Long-term fitness goals are generally the goals you would like to achieve within 6-12 months. They could be aesthetic goals, performance-based goals (for example, strength or flexibility-related), or a combination. Ultimately, they are the outcomes you want to be able to see, feel, or do as a result of following a workout plan and program.
When you know how to set your long-term fitness goals effectively, you’ve taken the first step on your road map toward achieving them. Essentially, your goals are the foundation you will build from for an effective plan ahead. In simple terms, they’re a crucial part of getting the results you want.
In this post, we’re going to take the SMART approach to fitness goal setting and make it even SMARTER. The simple and practical examples will give you the knowledge you need to create your own personalized long-term fitness goals and get excited about achieving them!
How to set and Achieve Long-Term Fitness Goals
Do you want to achieve long-term fitness goals that you can maintain and sustain? Of course you do! Maintaining and sustaining your long-term health goals is the ‘secret sauce’ of holistic health and wellness.
Read on to find out why you need to be SMARTER when it comes to achieving your long-term exercise goals.
The SMART acronym is widely known in the context of goal setting. This is why I recommend that all your goals, not just your long-term goals for working out, be created with at least SMART principles in mind.
But for this blog’s purpose, I will stick to examples of long-term fitness goals. And explain why SMARTER long-term workout goals are better than SMART goals.
Do any of the following apply to you on the following long-term fitness goals list?
- Maybe you want to lose weight or achieve your goal body?
- Do you have a long-term cardiovascular goal, such as climbing a mountain or going to a biking or running event?
- Are your fitness and wellness goals based on general well-being factors, such as better energy levels and a strengthened immune system?
- Perhaps your exercise goals are simply to improve your exercise adherence or your overall strength and fitness.
Long-term and short-term goals for a healthy lifestyle will vary from person to person. Start by thinking about what is important to you and why.
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How well have you done at setting goals in the past?
Perhaps you’ve tried setting smart fitness goals in the past, but they’ve always felt a bit ‘wishy-washy’ or too vague.
Or maybe they’ve been too far-fetched? Meaning your subconscious mind doesn’t believe you can really achieve the results you desire. So you never take any actions to achieve your short-term and long-term fitness goals. (Or any other goals for that matter!). Meaning you continue to be frustrated and unhappy about your list of long-term health goals.
The trick to setting fitness goals is to get clear on the desired results you want to achieve.
But maybe you’re thinking, “I have no idea what my long-term fitness goals should be,” or “How do you set goals in life when you have no idea where to even start?”.
If, at this point, you have no idea of what your health and fitness goal should be, take the FREE 12-question quiz to discover which area of your life you should focus on. Plus, receive goal suggestions just for you with your results.
Otherwise, read on to get smarter about your goals.
Time to get SMARTER with your long-term goals for fitness
Learning to apply the SMARTER goal-setting principle will help you gain clarity about what you want to achieve. It will also help you both achieve your desired results AND sustain them!
So here is the definition of what it takes to set SMARTER goals, followed by some long-term SMART goals examples (fitness-specific).
Remember, you can use the FREE download to create or modify your own.
How to use the SMART principle to set long-term goals for fitness
The following points outline the classic SMART principle to set your long-term physical and health goals.
- S—Specific. Goals need to be clear.
- M—Measurable. You need to know exactly what will determine whether the long-term goal for fitness and health has been reached.
- A—Achievable. Take a look at what’s going on in your life. What sacrifices must be made, and what support will you need? Is the long-term smart goal realistic?
- R—Relevant. Make sure it interests you (rather than something someone else wants you to do) and aligns with where you want to go.
- T—Timebound. Put a time frame on your smart goal for fitness and work back from there to figure out what will need to happen in between.
From SMART goals to SMARTER goals
Moving from SMART goal setting to SMARTER goal setting is quite simple. All we need to do is make your goals EXCITING and REWARDING. So, in addition to the above SMART goal-setting points, add the following:
- E – Exciting/Enjoyable. Why do you want this fitness SMART goal? Are your reasons motivating enough to make you take action?
