Workout Tip of the Week: SMART Goal Setting

Sorry for the gap in workout tips. The holidays have kept us quite busy and frankly, I haven't been working out as much as I'd like to. So just like many of you I am setting some New Year's Resolutions and Goals. As I have thought about them, a few good tips came to mind:

Make your goals SMART!

S: Specific. A goal should be specific in time and amount. For example: I want to lose 10 lbs in 2 months.

M: Measureable. You should be able to measure your success. Rather than saying, I want to be stronger, set a goal to be able to do 50 push-ups by March.

A: Attainable. Set goals that you are likely to achieve.

R: Realistic. Don't go overboard on your expectations of yourself. Set goals that you can achieve in a realistic amount of time. Perhaps set smaller short term goals that work towards a big long-term goal.

T: Timely. Always set a time frame for your goals so that you actually work on them!

Set 3 exercise goals and 3 nutrition goals for 2009 and then watch how great you feel as you have worked to improve your health. Go for it and good luck!

Here are mine:
EXERCISE:
1. Be able to do 30 push-ups without stopping by February 1st. I have always been so weak at push-ups!
2. Create one new strength training routine a week for 6 weeks so I don't get bored.
3. Run for 30 minutes once a week for 1 month.

NUTRITION:
1. Try a new healthy recipe once a week for 8 weeks until March 1st.
2. Eat 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for 1 month, until February 1st.
3. Drink 6 glasses of water a day for 1 month, until February 1st.