connected relationships

• Having the ability to lift, play and sit on the ground with their kids/grandkids

• Maintaining independence into older adulthood

• Everyday activities/movements feel easier (ex. Laundry, climbing stairs, getting out of bed)

Upsides:
Qualitative measures are great for understanding the mental and emotional side of health and fitness. They help explain why someone might be improving or struggling. For example, feeling unmotivated or stressed can affect performance, even if fitness levels look good on paper.

Downsides:
The main issue is that feelings can change day to day, and everyone experiences things differently. This makes qualitative measures harder to compare and less reliable on their own.

Summing it up

Quantitative measures show what your body can do, while qualitative measures show how you feel doing it. Someone might get fitter based on test results but still feel burnt out or unmotivated. In the same token, someone may feel great yet their blood pressure is sneakily elevated. 

That’s why using both types together gives the best understanding of health and fitness—it balances the numbers with real-life experience. In my experience, when we get to the root of what people want most, it’s to feel better. However you want to measure that, lean into what feels true for you.

How do you like to measure your health and fitness progress? I’d love to hear from you! Email me at michelle@pivotyourwellness.com.