- R – Rewarding! How will you celebrate achieving your long-term SMART goals? Are the rewards enjoyable enough for you to stick to the actions you need to take to achieve the goal?
I like this adapted model for setting long-term goals for health. If your goal both excites and rewards you, you’ll be much more motivated to achieve it.
This will make you far more likely to take the necessary actions to help you achieve your long-term fitness goals.
(Remember the SMARTER goal-setting principle can be used for any short, medium, and long-term fitness goals AND in other areas of your life such as career, finances, or relationship).
Are you ready to slay your fitness goals?
Are you ready to follow through on your health and fitness goals? Achieving your goals is only 20% setting them, but 80% slaying. What are the barriers to implementing your fitness program or fitness plan? You need to understand the challenges of trying to achieve personal fitness goals.
The free Slay Your Goals 10-step guide can help you take the next steps towards achieving your goals. Here’s your FREE Printable 10-Step Guide to Slaying Your Goals.
Examples of long-term SMART fitness goals | Long-term goal examples
What is an example of a long-term fitness goal? What are the most common fitness goals? What are some examples of long-term health and fitness goals? Let’s take a few vague long-term goals examples and turn them into SMARTER goals.
“I want to lose weight”
This is an okay start for a long-term fitness goal example. However, it could contain a lot more information to give it more clarity and substance. You need to turn it into your own personal fitness smart goal.
Examples like “I want to lose weight” could possibly be shared by a million other people. Let’s take it a step further and make it more specific by explaining where on your body you most want to lose weight.
“I want to lose weight from my stomach and buttocks”
Good. With clarity like this, it’s going to be easier to work towards your smart fitness goals. Let’s take the next step by also making it easily measurable. How can you measure that you’ve lost weight from your stomach and buttocks?
“I want to lose weight from my stomach and buttocks so I can comfortably fit back into my old size 10 jeans”
Are your goals achievable?
Great work! Congratulations on getting this far. Now, let’s make sure that ALL your long-term health and fitness goals feel achievable.
This means you must consider whether the disconnect between what you want and where you are now is too big.
Let me explain this a little further. In the context of long-term health goals examples like the one above, how long has it been since you’ve fitted those jeans? If you’ve never fitted them, maybe your smart goal examples for health are not realistic or achievable.
If you’ve gradually gained weight over the past year or so, then I suspect your long-term fitness goal is probably realistic. However, if you haven’t been able to fit your jeans for 20 years, your goal may or may not be achievable safely.
Only you can sensibly determine if your long-term fitness goals are achievable. Once you decide they are, you’ll set a realistic time frame to achieve them.
Maybe you’ve set some great goals, and you’re wondering, “How do I reach my fitness goals?” If you want to stop setting goals and start slaying them, sign up for the FREE goals-slayer masterclass. You’ll learn the six steps to slaying your goals that no one tells you!
How important are your health and fitness goals?
Before we look at time frames for your long-term fitness goal examples, let’s check the relevance of your fitness smart goals examples. Start by checking that your long-term fitness goals are things you really want to achieve. YOU must have a strong desire to reach them and not be doing so because you think it’s something that SOMEONE ELSE wants for you.
Again, you don’t necessarily need to rewrite your long-term fitness goals at this point; just make sure that they are really important to you. If you want to look into this on a deeper level, check out my blog post about ‘knowing your why’.
By the way, if you prefer video, check out the live video below. Here, I outline the concepts of setting long, short, and medium-term fitness goals using the SMARTER principle. I also share some lesser-known goal-setting principles to make sure you’ve got this goal-setting process nailed!
