Spring is upon us, the temperatures are warming up, and you’ve made a decision to lead a more active lifestyle and get involved in some heart-healthy activities. But where do you begin?  To increase your chances of being successful, it’s important to be SMART about exercise. The people who are the most successful at switching to a healthy lifestyle are the ones who set goals for themselves. The key, however, is to set the RIGHT goals for yourself, ones that will specifically result in the outcomes you wish to achieve. To do this, you start by setting goals using the SMART formula.  

Specific – This is the who, what, when, where and how of your goal. It isn’t enough to say “I am setting a goal to be more active.” Instead, set a goal such as “I am going to walk for 30 minutes three times a week.” Or better yet, FIVE times a week, then you’re right in line with Health Canada’s recommendation for activity for adults under the age of 65!

Measurable – If your goal isn’t measurable, how will you know when you have reached it? An example of a goal that is both specific and measurable would be “I am going to walk for 30 minutes, 5 times a week, and work my way up to running for the full 30 minutes.” Or “I’m going to walk 3KM in 30 minutes, 5 times a week.”

Attainable – While it’s great to shoot for the stars, if your goal is out of reach, you will be less motivated to reach for it! An attainable goal would be “to train and compete in the Bluenose Marathon in May.” A likely unattainable goal would be “I’m going to run every single day and WIN the Bluenose Marathon in May.”

Realistic – If you’re one of the 54% of the world’s population who can’t swim, it may not be a realistic goal for you to swim across the Halifax Harbour! Plus, if it’s not something you enjoy and would look forward to doing, you’re less likely to be successful in achieving your goal. Look where you’re at now, and what you enjoy, and go from there!

Time – This is probably one of the most important parts of the equation. Without any sort of deadline, we don’t have a real motivation to make a change. It becomes too easy to put things off. One of the best ways to set a time for yourself is to find an event in the exercise of your choice. It’s a great way to find something to work toward!

Now that you know the key, time to get SMART about your Exercise! Click the link below for a printable version of SMART! Be SMART about Exercise

Source Url: http://gobelmont.ca/get-smart-about-exercise/