Goal setting for Health & Fitness

Are you a goal-setter? We’ve all had goals we’ve set out to achieve. Many of them we have reached and ticked the box on completion. Likely these goals were financial, professional, study-related or travel. You may have even set some health and fitness goals. Being in the health and fitness business, we at Vast Fitness Academy understand that health and fitness goals can often be made with the best intentions. However, these can fall by the wayside and become inconsistent or non-existent. Time commitments to family, work, study and other things life can throw at us can all affect our ability to stay motivated and committed to a goal. Here are some tips to help you set, reignite or strengthen your health and fitness goals.

SMART goal-setting strategies.

You have likely heard of SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable (achievable), realistic (relevant) and time-bound. Whether you are familiar with them or not, here is how you can utilise them in setting health and fitness goals that suit you. Goal setting is individual; therefore, using SMART goals can be tailored to your needs.

Specific:

Having a specific goal is essential. A goal to get fitter or eat healthily is good; however, you need to attach a specific outcome that can be tied to a reason or a ‘why’ to make the goal clearer in your mind and increase its importance. Three examples of a specific goal with a reason are:

1. I want to lose 10 kg in 20 weeks and maintain the loss to improve my overall health and feel better in my clothes.

2. I want to improve my diet, specifically my vegetable intake, which is very poor. My goal is to consume five servings of vegetables every day of the week to increase my nutrient intake.

3. I want to increase my step count to 10,000 steps per day by walking at the beach or park before or after work every day to improve my cardiovascular fitness and keep mobile as I sit in an office job all day.

Measurable:

Measuring keeps you on track and accountable. You will also know if you have achieved your goal. Three examples to match the examples above are:

1. Weight loss can be measured using scales.

2. Vegetable intake can be counted.

3. Step count can be tracked using a smartwatch or mobile phone app.

Achievable:

The goal must be achievable without causing harm. Is it healthy to lose 10 kg at your current weight? There are health risks associated with being underweight. Is it possible to eat five servings of vegetables daily or walk 10,000 steps every day of the work week? Consider likes, dislikes and time constraints.

Realistic:

Consuming five servings of vegetables daily is realistic for most people. If the goal is to lose 10 kg in a 2-week timeframe, this is unrealistic. Walking 10,000 steps may be realistic; however, there may be days when life (or the weather!) gets in the way.

Time-bound:

Assuming that you want to improve your health and fitness for the long term and not the short term, set goals and timelines that will be achievable and sustainable for the long term and do not add unnecessary pressure to your day-to-day life. Establishing a timeframe of when you’d like to accomplish your goal can help to increase your motivation.

Celebrate the small wins.

If your goal might take a while to reach, then set it as a long-term goal. Break your long-term goal into medium and short-term goals so you can celebrate your wins along the way. Experiencing a sense of achievement throughout the journey to meeting your long-term goals is a big motivator to keep going!

Balanced approach vs an ‘all or nothing’ approach.

Radical approaches to exercise, dieting and restrained eating can be counterproductive to becoming healthier or losing weight. They may increase the risk of developing eating or excessive exercise disorders and long-term weight gain. Restrictive diets generally fail long-term and can lead to yo-yo dieting. Excessive exercise can lead to injuries and motivational burn-out. Missed a workout? That’s ok – train tomorrow! Ate a burger on the weekend or had a bowl of ice cream after dinner? That’s ok too! Make your next meal a healthy one. Balance is key! Keep it realistic and aim for overall consistency with a bit of flexibility to keep it up for the long term.