By Derek Casinghino, Head Fitness Professional, Mount Auburn Club Hopefully you are sticking to your “I want to lose weight” New Year’s Resolution. If you aren’t, it probably means you haven’t set your goals properly. Setting goals can be the difference between sticking with a program and just giving up. When you set a goal it needs to come from you. Trainers can assist you in establishing goals and fine-tune them to be sure they are realistic. When you set a goal you should use the SMART principle.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

Specific....Refers to how much weight loss, or how many points you want to reduce your blood pressure by, etc...

Measurable….Establish criteria to track your progress. A great way to do this is through fitness testing (body composition, weigh-ins, strength and cardiovascular testing)

Achievable….Something attainable through effort.

Realistic....Be sure it is something you are willing and capable of doing

Time-Bound…..Set a certain period of time to achieve your goal. Set markers along the way to check in and see your progress

Once your goals are established, then a trainer can help you get started towards achieving your goals. Everyone has there own personal reasons for coming to the gym (medical, health or aesthetics). These are all valid reasons to begin an exercise program. Be sure to set a reasonable and challenging short (3-6months) and long-term (12 months) goal to push you in the right direction. These are the benchmarks that will drive you to meet all your expectations with your training. Set up a goal setting session with one of our qualified fitness professionals today. Let’s get you on your way to a safe and healthy 2010!