Having a specific goal in mind for your exercise routine can give you the motivation to keep going when the workouts get tough (or your schedule gets hectic). However, it is important to create realistic goals to avoid burnout and discouragement. Here’s how to set SMART fitness goals you can achieve and stick with long term.
What are SMART goals?
SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound. SMART goals are often associated with productivity in the workplace. However, these same ideas can also work well for your fitness goals. For the most part, creating concrete goals with set time limits is a useful way to accomplish almost anything.
1. Be specific with your plan
It’s easy to think, “I’d like to exercise more” or “I want to be more flexible,” but these kinds of vague ideas aren’t the best way to make a workable plan. Instead, create specific goals, like running 10K or going to the weight room a certain number of days a week.
One way to meet your specific goal is to find an app that supports it. For the examples above, downloading the 10K Runner app or the Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log app will make it simple to focus on those particular goals.
If your goal is very specific (you want, for example, to hula-hoop a certain amount of time each week), then a general goal tracking app like Coach.me or LifeRPG can help. Simply entering that fitness goal means taking the first step toward achieving it.
Discharge: 10K Runner app for iOS | Android (Subscription required, free trial available)
Discharge: Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
2. Set measurable fitness goals
Making goals quantifiable is an easy way to measure progress over time. Depending on your sport or workout, goals based on time, reps, or speed are all valid. A swimmer, for example, might decide to hit the pool a certain number of days a week, swim at least 1,500 meters each visit, or work toward a sub-2:00 pace in the 100-meter dash. The important thing is that he spends more time in the pool and works.
A person looking to walk more often might decide to walk for 30 minutes five times a week or aim for 10,000 steps per day on a pedometer app. Whatever activity you choose, find some way to track your development and progress to help keep you motivated.
For many athletes, activity tracking apps are a great way to tap into the measurable components of their chosen sport. Even better: they do all the counting for you. Additionally, people who wear a fitness tracker with heart rate data can aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity) as recommended by the American Heart Association. If you have problems with heart health, always talk to your doctor about setting an appropriate goal for these activity levels.
3. Make your fitness goals achievable
While the thought of making sweeping, sweeping changes to an exercise routine may be tempting, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or discouraged when these dreams don’t pan out the way you’d hoped. For example, setting a goal to do an intense workout every day might fall short if that’s far from your current routine. Frustration and skipped exercise sessions are much more likely.
Instead, set smaller goals that feel achievable. For someone new to strength training, for example, doing a 7 minute bodyweight routine on YouTube a few days a week is a good start. Similarly, following a 30-day squat challenge (or similar plan) is an easy way to blend doable exercises into your daily routine.
Choosing smaller goals, especially when you’re just starting a new exercise routine, can be much more achievable. Plus, marking off each completed workout is rewarding in its own right. Ultimately, meeting these simpler goals can give you the momentum to keep moving forward and improving in the future.
4. Choose relevant objectives
How do you make fitness goals relevant to your own life? For some people, it’s easier to exercise when a few overall goals are in sync with their exercise goals. You may want to do more cardio to improve overall heart health, for example, or stick to a yoga routine to help reduce stress.
Part of relevance also means finding ways to exercise that you enjoy. Remember that there is no one right way to exercise and move your body, so don’t commit to exercises you hate.
If working out at the gym bores you to tears, consider bodyweight exercises at home or other fitness routines you can do anywhere. Experiment and play around with different routines, instructors, or sports until you find something fun and challenging. Of all the SMART goal elements, relevance is perhaps the most personal part. Make it yours!
5. Set fitness goals with time limits
Setting both short-term and long-term plans is a great way to make sure those fitness goals grow and evolve over time. For example, commit to following a beginner’s yoga routine now, with the general intention of trying more difficult poses after about three months of practice. With this approach, those tricky arm balance poses won’t scare you out of practicing completely.
The opposite also is true. To participate in a 50-mile cycling event six months from now, launch a cycling training app like Kudo Coach right away to prepare. In general, setting timely parameters helps avoid the temptation to put off your fitness goals. Creating a realistic time frame can make all the difference.
Set SMART Fitness goals to make your plans stick
If you’ve dealt with failed resolutions in the past, setting SMART goals for your exercise routine can help those plans stick. While SMART goals are great for professional development, they’re also great for giving fitness plans some structure and intention. In many cases, a little preparation and planning is all it takes to make your fitness dreams come true.