At LIV Fitness in Dublin, CA, we encourage people to set smart goals, since it’s the best way to achieve them. Fitness goals need to be realistic. SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. Start with a specific goal. Vague goals, such as I want to lose weight or get into shape, don’t provide any information to let you know you’ve achieved your goal. If you are fifty pounds overweight and say you want to lose weight, do you achieve your goal when you’ve lost a pound? Decide exactly what you want and achieve it.
Make your goal measurable.
You need to know if you’re making progress and have a way to measure success. Do you want to lose inches, pounds or have enough energy to climb five flights of stairs in under five minutes without having to stop. When you can measure your goals, you know whether you’re making progress. It allows you to set milestones so you can celebrate occasionally. Everyone needs that, no matter what their goals.
Make sure your goal is attainable.
Too often people want to make the progress move faster, but that’s not how the body works. In order to lose one pound, you have to eat 3500 fewer calories than you burn. It’s impossible to permanently lose twenty pounds in a day, but not to lose twenty pounds in two months. While you want to reach for the stars and aim high, building muscles doesn’t happen overnight. A lofty goal is important, but so is having an appropriate amount of time to do it.
Is your goal relevant and time-based?
What is a relevant goal? It’s one that’s important to you. If you want to lose weight because someone told you that you should, you won’t have the success you’d have if you really wanted the weight loss. Don’t let someone determine your goals. Of course, a health care professional may tell you that you need to lose weight. In that case, focus only on how good you’d feel and how much longer and healthier you’d live. Making your goal time-based gives you a deadline. If you don’t, the goal becomes a “some day” and that never comes.
- Your plan of action should include the steps you take to reach your goals. Those steps might include eating healthy or exercising every other day.
- Track your progress. If you don’t track your progress, how will you know if you’ve succeeded. Track your progress in the gym by the amount of weight you lift or reps you do. You can even use other measures.
- Make your goals a priority. They should be important to you. You should schedule your workout as you would any appointment, which also helps make it a habit and ensures you’ll stick with the program.
- Keep your goals in front of you. Some people put them on sticky notes and post them around the house. Do something every day to help achieve your fitness goals. It doesn’t have to be working out in the gym, doing something fun, yet active is important, too.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness