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So, you’ve decided to start exercising, perhaps for the first time or for the first time in a long time. Fantastic! But are you struggling to keep motivated? Are you not seeing the results you expected?
Setting realistic and achievable fitness goals is the best way to help you stay on track and allow for exercise with purpose, direction and intention.
For people with neurological conditions and disabilities, goals provide:
- A clear direction and purpose for therapy
- More client-centred, personalised care
- Increased motivation and engagement in sessions
- Improves confidence, self-efficacy and autonomy
- Supports funding justification and reporting
- Better collaboration between you and your clinician
Having structured goals means it will also be easier for you and your clinician to measure your progress over time.
Understanding SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timeframe) goals:
A good place to start is with the SMART goal framework. This tried and tested method helps to improve clarity (on what you want to achieve), accountability (for keeping you motivated), and outcomes.
S = Specific – clearly define the task or outcome you want to achieve.
For example, “improve walking” is broad, but “walk from the lounge room to the kitchen” is specific.
M = Measurable – this is something that can be objectively tracked, measured and assessed to allow you to check progress. You may specify how you want to measure your specific goal in distance, time, repetitions and/or assistance level required (such as a walking stick over a frame).
For example, “walk from the lounge room to the kitchen and back, twice per day”.
A = Achievable – this is where you make the goal realistic for your current presentation and support level. The goal has to be achievable for you.
For example, “walk from the lounge room to the kitchen and back, twice per day with my walking frame”.
R = Relevant – your goal has to be meaningful and relevant to your life. For example, you may want to set this goal so you can get back to gardening, return to community sport, look after yourself independently or play with children/grandchildren.
For example, “walk from the lounge room to the kitchen and back, twice per day with my walking frame so I can walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding”.
T = Timeframe – this is where you specify when you want to achieve this goal by.
For example, “walk from the lounge room to the kitchen and back, twice per day with my walking frame so I can walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding in October”.
Now you understand SMART goals a little better, lets dive into long-term vs short-term fitness goals!
Long-Term vs Short-Term Fitness Goals:
Long-term goals focus on the bigger picture and are more specific to participation and independence. Long-term goals vary between each person, depending on your specific circumstances and presentation.
Some examples of long-term goals can include anything from “improving endurance to complete a full school day”, “return to modified work duties” or “transferring independently from wheelchair to car”.
Your short-term goals are the stepping stones to help you achieve your long-term goals. Short-term goals break the larger goals into achievable components and build momentum to allow for measure progress.
Short-term goals are also a great motivation tool, helping you continue to strive toward your long-term goal, which might seem harder to meet at the start.
Here’s an example of how long-term and short-term fitness goals work together:
Long-Term Goal =
- Walk independently at the shopping centre
Short-Term Goals =
- Improve sit-to-stand strength (10 reps unassisted each week)
- Increase walking tolerance to 100m with frame
- Improve single-leg balance to 10 seconds
- Reduce reliance on upper limb support
It’s also worth noting that short-term goals have many secondary benefits as well. Fore example “improving sit to stand strength” will help a long-term goal of “walking to the shop independently”, but this will also help to manage knee pain and improve overall function.
How to set Long-Term and Short-Term Fitness Goals:
When setting long-term goals, ask yourself:
What is functionally required?
What is currently limiting performance?
What supports are required or could be useful?
By analysing the demands and your needs, you can work alongside your clinician to design targeted goals rather than generalised ones. Once a larger goal is broken down and the limitations are acknowledged, it’s much easier to identify areas of focus!
Setting fitness goals doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, especially when you break it down into meaningful, achievable steps.
By using the SMART goals framework and understanding how short-term and long-term exercise goals work together, you give yourself a clear roadmap toward greater independence, confidence and functional improvement.
Remember, fitness goals are not one size fits all! When you tailor each goal to your unique needs, you set yourself up for success both now and in the future.
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