We've all got New Year's resolutions, but staying on task well past January is tougher than it seems, though not impossible. Fortunately, some strategies can help make this year’s fitness routine more achievable.
The SMART Method
SMART is an effective tool that can be used to help achieve any goal or resolution you may have, and can be especially helpful for meeting fitness goals.1 The acronym SMART stands for Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant and Time-bound.
First, you want to pick a goal. If you're reading this, chances are your goal is fitness-related. You may want to improve your stamina, increase your muscle power, or simply find time to move your body.
The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity and two days a week of muscle strengthening for adults aged 18 to 64.2 Being physically active is critical to health because it supports brain function, healthy weight management, strengthens bones, and improves overall well-being.3 Research shows that exercise is associated with better mental health, sleep, and self-esteem.4
- Now that you have your goal in mind, it's time to make it Specific. Instead of just increasing stamina, you could make your goal more specific, such as "I want to be able to hike at Yellowstone."
- Next, make it Measurable. Let's continue with the example, in order to make it measurable, think about how you will achieve your goal in smaller steps. Perhaps consider, "In order to be able to hike Yellowstone, I will prepare by walking 10k steps every day for a month."
- Perhaps 10k steps a day is too much for your current skill set. If so, make your goal more Attainable by adjusting to what you can do now, and increasing the difficulty as you improve. "I will prepare to hike Yellowstone by walking 6k steps every day for two weeks. Then, I will increase to 7k steps for the next two weeks. I will do this until I can walk 10k steps in one day."
- Now think about how Relevant your goal is. If you're going to Yellowstone, it makes sense to increase your stamina, since you'll be hiking a lot. If you're looking to get lots of great photographs on your trip, you can also have a goal to practice taking pictures of landscapes while you're out walking.
- The last step of the SMART method is to think about your goal from a Time-bound perspective. If you're going to Yellowstone in two months, make a schedule for increasing your daily steps based on that. If you're going in six months, you have more time to improve your stamina and can change the pace of your fitness goal. It's important to have a deadline by when you'd like to achieve your goal, or it might feel more daunting to achieve it.
Choose the Right Fuel
Regardless of what your fitness and wellness goals are, it's important to fuel your body with the right nutrition to help you achieve your goals. If muscle strength and physical performance are your goal, consider the benefits of creatine.* Whether you prefer powder or gummies, creatine makes a great pre-, during, and post-workout stack. If you're looking for a plant-based protein to recover after workouts, check out Plant Complete.* And don't forget to replenish electrolytes with Hydro-Fuel Gummies, which is packed with four kinds of electrolytes plus B12 for added cellular energy.*
Now that you know how to fuel, it’s SMART to be creative and proactive when achieving your New Year’s fitness goals. Do what works for you, and if you have an off week, take a break and come back to it. After all, there's strength in progress.
Follow @zhou_nutrition for more fitness and wellness tips!
References
- Cleveland Clinic. How SMART fitness goals can help you get healthier. Health Essentials. 2022;Nov 1. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/smart-fitness-goals
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity for different groups. 2021;July 29. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/age-chart.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benefits of physical activity. 2023;Aug 1. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
- Mahindru A, Patil P, Agrawal V. Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review. Cureus. 2023;15(1):e33475. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9902068/?report=reader
