Jump Start Your Fitness With SMART Goals & Fresh Ideas March 29, 2024 You may have heard of SMART fitness goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. In the cold, dark and rainy winter months, that promise you made to yourself on January 1 can be hard to stick with. If you’re having trouble staying motivated, identifying a SMART goal can help you through the chill of spring. “Start your journey by establishing short-term fitness goals that can be attained in a relatively short amount of time, like starting a yoga class twice a week,” said Jackie Welter, SamFit fitness center coordinator. “You can achieve your personal short-term fitness goals daily, by the end of the week, a month or six months.” Examples of SMART Fitness Goals Specific: I’m going to start running daily and train for a marathon. Measurable: I will follow the exercise app training program to run a full marathon without stopping. Achievable: I have done some running before, my body is reasonably healthy, and the marathon is six months from now. Relevant: I want to become a fit, healthy and strong person — I want to be full of vitality, energy and zest for life. Time bound: I have signed up for a marathon six months from now. Once you establish your goal incorporate some fun fitness ideas into your routine. Train for a Race If you haven’t run a race before, then a 5k is a great place to start. No matter how fast you are, taking up running or jogging is an excellent way to improve your health and start feeling better. Consider a “couch to 5k” app or program that will start slowly and progress into more intensive training schedules. Functional Strength Improvements Consider joining a fitness class or group workout that focuses on functional strength. Many people see excellent results with programs, such as high interval intensity training also known as HIIT. These classes give a sense of community, plus, you’ll notice improvements in endurance, strength, function, weight loss and more. Holding a Plank for Core Training “Planks are an excellent way to strengthen your core,” said Welter. “At the same time, they also engage the arms and legs, giving you a full body workout. In the beginning, you might be only able to hold a plank for 15 to 20 seconds. But with practice, you can slowly increase your time until you’re holding your planks for one minute or more.” Enjoyable Movements & Activities to Get Started “There are other activities that you may enjoy, rather than training for a race,” said Welter. “Like doing something fun and moving your body at the same time, for instance walking instead of driving, biking, pickleball, dancing, swimming, yoga and more.” Short-term goals can be accomplished quickly, which makes you feel good and helps you keep up the momentum you need to succeed. The more short-term goals you finish, the more invested you will be in accomplishing your ultimate fitness goals. Get help meeting your goals at a SamFit near you. Learn more at SamFit.org. Download a SMART goals worksheet.