Now make your long-term fitness goals examples TIME BOUND
Let’s return to where we left off with this particular smart goals fitness example. Here it is:
“I want to lose weight from my stomach and buttocks so I can comfortably fit back into my old size 10 jeans”
Now, we need to make it timebound. Long-term fitness goals can vary from six months to one year or even five years or more! Your personal long-term goal definition in terms of when you will achieve your goal should be based on where you are now. If it took you one year to gain the weight so that you didn’t fit your jeans properly, then this is probably a safe time frame to lose that same amount of weight again.
Yes, I’m sure you can lose it faster than that, but sustainable (long-term) weight loss is best achieved slowly and surely. You can read more about this in my blog post, “Sustainable fat loss: a reality check.”
At this stage, your health smart goals examples could read something like this:
“Over the course of one year I want to lose weight from my stomach and buttocks so I can comfortably fit back into my old size 10 jeans”
Make your SMART fitness goals SMARTER
You might not want to change your example of a smart goal for fitness any further. But to make sure that it passes the SMARTER test, remember to add the magic of the ‘E’ and the ‘R.’
Do your goals EXCITE you, and will you ENJOY working towards them? How will you REWARD yourself for achieving them?
Do you have weight loss goals? Examples like the one above could be made SMARTER by adding a little extra on:
“Over the course of one year I want to lose weight from my stomach and buttocks so I can comfortably fit back into my size 10 jeans and feel amazing. I will celebrate with a spa day each month that I maintain my results.”
Now, this is an example of a SMARTER goal! It sounds more exciting because the person has specified how they will FEEL when they achieve their long-term fitness goal. They’ve also set themselves a reward for achieving it.
If you’re starting to understand this health and fitness goal-setting process, make sure you grab my FREE goal-setting template. Get those ideas down on paper while they’re fresh!
This is the first step towards showing commitment to your long-term goals. The worksheet will also introduce you to the next important phase of preparation for achieving your goal.
Other SMART goal fitness examples
In case you can’t relate to this long-term fitness goal because you don’t need or want to lose weight, let’s look at a couple of additional sample SMARTER goals for health and fitness. First, I’ll write a vague long-term fitness goal, and underneath, I’ll write the SMARTER version.
Vague effort for a cardiovascular long-term goal: “I want to run.” SMARTER effort:
By the end of this year I will have completed my first 5 km fun run and be consistent with great fitness nutrition. I will feel so proud to be able to show my children that consistency and dedication pay off. The increased energy I will have will allow me to spend more quality time with my family, which is the best reward ever”
Vague effort for a strength-focused long-term goal: “I’d like to be stronger”. SMARTER effort:
By my 45th birthday I will be much stronger because I will be able to do five full push ups on my toes whilst maintaining good technique. This is exciting because I’ll find so many other activities easier as well. Overall I know I’ll simply feel more healthy and will be happy because I’m truly leading an active lifestyle. I will reward myself with a new outfit to show off my toned arms”
Now that we’ve reviewed a few smart goals examples (fitness-specific), it’s time to put those long-term fitness goals into action!
A summary of frequently asked questions about long term fitness goals
The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about setting health and fitness goals, along with answers to help guide your journey.
What are Long-term fitness goals?
Long-term fitness goals definition:
A long-term fitness goal is an outcome (e.g., aesthetic, performance-based, healthy-based, or a combination) you want to achieve from your exercise plan and program. The time frame is usually 6-12 months from where you’re at now.
What are the benefits of setting fitness goals?
Setting fitness goals is one of the most effective ways to stay on track with your health journey. By defining clear objectives, you create a roadmap to guide your efforts. Here are some key benefits of setting fitness goals:
- Increased motivation: Having clear, achievable fitness goals provides a sense of direction and purpose, helping you stay motivated and committed.
- Trackable progress: Goals give you measurable milestones to monitor your progress, making it easier to see improvements over time.
- Improved focus: With specific goals in mind, you can concentrate on what matters most, whether building strength, endurance, or flexibility.
- Better accountability: Setting goals holds you accountable, whether to yourself or a workout partner, keeping you on track.
