Would you set off on the trip of a lifetime without any concept of where to go or perhaps a map of how to get to your next destination? Perhaps you are keen for a promotion at work or to hit a new record in your own business, could you do it without a plan? Would you do it without a plan?
Your personal health and fitness journey are no different.
As a team of Certified Personal Trainers, we've found that it's our clients who articulate and commit to certain goals before starting a new workout program that achieve the best results. Most importantly, they appreciate the journey they've undertaken to get where they are and can value the journey they are on when they start a program at Vision PT Neutral Bay.
Yet, is it enough to like a picture on Instagram, set a vision of what you want your body to look like, or perhaps jot a few goals down? We so often hear clients say: "I just want to get healthier" or "I'd want to lose some weight". Don't get us wrong, simple, general goals are better than having no goals at all. But to make the process more effective, we like to have our clients set their goals following the S.M.A.R.T principle:
- Specific,
- Measurable,
- Achievable,
- Relevant,
- and Timely.
These guidelines make the goal-setting process not just aspirational, but strategic.
There are numerous ways of measuring health and fitness, and even more ways to get healthy. But what path is right for you? Broad goals aren't helpful. Specific goals call for specific actions, and those are always going to be easier to follow.
So instead on 'I'd like to lose some weight' - using the SMART acronym we can adjust that to read I want to 'Lower my Body Fat by 2.5% over the next nine weeks.' Always make sure the goals are measurable, as this will help motivate you as you chart your progress. At Vision this is possible through the use of our Evolt BodyScanner which can give us a very detailed snapshot of your health and wellbeing along with assisting us to create an individual program for your specific needs and to ensure you hit your new SMART goals.
Of course, goals need to be achievable or else as soon as the goal seems out of reach it will be abandoned. If you say your goal is to run a Marathon in nine weeks and you've never run before, you're most likely setting yourself up for failure. There's nothing wrong with being optimistic, so long as you keep goals realistic.
Sometimes even achievable programs can be difficult. We know life can sometimes derail you, it takes a lot of motivation to get back on the path. Your personal trainer will be part of this motivation and accountability but we also recognise that a personally relevant goal will go a long way to helping too. You might want to do that 10km run for the first time with a partner or friend or perhaps for charity, this extrinsic factor will help keep things relevant for you.
Finally, when you build a timeframe into your goals, you ensure two things: that you start now and not later, and that the journey you're embarking on is a sustainable one. If you have nine weeks until that run, you know you need to start your endurance training as soon as possible. There might be some hard runs along the way, and some mornings you don't want to get out of bed, but they will become a distant memory when you cross that finish line.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
