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The SMART Way to Set Fitness Goals

Beginning an exercise program or taking your workout routine up a notch can be challenging. That’s why it’s important to set goals. More importantly, to set SMART goals.

“Everyone entering the gym has a goal,” Aaron Feldman, MS, Cooper Fitness Center Professional Fitness Trainer, said. “Whether it’s weight loss, pain relief, moving better or athletic performance, we’re all trying to achieve something.”

What are SMART goals?

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant/Realistic
Time-bound

SMART goals are a way to approach an objective systematically and thoughtfully. A fitness goal of “getting healthier” doesn’t provide an effective blueprint to work from by itself.

That’s where SMART goals come into play. Feldman said it’s not just important to figure out where you want to be, but to figure out how to set realistic SMART goals to get you there.

Here’s how you can use SMART goals going forward to help build and maintain an effective, consistent workout routine.

Specific

Many people walk into the gym or begin exercising with the goal of being more active or getting fit. That broad goal can essentially mean anything, making it hard to gauge if you’re accomplishing anything.

Specificity is a must when setting goals. Feldman said it’s best to set one big goal and to then break that down into smaller goals.

For example, if your goal is to run a 10K, you can set smaller goals along the way that will prepare you for the run. One smaller goal you’ll be sure to set is determining which days you’ll go for a run and a timeline on when you want to meet running milestones.

If you’re just starting to exercise, maybe set a goal for the number of steps you’ll take each day. Or set up specific workout routines throughout the week.

Measurable

SMART goals need to be trackable. Otherwise, how would you know if you’re meeting your goals? Examples of measurable goals:

If you’re preparing for a 10K, one goal may be to set the number of miles you need to run by specific dates.
For beginning exercisers who have set a goal to walk a specific number of steps daily, purchasing a pedometer or fitness tracking device to count your steps is helpful.
To improve your flexibility, you set a goal to attend two yoga classes per week. You can add the classes to your calendar to help keep you accountable and ensure you’re attending your desired amount.

Attainable

Whether you haven’t run since college or are just now getting active, for many, it’s not realistic to think you can compete in a 10K in a couple of months. Be sure to set realistic, attainable goals.

“If you set an unrealistic goal, it could take a physical toll by pushing your body beyond its limits. That could have long-term consequences on your body. Or emotionally, if you don’t meet your goal, you could just drop exercising altogether,” Feldman said.

For anyone stepping into fitness for the first time, before you set goals and put together a plan it’s important to assess your current fitness level.

“Take an honest assessment of where you are,” Feldman said. “When I meet a new client, I’ve got to determine their fitness level, plus ask about prior injuries, aches or pains before I make a workout plan.”

Knowing your fitness level can prevent aggravating an injury or making aches and pains worse which will put you on the right track to fulfilling your goals, whatever they may be.

At Cooper Fitness Center, the Functional Movement Screen, cardiovascular fitness test, detailed health history form and physical activity readiness questionnaire are tools used to assess members’ current state of health and fitness.

Relevant/Realistic

Keep your goal relevant to your life and realistic with your resources, time and needs. Make sure you’re doing the right exercises for your goals and that you have the necessary tools and knowledge and time allocated to achieve them. If the reason for increasing your step count or running farther is to increase your overall health or compete in a marathon, then you’re on the right track.

If your goal is to increase flexibility to relieve pain, then running isn’t the most appropriate way to help you reach your goal. It’s better to think about trying yoga or Pilates and incorporating stretching exercises into your daily life.

Focused on adding strength training to your exercise routine? The general guideline is to incorporate strength training twice a week. To begin, performing 1-2 sets of 8-12 reps each is typically recommended. Adjust the weight as appropriate to your ability. The following three strength training exercises are effective and involve multiple muscle groups.

Reverse lunge to balance - Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lunge backward with your right leg as far as you can comfortably while dropping your hips downward. Once in the down lunge position, push back to the starting position with both legs at the same time. Repeat for the desired number of reps and then switch to the left leg.
Loaded carry with march - Grab dumbbells in each hand. Keep your core braced, squeeze your glutes and quadriceps and march forward.
Wood chop - Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell with both hands. Rotate your torso to the right and raise the dumbbell until it’s over your right shoulder. Squat as you rotate your torso to the left and bring the dumbbell diagonally across your body until it’s close to your left hip. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of reps and then switch sides.

For a demonstration of these exercises, watch this Exercise Move video from Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director at Cooper Fitness Center.

Don’t know what exercises are relevant in reaching your goals? Talk to a professional fitness trainer who can help set up a plan.

Time-bound

The final component of a SMART goal is setting a deadline to achieve your goal with a specific date. Sometimes it can be easy to set a timeframe. For example, if you want to participate in a 10K next fall, the date of the race is your deadline. If your goal is overall health or pain relief—which may require a long period of time to achieve—a good rule of thumb is to break your goal into short-term, six-month chunks. Anything longer is a long-term goal.

A short-term goal might be to run in a 5K in six months and the long-term goal is to run in the 10K next year.

For flexibility, in the short term you may decide to participate in two yoga classes a week. Long-term the goal is to work on higher-intensity yoga classes with advanced poses.

If you fail to reach a goal within the time frame you’ve set for yourself, Feldman said do not be discouraged.

“It’s not a hard and fast rule when we make SMART goals,” Feldman said. “It’s more like a coach in the middle of a game—adjusting the gameplan depending on the situation or circumstances. If you’re achieving your desired result, then stick with the game plan. If it’s not working, adapt and adjust as needed.”

Because SMART goals consider your current fitness level and your personal desires, goals are likely to be different from person to person. That’s what makes them personalized and more likely to make you successful in sticking to them and achieving results.

After your goals

You’ve just finished that 10K. What’s next?

“Keep setting future goals,” Feldman said. “If everything you mapped out is accomplished, reevaluate where you are and what you’d like to do next. You’ve finished the race, so how about trying swimming or cycling? After that, how about training for a triathlon?”

As Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics, says, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination.” SMART goals can make the journey easier. They can keep you motivated and satisfied as you work toward accomplishing all your goals.

“If you set and adhere to SMART fitness goals, you’ll see much greater and more consistent improvement than if you aimlessly try one fitness program after another without clear direction,” Feldman said.

So set a SMART goal and reflect on where you are and where you want to be in three weeks, three months and three years.

For more information on personal training or to schedule a session with a professional fitness trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.