- Boosted confidence: As you achieve your goals, your confidence grows, reinforcing a positive mindset toward fitness.
What are some Fitness goals examples?
Examples of fitness goals include:
Six months from now, I will be able to do 10 chin-ups and 30 full push-ups with good technique (long-term strength goal)
When I go for my next annual check-up at the doctor, I will see at least a 10% improvement in my cholesterol levels and blood pressure (health goal)
During the summertime next year, I will complete my first half-marathon (cardiovascular long-term goal)
What are some Medium-term fitness goals examples?
In three months, I will lose 5kg and be able to fit back into my summer dresses (medium-term aesthetic goal).
Three months from now I will have increased my average running speed from 9km/hr to 10km/hr (medium-term cardiovascular goal).
As a result of consistently following my exercise program for the next three months, I will be able to do 10 full push-ups and jog for 30 minutes without stopping (medium-term strength goal).
What is a long-term goal for muscular strength?
A long-term goal for muscular strength usually refers to a load you want to be able to lift for a particular exercise. To be focused on muscular strength rather than muscular endurance, the goal is likely to focus on a lifting goal in the lower rep ranges (e.g., under six repetitions).
A long-term goal for muscular strength could be something like:
In one year, I will be able to do a full-range 1 REP max bent-leg deadlift with 100kg using great technique.
What is the difference between long-term and short-term fitness goals?
BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) could also be called mega long-term fitness goals. They have a time frame of one year or more, and they could even be 5 to 20-year goals!
As you already know, long-term fitness goals are usually those you aim to achieve within 6-12 months.
Medium-term goals have a three to six-month time frame. They should relate to your long-term goals. Essentially, they are stepping stones toward your long-term goals.
Short-term goals are those you wish to achieve in four weeks. Again, they should relate to and take you toward your medium and long-term goals.
Daily and weekly targets help you work towards your short-term goals.
Can you provide a sample list of fitness goals?
Fitness goals are personalized and can be long-term, medium-term, or short-term. You may even have some BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals) that extend beyond the 1-year time frame! They could be aesthetic, performance, health-based, or a combination.
Here is a list of some different types of fitness goals:
In one year, I will be able to do a full-range 1 REP max bent-leg deadlift with 100kg using excellent technique (long-term, performance-based fitness goal).
In three months I will lose 5kg and be able to fit back into my summer dresses (medium-term aesthetic-based fitness goal).
Four weeks from now, I will have increased my overall energy levels because I will not feel exhausted at 3 p.m. every day or when I wake up in the mornings (short-term health-based fitness goal).
The next step towards achieving your long term fitness goals
Once you’ve written your long-term fitness goals in a SMART format, break them down into medium-term goals (about three months) and then into four-week goals. From there, you can create daily and weekly targets to keep you moving in the right direction.
Do you feel a bit lost about how to actually achieve your long term fitness goals, or are you still trying to figure out what you really want to achieve? Maybe you’re even wondering “How do I plan long term goals without getting derailed?”.
Watch the video below to discover the next steps you can take after setting your health and fitness goals.
Staying on track and achieving your fitness goals
If you’ve set your long-term fitness goals and are ready to take a deeper dive into achieving them, check out the two full-length seminars below.
The first offers strategies to help you get back on track when you fall off the goal-getting wagon, and the second shares motivational tips for goal-getting success.
For further related articles, check out my goal-setting and motivation blog category.
The next post you might want to check out covers worry and self-doubt, personal accountability, inspired action, and more!
For New Year health and fitness goal-setting tips, check out these ideas to get your New Year off to the best start.
Grab your comprehensive goal planner via the image below, or check out my review here.
P.S. What are some fitness goals you would like to achieve? Do you have any specific long term goals? Write your personal fitness goals examples in the box below – I’d love to read them!
P.P.S. Click on the image below to check out one of my favorite workout apps for working towards your long term fitness goals.
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