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Motivation and Goal-Setting for Exercise
How to stick with your
fitness program
Finding motivation to train or stick with exercise on a regular basis isn't always easy. Demanding schedules, burn-out, and illness are just a few of the things that may interrupt your
fitness routine. However, sometimes motivation can be found by following a very simple formula. Goal setting based upon the S.M.A.R.T. approach, is a simple technique that provides structure for your training program. Many athletes and coaches successfully use this formula to set both short and long-term training goals.
The
S.M.A.R.T.
principle
- Set Specific Goals. Research shows that specific goals are the most motivating. A specific goal is to reduce your 5K time by 30 seconds within 6 months. Many people just say they want to get faster. This goal is far too general to really motivate you in your training.
- Set Measurable Goals. Simply saying that you want to get faster is not enough detail. You need to be able to chart and document progress toward your goal. One way to measure your progress is to document your performance at set intervals. In the above example you may want to time your 5K performance once a month so you have a good measurement.
- Set Adjustable Goals. This means your goals are flexible enough to accommodate unexpected challenges without becoming obsolete. An injury may force your to modify your goal. If you goal is too run a certain marathon and you are injured, you may need to change your goal to do the half marathon, or some other event. An injury doesn't need to mean you abandon all your plans. At the same time, you may find you are progressing quickly and need to raise your goal.
- Set Action-Oriented Goals Another important aspect of goal-setting to keep them focused on personal action. Don't forget to consider not only what you want to achieve, but how you plan to achieve it. Consider reading How to Design a Personal Exercise Program and The Principles of Sports Conditioning for tips on fitness training plans.
Set
Realistic
Goals.
Start
where
you
are,
and
increase
your
goals
accordingly.
If
you
haven't
ever
run
a 5K
it's
probably
not
a
wise
goal
to
say
you
want
to
run
a
marathon.
While
that
may
be
your
long-term
goal,
in
the
short-term
you
may
want
to
shoot
for
the
5K
and
10K
and
half
marathon
on
the
way
to
your
marathon
goal.
This
sort
of
progression
is
healthy
and
realistic.
Also,
keep
in
mind
that
as
you
become
more
and
more
fit
and
near
your
full
potential
the
room
for
continued
improvement
gets
smaller.
Similarly,
if
your
goals
are
too
simple,
you
won't
feel
much
satisfaction
by
attaining
them.
Only
you
truly
know
what
is
realistic
for
you.
Set
Time-based
Goals.
Look
again
at
first
example:
reduce
your
5K
time
by
30
seconds
within
6
months.
This
is
specific
and
time-based.
Without
a
time
line
there
is a
tendency
to
procrastinate
or
get
bored.
You
may
also
need
to
set
interim
goals
with
shorter
timelines
to
keep
you
on
track.
Consider
the
previous
example
of
working
up
to a
marathon
by
completing
shorter
distances
first.
each
of
those
because
a
separate
goal
with
a
shorter
timeline.
In
general,
goals
that
stretch
out
beyond
6
months
are
too
long
to
keep
you
interested
and
motivated.
Try
to
re-evaluate
your
goals
every
2-3
months.
Goal
setting
is
an
art
as
well
as a
science,
but
if
you
make
sure
your
goals
follow
the
S.M.A.R.T.
formula,
you
will
find
you
are
more
likely
to
stay
motivated
and
reach
goal
after
goal.
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