The Path To Fitness:
Set Realistic Goals

Develop Achievable Goals

Step 5:
Setting goals is an important component to incorporating physical activities into your life. Once you have discovered your reasons for becoming more active and your barriers with strategies to overcome them, you are ready to set a few achievable goals. Goals give you something to aim for and a sense of success/motivation when a goal is achieved. They can help you stay more motivated and focused to stay on the fitness path.

Making realistic goals is the key to being successful on your journey in being more physically active. Goals should be set slightly higher than your current activity level to give you a slight challenge that is attainable.

Shoobie gets some help with goal writing from an occupational therapist (OT):

Examples of goals:

  Beginning stage of physical activity (Shoobie’s goal from above):
  I will lower my blood pressure by taking the stairs to second floor office once a day with a co-worker within 2 weeks.
                     Reason                                           Activity                                               Strategy            Time frame

  Intermediate stage of physical activity

  I will become more healthy by exercising 30 minutes 3 days a week by scheduling my workouts into my week within 3 weeks.
                  Reason                                    Activity                                                     Strategy                              Time frame

Helpful Websites:
The websites below are provided to help guide you in writing realistic goals.

Goal Setting Guide uses the acronym S.M.A.R.T. to help you organize your goals.

S – specific
M – measurable
A – attainable
R – realistic
T - timely

Grand Times uses the acronym S.U.R.E. to take you step by step in developing your goals.

S – Is your goal specific?
U – Do you understand the work involved in your goal?
R – Is your goal realistic?
E – Are you enthusiastic about your program?