Spontaneity is freeing, and we could all use more unstructured time in our over-scheduled lives—just maybe not in the gym. When it comes to your health and fitness, if you really want to see results, you need a plan. And before you can even create a plan, you need to determine your goal(s).
Goal-setting is underrated, but it makes all the difference, says Shana Fisher Walsh, PhD, CPT, a health and wellness coach and educator. Short-term goals keep you focused and motivated when the chaos of everyday life threatens to drag you off track, while long-term goals act as a north star, guiding you from where you are to where you want to be.
But your goals need to be clear and detailed to be effective. Saying, “I want to be healthy,” or “I’m going to try to work out more regularly” won’t exactly cut it. If you want to make a meaningful change, you need to take those vague ideas and turn them into S.M.A.R.T. goals. Here’s what that means—and how to do it.
Meet the expert: Shana Fisher Walsh, PhD, CPT, is a personal trainer, health and wellness coach, and education and curriculum director of the American Fitness Professionals and Associates.
How To Set A S.M.A.R.T. Fitness Goal
The S.M.A.R.T. goal framework probably rings a bell for you. It’s been around since the 1980s and is easy to understand and apply, whether you’re outlining a business plan or working with a career coach. It’s also super helpful for setting—and crushing—a fitness-related goal. Each letter stands for a different requirement, and you can use the acronym to vet the integrity of any goal.
Specific
“A specific goal means it answers the question, ‘What will you actually be doing?’” Walsh says. When your goal is specific, you’re less likely to get sidetracked, lose momentum, or waste time on tasks that don’t align with your intentions.
“I’m going to get in shape,” is a general statement that only creates more questions like “What does ‘in shape’ mean?” and “What kind of exercise will you do?” But a goal like “I will strength train twice a week for thirty minutes” is much more clearly defined.
Measurable
A measurable goal is easy to quantify, and you know when you’ve achieved it. A goal “to play more tennis” could mean playing anywhere from five to fifty times more often than the year before, or it could mean playing for an hour versus thirty minutes per session. A goal to play tennis twice a week for an hour at a time is clearly measurable.
Action-Oriented
You may have seen “attainable” or “achievable” in other breakdowns of the S.M.A.R.T. framework, but Walsh prefers the term “action-oriented” because the other two options are synonymous with “realistic,” the next checkpoint.
“Action-oriented means there’s a next step in mind,” she says. “It’s outlined within the goal.” And, an action-oriented goal puts you in the driver’s seat. For example, “Lose five pounds in three months ” is specific but not action-oriented. However, if your goal is to exercise three times a week and bring your lunch to work every day, you know what to do next.
Realistic
There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious or even aggressive in your goal-setting, but you also need to make sure you have the ability, time, and resources to achieve your goal. Is it realistic for a parent with three kids under five and a full-time job to exercise for an hour six days a week? Maybe, but they will likely need reliable childcare, a flexible schedule, and easy access to a nearby gym. Can someone new to exercise train for a marathon in two months? It’s possible, but training for a 5K is more feasible for most beginners (and probably more enjoyable).
It’s important to be honest with yourself to set yourself up for success. Start with a goal that pushes you, but is still within reach and factors in all your life circumstances. Plus, when you accomplish your goal, you’ll be encouraged to set a loftier one, rather than feeling discouraged by falling short.
Time-Bound
Finally, your goals should have a clear timeline, including target dates and milestones. For example, “Starting today, I will run for 30 minutes three times a week for the next six weeks” is time-bound. “I’m going to start running more regularly” is not.
What’s the difference between short-term vs. long-term goals?
Most people start with a long-term goal or the seed of a long-term goal, which Walsh refers to as “the vision.”
“The big picture, the overarching vision, is something like ‘I want to feel comfortable in my own skin’ or ‘I want to be a physically healthier version of myself,’” she says. Using the vision as inspiration, Walsh works with clients to create a long-term S.M.A.R.T. goal. She purposefully steers people away from “outcome goals,” like “run a half marathon in under two hours,” as they’re impacted by unpredictable external factors (think: muddy race courses and crowded start lines). One thing you do have control over? “Behavioral goals” that focus solely on your actions. For example, “following a four-month half-marathon training program, starting today” sets you up for a successful race day, but the focus is on what you’ll do, not what happens.
The timeframe for reaching a long-term goal varies depending on the individual and the goal, but three to six months works for most people. It’s a manageable amount of time that still allows you to think big.
From there, Walsh encourages goal-setters to establish short-term goals, which serve as milestones between your starting point and your long-term goal. A short-term goal should be “the biggest first [or next] step you can take,” according to Walsh. It should feel like an accomplishment in and of itself, but its greater purpose is to get you close to your long-term goal.
Here are a few examples of long-term goals and their corresponding short-term goals.
Vision: To be more active, build endurance, and gain strength.
Long-term goal: In three months, I will exercise for 45 minutes a day, four days a week. Two days will be dedicated to cardio, and the other two will focus on strength training.
Short-term goals:
- Starting this week, I will do 30 minutes of cardio one day a week and 30 minutes of strength training one day a week.
- In one month, I will do 30 minutes of cardio twice a week and 30 minutes of strength training one day a week.
- In two months, I will do 30 minutes of cardio twice a week and 30 minutes of strength training twice a week.
