SMART Exercise - What it Means For You

Sometimes we have all good intentions to move more, eat better and generally improve our everyday health. We think that’s fantastic! What we don’t love seeing is that enthusiasm dwindled over the following weeks.

We can all be guilty of an excuse.

“It’s too cold outside.”
”I’ve had such a busy day, I’ll go for a walk tomorrow.”
”I hurt too much from yesterday’s activities.”

Sometimes when we push ourselves into a new regime without any real direction or goals, it can fall apart around us. That’s why we wanted to introduce you to being SMART.

SMART goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely/Time-Bound.

Let’s break this down.

Let’s Define SMART

When it comes to exercise, studies show that having a goal - preferable a SMART goal - leads up to greater success in achieving this and sticking with our new regime.

Measurable

Any goal needs to have a measure to it to help us visualise the completed goal. For example, “I would like to be able to walk 5km easily by the end of October.” This gives us the clear goal of a 5km walk which we can then break up into smaller increments to make it more achievable.

Achievable

One of the biggest mistakes people make while setting goals is that they set unattainable goals.  Goals should be set high, but they must also be realistic. For example, I want to lose 40 kgs in 3 months is simply unrealistic and dangerous. When we don’t achieve these unrealistic goals it can actually set us back and push us back into old habits. How about we look at, “I would like to lose 1kg a month by October through better food choices.”

Relevant

Your goals should be important to you. Don't set a goal just because your friends, family members or exercise partners have set that goal. Your goals are your motivators to continue exercising, so make sure they are important to you. If you previously loved hiking but have been struggling with motivation, why not treat your goal as a prize. For example, “By October I will complete an 8km hike through my favourite range and stay in a lovely Airbnb as a reward.”

Time-Bound

Make sure each goal has a specific time frame for completion. This allows you to easily determine if it has been achieved. For example, “I want to be better at running”, let’s shift this to “I would like to complete five ParkRuns by the end of the year.” This way we have given ourselves an amount and a deadline in which to complete things.

So we hope we’ve broken down the importance of a SMART goal to you and how it can support your health overall. If you are struggling to achieve any of your goals, remember the team at PACE Health Management have the experience and knowledge to create a better you! Chat to the team here!