Getting fit can be a very good thing, often helping us feel better both physically and mentally. For those of you who want to get fit, do you have a goal in mind? Setting a goal is an important first step in improving your overall fitness. However, setting fitness goals can often feel daunting, as well as a bit trivial. Frequently, clients will tell me they have a goal of getting in better shape. My response: How are you measuring that? Getting in better shape can come in a variety of forms: losing weight, building strength, improving flexibility, running faster, and so on and so forth. All are great things to strive for, but in order for a goal to be effective, it must follow some guidelines. Thankfully, there is an acronym for that (surprise, surprise). It is recommended to set SMART goals when attempting to improve fitness. Here is what that means:

S: Specific

• Any fitness goal you set should be specific. “I want to get in better shape” is not very specific. Rather, “I want to finish a marathon” is more specific. Specific goals help us come up with a more robust plan to achieve said goal.

M: Measureable

• Having a measurable goal will help ensure you know when you have actually achieved the goal. “I want to run a fast marathon” is not all that measurable. How are you defining fast? What is the cut point for fast versus slow? “I want to run a marathon in under 4 hours” is both a specific and measurable goal, allowing me clear metrics to analyze whether or not I achieved this goal.

A: Achievable

• While it is alright to dream big and set lofty goals for yourself, it is important that you set a goal you can actually accomplish. Setting a goal of running a marathon in 20 minutes is not an achievable goal, as the fastest any runner has ever covered 26.2 miles is 1:59:40. However, many individuals have run marathons under 4 hours and there are numerous training programs out there geared at breaking the 4 hour barrier. If you are brand new to running, this might be a lofty goal, but not necessarily unachievable. The achievability of a goal depends a lot on your level of experience surrounding the activity associated with your goal.

R: Relevant

• Selecting a goal that is meaningful and consistent with your current state of being is critical before moving forward. What would finishing a marathon mean to you? Would achieving a different goal mean more to you? This is very much a values-based criteria geared at helping you figure out the “why” behind the goal you have set your sights on.

T: Timely

• Any goal we set for ourselves should carry with it a deadline in order to help keep us on track. The example of running a marathon tends to be fairly simple, as our deadline is the date of the race. If I have set a weight loss fitness goal, it would be beneficial to set a timetable that is consistent with a healthy rate of weight loss, which tends to be 1-2 pounds per week. Therefore, a safe and timely goal could be “I want to lose 10 pounds in 2 months”.

With any fitness goal you set, make sure to reward yourself along the way, as well as once you achieve your overall target. Setting short-term goals can make loftier long-term goals seem more attainable. It is also recommended to have a contingency plan if you get off track or if a major life event postpones your efforts. In this event, don’t beat yourself up, rather use any disappointment as motivation to set and achieve a new goal that will lead to you achieving your original goal. Fitness goals can be set and achieved at any point in the life cycle so it is never too late to work towards getting fit. Just make sure to keep them SMART.

-Grant Hennington, DPT