Developing a Successful Fitness Program

We all know the recommendations: exercise most days of the week. To take it a step further, experts recommend doing cardio training 3-4 times a week for 30-45 minutes and strength training 2-3 times per week for 30-45 minutes.  But that’s really not going to help you put these guidelines into place.  A bit more prep work is needed.

In order to set up a program, you must first do an assessment.  You wouldn’t institute a program in the community or at work without first assessing the needs of the organization and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for your program to be successful.  So, let’s start by asking and answering the following questions:

1. What are your goals?
2. Are these goals realistic?
3. How will you measure your progress?
4. What is your support system?
5. What are your time constraints?
6. What have you done in the past - what worked, what didn’t?
7. What do you like to do?
8. How will you be accountable?
9. How will you reward yourself? 

Be honest.  Write down everything that comes to you.  Your personal fitness is important and deserving of your attention and time.  

I’ll give you an example.  

Mary is a 55 y.o. woman who recently found out that her cholesterol was elevated.  Her doctor recommended that she lose weight and exercise.  Mary works 4 days a week and has one teenager at home and another child in college.  She is usually too tired to exercise

Now, let’s work through the questions:

1. Goal: Lower cholesterol by 20 points
2. Realistic: Probably
3. Measurement: Repeat blood work in 6 months
4. Support: not much, husband is also overweight.  a few coworkers are supportive
5. Time: Works 35 hours/per week.  Not able to workout during the day. weekends are open
6. Past: Weight Watchers 
7. Likes: classes, walking
8. Accountable to physician and SELF (this is very important)
9. Reward: new shoes

We learn from this assessment that Mary needs to develop a larger support network, that she will need to be creative about how to get her exercise scheduled and that she probably needs to broaden her exercise options.  And of course, I would recommend that she have a personal trainer. :)

Now, this is just an example but it gives you a basic idea of the process.  I would recommend that Mary consider adding the following goals: lose weight, decrease body fat, increase energy, exercise regularly.  The reason: it’s important to have multiple ways to measure your progress so that if one goal hits an impasse, you won’t give up!

Of course, as you achieve your goals, you will change and will need to reassess yourself.  

Next step, implementation.  More on that in another post.


Be well