When it comes to fitness, setting a goal is easy but keeping a goal is another thing entirely. As the best intended New Year’s resolutions start going by the wayside, Personal Training Institute is offering a SMARTer way to reach those goals.

Many management consultants use an acronym “ S.M.A.R.T. “ to help their clients engage in effective goal setting and it’s no different in fitness, according to Carol Kur, MSRD, co-founder and vice president of Personal Training Institute. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Sensitive.

Kur offers the following advice on creating S.M.A.R.T. goals:

  1. Be Specific “ Don™t say you want to lose weight or get in better shape. Pick a target.
  2. Measure “ You must be able to track your progress. Pick a goal of the number of times you are going to the gym this week or weigh yourself and pick a target weight loss.
  3. Achievable “ One of the biggest pitfalls is creating long term or large goals like losing 25 pounds or running a marathon. Set short term goals that you can reach. This will allow you to feel good about reaching them and keep moving on to the next one.
  4. Realistic “ Don’t expect yourself to make major lifestyle changes to achieve your goals. Saying, “I am going to the gym six days a week,” is not realistic for someone who hasn’t been to a fitness facility in years or has a busy family life.
  5. Time Sensitive “ Attach a goal to a short term time frame. “Over the next two weeks, I will (insert goal here).”

Personal Training Institute is so confident in their methodology that they have introduced a truly unique “guarantee”. Any member that does not achieve the fitness goals they created along with their personal trainer within six months will receive six months free with the fitness center.

For more information on Personal Training Institute, please visit www.personaltraininginstitute.com, or contact Carol Kur at (516) 342-9064 ext. 16.