Seeking small, SMART fitness goals

July 5, 2017 3:42 PM

Help me compile a list of small, specific fitness goals to work towards.

This is to keep from getting bored and to help me stick to a regular gym routine. I don't need to lose weight, but I started my "fitness journey" about 18 months ago to increase stamina, build muscle tone, and for something to keep me busy.

At work we set up SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable...) but with with fitness, "have more stamina" or "attain a six-pack" aren't SMART.

One thing that worked really well for me was setting a goal to do a pull-up. Other examples might be to run a mile without stopping, or to work towards an inversion (handstand, etc.) in yoga. I'm also open to healthy-eating SMART goal ideas.

posted by jschu to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

If your gym offers small-group classes and you enjoy that kind of setting for exercise, you can set SMART goals based on class attendance per week. Personally, I've found tracking and planning for class attendance to be the best way to either maintain a gym routine or to ease into changing that routine.

In terms of healthy eating goals, I'd recommend using MyFitnessPal or some other food tracking app to help you with the measurable aspect of SMART goals - depending on where you are in your eating habits, it's important to first establish a baseline of what you'd normally give your body to eat every day and over the course of a week.
posted by vacuumsealed at 4:50 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

In 2012 I did 12 races in 12 month. Some were five 5ks, a splash and dash, and eventually a half marathon. Doing it (almost) monthly helped give me the little goals while working up to the half. It also allowed for some flexibility of smushing in some double months. Being forced to find races also led to cool stuff like doing a memorial 5k at Pearl Harbor while on vacation!
posted by raccoon409 at 5:01 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

X number of pushups
X number of squats
x number of crunches
Touch your toes
Touch your palms to the floor
Increasing number of jumping jacks
Increasing amount of jumping rope
posted by maurreen at 5:36 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Eat one piece of fresh fruit per day for X amount of time.
posted by irisclara at 6:06 PM on July 5, 2017

Back squat your body weight. This is highly doable and will improve every aspect of your life. Check out Wendler's 5/3/1 program.
posted by radicalawyer at 6:10 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

I like the 100 push-ups and similar programs.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 6:51 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Always choose to take the stairs, for a month.
posted by shalom at 9:32 PM on July 5, 2017

daily - replace one coffee with green tea?
aim to stretch after every workout for at least the duration of two songs?
posted by speakeasy at 1:18 AM on July 6, 2017

Google "30 day challenge". Examples: "30 day squat challenge", "30 days core challenge", "30 days arm challenge."
posted by tofu_crouton at 6:36 AM on July 6, 2017

Pull-ups. That's what I'm working towards. I've always had poor upper body strength, so my goal is 'one pull-up.' Yours may be any multiple of that.
posted by millipede at 6:46 AM on July 6, 2017