Beyond New Year’s Resolutions Part 1

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Making Fitness Goals That Work

Americans do it every year. We make New Year’s Resolutions… and lots of them. It’s something about the idea of a fresh start that makes us evaluate our lives and find areas to improve. Each year the top ten resolutions are similar and each year two of those resolutions are the same: to lose weight and to get in shape/get fit. 

As a personal trainer and health educator I think it’s wonderful! However, the downside is that most people never reach those resolutions and by Spring, most people have given up. Are you one of them? If so, you are not alone. And if so, read on to see how busy women can meet those goals and take care of themselves. 

Now is a perfect time to re-visit those resolutions and make them work. If you weren’t successful at the beginning of the year, don’t wait until next year! Make a change today and get on your way to a healthy 2009. 

Goal Setting Basics

A New Year’s Resolution is a goal, and just like any other goal, there are ways to succeed and surefire ways to fail. When setting your goal use the S.M.A.R.T. principal. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Take some me time, sit down, and really plan for reaching your goal. Putting in this effort will make you much more likely to find success in the end. Click here to view a worksheet that you can use to create your S.M.A.R.T fitness goals and make the most of your me time. 

Specific: When setting your goal make it specific to you. Write down what your goal is, why it is important to you, and how you’re going to reach it. 

Measurable: Instead of making your goal to “get in shape” make your goal one that you can actually measure. You might want to be able to run 3 miles, to lose 5 pounds of body fat, or to go the gym 3 days a week. 

Attainable: Set a goal that you can reach. It should be a stretch, but one you know you can do with a real commitment. If you reach this goal, you can always set a new one. 

Realistic: If your goal is unrealistic, you can easily get discouraged when you don’t reach it. This does not mean your goal should be easy – just doable. If you’ve never run before and your goal is to run a marathon in 6 months…think again. Maybe training for a 5k is more realistic for where you are now. Many people also set a goal of “working out every day”. Not only is it unhealthy to not give your body a break, it is nearly impossible to succeed at this. And working out 5 days a week should not feel like a failure!  

Timely: Lastly, set a timeframe for reaching your goal. Without a timeframe there is no motivation to get started. Aim to reach your goal in a month, 3 months, or 6 months instead of leaving it open ended. 

Fitness Goal Example: Jane set a fitness goal to run her first 10k in August of 2009. This is important to her because heart disease runs in her family and she wants to make her cardiovascular fitness a priority. She currently runs once or twice a week for 20 minutes. She will meet her goal by joining a weekly running group, buying new running shoes, and following a 6-month training program. Jane will keep a record of her weekly runs and check-in with her running group each week. Jane will know she’s on track when she can run a 5k by May. 

Common Barriers to Meeting Your Goal

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On paper, your fitness plan can seem very realistic, but when real life gets in the way, it’s easy to get off track. You can’t control what comes your way. What you can do is make a plan for the barriers that may come along and what you will do about them. Some common barriers are lack of time, lack of resources, and lack of energy. If you know lack of time might limit you, write down how you will find time. If your kids are sick and you will miss your morning workout, can you run to their school at 3pm and walk home with them? If affording weekly yoga classes is tough on your budget, is there something else you can give up (like your morning latte) to afford them? Work through each barrier to make sure you can fit in your me time workouts each week. 

Picking Goals That Work For You

A common mistake people make when setting goals, is aiming to do what they “think they should do” rather than what they want to do. Just because your trainer told you that running 3 days a week is a great way to lose weight doesn’t mean it should be your goal. If you have an injury, get bored on a treadmill, or dread a morning run…pick something else. Because for you, running is not the answer!  

Setting and reaching fitness goals is not an easy task. It takes planning, motivation, and support. They key is to keep trying and keep reaching. Good luck and work hard on your Spring Resolutions!  

Stay Tuned for the Next Article: Beyond New Year’s Resolutions Part 2

About Laurie Parlin, M.Ed., CSCS, CHES Laurie is an exercise physiologist and health educator with a passion for being physically active and encouraging others to do the same.  She is nationally certified as a Health Education Specialist, Personal Fitness Trainer, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Yoga instructor.  She holds a Masters Degree in Health Education and a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science.  As an expert in health education and fitness, Laurie has spent time managing both corporate and college wellness programs, teaching middle school health education, coaching youth sport, and training individuals to reach their health and fitness goals.  Laurie was a competitive gymnast for 15 years who currently spends her free time skiing, traveling, running half marathons, and learning to surf.  Laurie believes that investing in your health is one of the best investments you can make.  Whether you put in time, energy, or money, you are guaranteed to get positive results. http://www.healthyinvestments-inc.com/,  www.momsinmotions.com