The University of British Columbia
UBC - A Place of Mind
The University of British Columbia
UBC Human Resources
  • Home
    • About Human Resources
    • HR News
    • Message from the Vice President, Human Resources
  • Careers
    • Why UBC?
    • Faculty Careers
    • Staff Careers (Internal)
    • Staff Careers (External)
    • Hiring Solutions (Temporary Employment) Vancouver
    • Auxilary (Temporary Employment) Okanagan
  • Benefits & Salary
    • Benefits
    • Workplace Health
    • Living Well
    • Pensions
    • Faculty Compensation
    • Staff Salary Administration
    • Staff Salary Scales
  • Learning & Engagement
    • Advancing Leading & Learning
    • Coaching, Conversations & Networks
    • Workplace Team Solutions
  • Faculty & Staff Resources
    • New to UBC
    • Orientations
    • Housing & Relocation Services
    • Employee Groups (Unions & Associations)
    • Collective Agreements & Handbooks
    • Career Navigation / Tenure & Promotion
    • Awards & Recognition
    • Statutory Holidays
    • Winter Weather Conditions
    • Faculty & Staff Perks
    • Leaving UBC
    • Retiring
  • Hiring & Managing
    • Recruitment & Hiring
    • Orienting New Faculty & Staff
    • Managing Staff
    • Faculty Relations
    • Resignations & Retirements
    • HR Management System (HRMS)
    • HR Memos
    • HR Networks (UBC's HR Community of Practice)
  • Contact
    • Find Your HR Advisor/Associate
    • Find Your Faculty Relations Manager/Assistant Manager
    • Find Your Compensation Consultant (Staff)
    • UBC Directory – HR Staff Listings (Vancouver)
    • UBC Directory – HR Staff Listings (Okanagan)
  • Okanagan Campus

consistency

Personal Training Tips: SMART Goals for Fitness

Personal Training Tips: SMART Goals for Fitness

By Guest Contributor on October 29, 2014

Guest Contribution by Sasha Tymkiw

Exercise – when consistent – offers many benefits, among which is an increase in body satisfaction, further lending explanation to the sharp increase in gym memberships after the winter holidays. When enthusiasm starts to wane, however, it’s easy for our former sweaty sanctuary to become another stressor on our list of to-dos – and is often the first one we take off the list altogether.

Often people are surprised to find that almost all of those who have started and just as quickly stopped exercising have one thing in common: a failure to plan. Whether it is an unforgiving work schedule, injury, or a simple loss of interest, these variables can most always be pinpointed to lack of a plan after the initial “I’m going to start going to the gym”. For every skipped workout, however, there is a tool to help you really….no, really, stick to it this time.

When it comes to goal setting, the SMART model is a well established and useful method which for all of its function, is underused for personal fitness.  The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Oriented. This model is a great way to identify where you are and to plan out the steps necessary to get where you want to go. Templates for creating SMART goals are easily found on the internet.

Where this template proves most useful to exercise adherence is when the user also identifies what has happened in the past when they began missing workouts. Was it the pressures of a new relationship? Tax season? Exams and subsequent vending machine fuel? Because the SMART tool is meant to be revisited, users find a simple change (like increasing workout intensity in order to spend less time at the gym) can help reinvigorate their commitment to fitness.

When embarking on a fitness journey, it can also be wise to approach with a “slow and steady” mindset. Incorporating two workouts a week at first that you can stick to will not only allow your body to build a base level of endurance, but will allow for you to experience the self-esteem that comes from taking these (R for Realistic) first steps.

It can be helpful to think of our fitness like money being invested in stocks: we know we would first look at its past history, invest what we feel comfortable and then continuously monitor its performance. The multiple rewards experienced from exercising are why people jump into programs without much thought. We all deserve the long term security that fitness can offer our health, so let’s plan to “go for broke”, not bankruptcy.


Sasha TymkiwSasha Tymkiw is a certified Personal Trainer and has been involved in sports (competitive swimming, snowboarding, horseback riding) since childhood, making the natural progression to personal training in her early twenties. With a bachelor of psychology, numerous fitness certifications and years of experience, Sasha views pushing one’s body as an integral part of the human experience. Sasha works both independently as a trainer and teaches around Vancouver, becoming one of the first instructors who offered boot-camp style workouts in East Vancouver. Sasha is sponsored by Garden of Life Protein Powder and will be competing in her second figure competition in March 2015, promoting a long-term, balanced approach to the sport.

 

 

 

Posted in Guest Contributor, Nutrition, Physical Health, Spot Light | Tagged consistency, fitness, goal setting, personal training, planning, SMART goals, tips | Leave a response

Subscribe to the Healthy UBC Newsletter


Archives

Navigation



Upcoming Events

  • Nov. 5: Office Ergo Rep Training
  • Nov. 14: Boosting Your Positive Outlook
  • Nov. 20: Ergo Your Office: 1hr Tutorial
  • Nov. 20: Sit-Stand Desks & Platforms
  • Nov. 21: Mental Health First Aid Training
  • Nov. 25: The Working Mind: Workplace Mental Health Training for Faculty & Staff
  • Nov. 26: Getting a Restful Sleep
  • Dec. 3: Ergo Your Office: 1hr Tutorial
  • Dec. 3: Sit-Stand Desks & Platforms
  • Dec. 3: Relaxation Techniques to Help You Thrive
  • Dec. 11: Office Ergo Rep Training
  • Dec. 11: Understanding Your Travel Benefits
Human Resources
600 - 6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3
Tel 604 822 8111
Email hr.info@ubc.ca
Back to top
The University of British Columbia
  • Emergency Procedures |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Copyright |
  • Accessibility