Vision: To learn a new sport and expand my social circle.
Long-term goal: In four months, I will play pickleball twice a week for an hour.
Short-term goals:
- This week, I will sign up for an eight-week “intro to pickleball clinic” and attend every week.
- In two months, I will practice pickleball for an hour once a week and take one beginner-level class once a week.
- In three months, I will continue to take a beginner or intermediate-level class and join a pickleball league or find a practice partner.
Vision: To be more flexible and improve my range of motion.
Long-term goal: In three months, I will stretch for 10 minutes after every workout, do a one-hour yoga class once a week, and do one dedicated 25-minute mobility session once a week.
Short-term goals:
- Over the next two weeks, I will buy a foam roller and watch/follow along with five different mobility videos on YouTube.
- In three weeks, I will stretch for five minutes after every workout and do one 10-minute mobility session a week.
- In six weeks, I will extend my post-workout stretch to 10 minutes, keep the mobility session, and add a yoga class of any length.
- In eight weeks, I will continue to do what I’m doing, but extend the mobility session to 20 minutes.
Tips For Sticking With Your Fitness Goals
If you want to make lasting change, you need to be able to navigate obstacles and show up for yourself even when your motivation wanes. Here are some tips for following through on your fitness goals (even when you don’t want to).
1. Write it down.
Individuals who physically record their goals in any form are nearly 51 percent more likely to achieve them than those who don’t, according to a major study from 2007. So, make a note and put it somewhere you’ll see it. “A good place could be in your phone,” Walsh says, whether it’s in your notes app or an image on your lock screen.
She also suggests breaking down your short-term goals into smaller actionable steps, which you can use as a working to-do list. For example, if your short-term goal is to exercise one day a week, you may need to first buy new running shoes or research gyms in your area. Crossing those small tasks off your list will help you generate momentum.
2. Tell your friends.
People who are able to adhere to their exercise plans report having higher levels of social support than those who aren’t able to stick with them, according to a 2021 study in Frontiers in Psychology. Whether it’s an S.O. encouraging you to get after your early sweat sesh or having a friend to meet up with for hot yoga, involving loved ones who are willing to offer encouragement, plan activities around your workouts, or exercise with you can help you stay motivated. Sharing your goals with friends and family members also adds a layer of accountability, in case you needed it.
3. Use intentional language.
“Words matter,” Walsh says. “They completely impact the way we view something, so I would use definitive language when setting goals, specifically choosing ‘I will’ over ‘Hopefully, I will be’ or ‘I want to.’”
For example, “I will strength train twice a week” sounds indisputable—to others but, most importantly, to yourself. However, a statement like “I want to strength train twice a week,” entertains the possibility that it might not happen.
4. Do something you enjoy.
A workout doesn’t have to make you miserable to be effective. “When I think of exercise types, I think of a kid in a candy shop,” Walsh says. “There are so many options—you will find something you like.”
Experiment with different modalities, environments, class types, equipment, and times of day to come up with a formula that feels fun. While you may dread an outdoor solo run before work, you may look forward to an indoor group fitness class in the evening. If you enjoy your workouts, you’ll be more likely to do them. (Maybe even a whole 77 percent more likely to do them, according to a 2024 study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.)
5. Stay flexible and have a backup plan.
Commit to a plan to achieve your goals, but don’t be so rigid that you can’t pivot when life throws you a curveball. “Kids will get sick. You will have other responsibilities. There will be bad weather,” Walsh says. But if you stay flexible and always have a backup plan, she says, unexpected complications won’t completely derail you. For example, queue up a few on-demand workout videos for days when you can’t get to the gym, or keep a pair of sneakers at work so you can sneak in a lunchtime walk whenever you miss your morning sweat session.
And remember that something is always better than nothing. There’s evidence that short bouts of exercise sprinkled throughout the day (aka “movement snacks”) can have a meaningful impact on your health and longevity, per a 2022 study in Nature Medicine.
6. Celebrate your wins.
Achieving a goal is the ultimate pay-off, but immediate rewards (a.k.a. embracing the small wins) are associated with higher levels of persistence in pursuing long-term goals, according to a 2017 study in Personality and Social Psychology. So, look for ways to celebrate wins and recognize milestones. Of course, you can treat yourself to new workout gear or spa treatments, but meaningful rewards can be as simple as a bath or extra-long shower, your favorite protein smoothie, or an impromptu nap.
How To Progress Your Goals
Once you’ve achieved your goal, you may wonder, “Now what?”
“Maintenance can be enough of a goal, but once you’ve had success in one area of life, it can serve as a foundation to incorporate other changes,” Walsh says. So feel free to shift gears and create an entirely new goal. Or, you can also build upon your goal by modifying one of the FITTE training variables: frequency, intensity, time, type, and enjoyment.
For example, you may want to amp up the intensity of your workouts by lifting heavier during your strength sessions or incorporating more speed intervals when cycling. You can adjust the frequency of your training by adding another workout. (Or, you could drop a workout to make more time for recovery, if your goal is to prioritize rest.) And if you’re feeling bored or just not enjoying yourself (remember: you’re more likely to stick with an activity you like), you can always switch things up or challenge yourself with an entirely new form of exercise.
Olivia Luppino is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests. She’s currently training for her first half marathon, inspired by her many colleagues at WH who have run one.
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