"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible
into the visible.” - Tony Robbins
Goal setting is an important aspect of all areas of life. In
order to accomplish anything you have to figure out where you want to go, then
make a plan for how to get there. This is no less true when it comes to fitness
and living a healthy lifestyle. The American Council on Exercise recommends
setting goals the SMART way:
SPECIFIC: The fitness goals
must specifically state what is to be accomplished. They must be easily
understood and should not be ambiguous or subject to interpretation. For
example, rather than stating you would like to improve your fitness level, set
a specific fitness goal to be able to run a mile in 12 minutes.
MEASURABLE: The fitness
goals must be measureable so that there is no doubt about whether you achieved
them. Measurable fitness goals also allow you to evaluate your progress. Goals
can be measured objectively or subjectively (i.e., how you feel and look), or
both. For example, you could measure your percent body fat and body weight, but
also monitor how your pants fit.
ATTAINABLE: The fitness
goals must be attainable—not too difficult or too easy. Easy fitness goals do
not motivate, and overly difficult ones may frustrate you and lead to a
perception of failure.
RELEVANT: The fitness goals
must be relevant or pertinent to your particular interests, needs and abilities.
For example, when preparing for a 5K walk, running quarter-mile sprints would
not be the best approach.
TIME-BOUND: The
fitness goals must be time-bound by specific deadlines for completion.
Timelines can be both short-term and long-term and should help you stay focused
and on track.
Make sure you choose goals that are realistic. It is much healthier,
and much more easily maintained, to set a goal to lose 1-2 pounds per week than
10. Choosing fitness a goal that is unhealthy or unreasonable leads to burnout
and injury. Ultimately, you want to establish habits that will stay with you
for the rest of your life.
Measureable and attainable goals keep discouragement at bay.
Tangibly assessing how many pounds you have lost, either by stepping on the
scale or by seeing how your clothes fit differently, keeps you encouraged and
wanting to continue. Find the sweet spot between goals that are too easy or too
hard so you don’t get lazy or frustrated. You may need to set some short-term
goals along the way to your ultimate goal.
A good mix of goals that are either process oriented or
product oriented will keep you motivated. An example of a process goal would
be, “I am going to go to kickboxing three times this week.” A product goal
would be increasing the amount of weight you can bench press or losing an inch
off your thighs.
Have some activity or fitness workout routine that you enjoy
and grab someone to enjoy it with you. If you enjoy it you will tend to stick
with it. Be prepared to work through the times when it is just plain hard,
though. Establishing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes diligence and
self-discipline, but goal-setting can keep you on track.
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