How To Set SMARTer Goals

Let’s cut to the chase—achieving health and fitness goals requires hard work. First, you must define your goals and craft a plan to make them a reality. In this blog post, we’ll focus on the first step: deciding your health and fitness goals.

Enter SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. These five principles should guide all your current and future health and fitness goals. Choosing random goals without understanding their achievability can turn your fitness journey into a miserable experience and we don’t want that. Let’s unpack these five themes:

S – Specific

Your goals should be specific to you and tailored to a clear outcome. Avoid vague goals like “lose weight”. Instead, be as precise and clear as possible, such as “lose 5kg of body fat in 6 months” or “drop two dress sizes in 4 months.” Clarity is key to staying focused.

M – Measurable

Once you’ve nailed down your specific health and fitness goals, it’s crucial to determine how you’ll measure progress. Whether it’s tracking calories, weighing yourself daily, or assessing body weight weekly, having measurable benchmarks ensures you stay motivated and accountable.

A – Achievable

Whilst this might seem obvious, it cannot be understated. In fact, this might actually be the most important step. You must pick goals that you can actually achieve. Dream big, but keep it realistic. Setting unattainable goals leads to demoralisation. For instance, losing 5kg in 6 months is achievable, but aiming for 12kg in the same timeframe isn’t. Opt for goals that challenge you but are within reach.

R – Relevant

Your goals should contribute to your overall well-being, not just be chosen arbitrarily. Ensure they align with your values for long-term relevance. Neglecting this aspect can sap motivation and derail your progress.

T – Time-Bound

The final piece is ensuring your goal has a timeframe for accomplishment. Whether short or long-term, setting a deadline is crucial. For example, aiming to lose 500 grams to 1kg of body weight per week ensures that the goal of losing 5kg in 6 months is both achievable and time-bound.

SMART Goals 

Here are some example goals turned into SMART goals.

• Weight Loss Goal:

• • • General Goal: “I want to lose weight.”
    • SMART Goal: “I aim to lose 5 kilograms in 10 weeks by strength training for 45 minutes 2 days per week, walking for 30 minutes on the other 5 days, and maintaining a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories.”

• Strength Training Goal:

• • • General Goal: “I want to get stronger.”
    • SMART Goal: “I will increase my bench press strength by 20% within 3 months by following a progressive weight training program, bench pressing 2 times per week.”

• Endurance Training Goal:

• • • General Goal: “I want to improve my stamina.”
    • SMART Goal: “I plan to run a half marathon in 6 months, gradually increasing my weekly kilometres by 10% until I can comfortably run 21 kilometres.”

• Flexibility Goal:

• • • General Goal: “I wish to be more flexible.”
    • SMART Goal: “I will dedicate 15 minutes to daily yoga stretches with the aim of being able to touch my toes without bending my knees within 4 weeks.”

• Health and Wellness Goal:

• • • General Goal: “I want to lead a healthier lifestyle.”
    • SMART Goal: “To promote a healthier lifestyle, I will walk 10,000 steps every day and include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables in my diet every day”

• Sport-Specific Goal:

• • • General Goal: “I want to be better at tennis.”
    • SMART Goal: “I will improve my tennis skills by taking a weekly tennis lesson and practicing for 1 hour twice a week for the next 3 months.”

• Body Composition Goal:

• • General Goal: “I aim to tone my body.”
  • SMART Goal: “I will achieve 15% body fat within 6 months by hiring a personal trainer who will plan out a strength training program for me and provide nutritional guidelines that fit into my lifestyle.

Conclusion

By framing your goals as SMART goals, you can create clear and actionable plans that are more likely to lead to success. It’s important to remember that the objectives should be tailored to personal capabilities and limitations to ensure they are achievable and sustainable.

Unsure where to begin when setting health and fitness goals? Book a consultation with us today, and together, we’ll set the SMARTest goals in the room.

References

https://www.proquest.com/openview/259baaca492d360bcf2d0fcf02b684eb/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=36212