Easy Ways to Improve Your #Fitness Blog

A few weeks ago, I shared a set of easy ways to improve your blog. Today, I'll take it one step further and share some tips for those of you that blog specifically about fitness. As a fitness professional and fitness blogger, there are certain precautions I take. And there are certain things I look for in other fitness bloggers that directly influence my interest in them.

As you know, we fitness bloggers have to be very careful with our content. We are, after all, directly influencing the health and well-being of others. Therefore, we need to post responsibly. And effectively. Perhaps the following will help you!

Please note that I am not a lawyer.  The following tips come from a place of personal experience.

1) If you are a certified fitness professional, make it known. 
Share affiliations by posting logos in your sidebar and/or listing them in your bio. This builds your credibility in the fitness blog world. In addition, when you post workouts or make recommendations, let people know that you're doing so from a place of professional experience.

2) Write within your scope of practice.
Your blog is yours to do with as you choose, but that doesn't mean you can act as an expert in a field you know nothing about. Stay true to your certifications and tread lightly outside of them. For example, if you're a certified personal trainer, be careful when you discuss diet and exercise. Remember that you are not certified to prescribe specific diets and/or supplements unless you are otherwise certified to. When you speak of these topics, speak from a place of personal experience.

3) If you are NOT a certified fitness professional, disclose this information. 
This doesn't mean that you can't post workouts or talk how-to, it just means that you need to be fair and let people know that you are not doing so from a place of professional experience. It won't necessarily discredit you, but it could help if someone where to misuse your information and ultimately get themselves hurt. Putting this information in your biography might be a good start. You could also add it to the top of any post that includes a specifically described workout.

4) Consider adding a disclaimer to your side.
Putting your blog under the umbrella of a single disclaimer might help in the long run, should anyone raise hell because of something you posted. It also leaves more room in your post for the fun stuff. But, it never hurts to make the appropriate suggestions: "Check with your doctor before starting a new fitness routine." "Follow these workouts at your own risk." "I am not a certified fitness professional, but this works for me." You get it.

5) If you make videos, keep quality and personality at the forefront.
I realize that I don't post fitness videos, but I watch a lot of them. If I can't hear or see you, or if I can sense that you are nervous and/or reading a cue card, then I tend to cringe and move on. Relax! Focus! Set up the scene. Prepare yourself—please don't "um" your way through it! And remember, my attention span is somewhat limited. Give me the information I need in a quick, efficient manner that's void of repetition.

6) If you make pinnable images, make sure they contain the right information. 
If you give me a list of exercises, I won't know what to do with them. Tell me how many repetitions or give me a time frame. And remind me that I need to warm up and cool down.

7) Be tasteful and appropriate with body shots. 
Sure, you've got great abs—I don't need to see them in every post! This is especially true on Instagram. Posing for selfies is fun, but it's not the only way to share your fitness. Right?

8) Assume that your readers know nothing about fitness and write accordingly. 
Translation: Be descriptive when you talk about specific exercises and workouts. Be clear and use language that educates. You might know exactly what you're talking about, but I might not. And if I can't figure it out based on the information you are giving me, it doesn't do me much good, right?!

Right.

Now, go! Join me in spreading the wonderful world of fitness. It's awesome and oh...so much fun. And it's changing lives everywhere. I'm so honored to be a part of that.

Question: What tips do you have for fitness bloggers? Yes, readers, you can chime in, too! It's your input that often means the most to us!