"I want to be fit"
"I want to get in shape"
"I want to change my body"
These are all examples of fitness goals that sound great but lack real substance. What does being fit mean to you? What about your body do you want to change? I had a client that used to joke he was in shape because round was a shape! Making any change to your health and fitness requires a serious and concrete goal. Using the SMART system to goal setting allows you to create a program that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time sensitive. Below I have listed some fitness goal examples to help you through this process!
Specific
Your first step towards creating your fitness goal is to determine something specific to work towards. Instead of saying, I want to get fit, you can change that to: I want to be able to run without needing to take a walk break. Instead of saying, I want to change my body, you can decide that you want to lose body fat. Now that we have some specificity in your goal, we can add on more.
Measurable
How far do you want to be able to run without walking? 3 miles? 1 hour? 26.2 miles? How much body fat do you want to lose? 5lbs? 10lbs? 50lbs? Determine your numbers and add that to the specificity of your goal.
Attainable
Are you actually able to achieve this goal? If you are unable to walk 3 miles at this moment, is it realistic for you to be able to run for an entire hour? If you have 20lbs of body fat, is it realistic for you to lose 10lbs of additional body fat? Your goal should be challenging but ultimately, something you can complete. It shouldn't be so difficult that the possibility of not achieving your goal is high.
Relevant
Is your fitness goal relevant to what you actually want? Don't train for a marathon if your real goal is to lose body fat. Truly think about what you want from your body and ensure that your goal focuses on that. Let go of what others might think is best for you and pick a goal that is right for you.
Time Sensitive
You could spend a lifetime achieving any of your goals. If your goal is to run a marathon, think about your current fitness level and how long it will take you to get to that distance. It could take you 3 months or up to a year. If you want to lose 50lbs in body fat, put into perspective your health habits and what changes you can make to your lifestyle. This type of goal could take up to a year. Be realistic with your dates. A good range for a goal is between 4 weeks to up to a year.
Put it Together
I want to run without walking for one hour by 12 weeks from today.
I want to lose 10lbs in body fat by 8 weeks from today.
Your fitness goal should be one succinct sentence and should meet the SMART criteria.
Thank you for reading!
Let me know if you need help creating your fitness goal!
YourTrainerKatie
Katie
