The 5 SMART Pillar-Approach to Building an Exercise Routine that lasts forever

Have you found yourself falling off the wagon yet again? Did your “quarantine resolution” fall off? Do not worry. This happens to everybody. 50% of people who made up their mind to exercise on the New Year will eventually trip up within the first six months.

Knowing this, you might want to give up altogether. Do not make that mistake! Here is the 6 SMART Pillar-Approach to building an exercise routine. If you follow these principles, exercise will stop being a chore. Still, an activity you look forward to doing, just like going with your friends.

SMART stands for specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-bound. These are the simple pillars to building ANY new habit you need in life, not just sticking to an exercise routine.

Here is an example from one of my current goals:

By the end of this year, I want to be able to do 5 unassisted pull-ups from a bar.

S – specific

What exactly is your goal?

My goal is apparent and to the point. I do not want to do any kind of pull-up, just unassisted pull-ups. I would not be hanging myself from a tree branch or swing back and forth from gymnastic rings. Working with the end in mind is one way to think about this pillar.

M – measurable

How do you quantify the process?

This second pillar is the easiest to recognize and set up. I set a number to achieve, and you should, too! Overall, you should find a way to quantify your process and define how your goal would be achieved. The brain also finds it more comfortable to recognize the quantity and quality of the system.

A – action-oriented

What action do you need to take to achieve this goal?

This pillar concerns the steps you would have to take. This is where you draw up a plan of action to tackle your problems. For starters, I will start with dead hangs from my newly purchased pull-up station. Once I can hang for 10 seconds on the bar, I will begin adding scapular retraction while hanging. As I am getting better, I will slowly try to pull up more and more, putting my chest as close to the bar as possible. Eventually, my goal of doing a full unassisted pull-up will be a reality!

R – realistic

Are you actually able to do it?

The question is the hardest to answer out of six. You have to be honest with yourself when setting goals. In my case, I have to evaluate myself and my abilities to see if completing pull-ups is a possibility. Luckily, the answer is yes. I am a healthy young adult. I have no injury and pretty much nothing to be aware of when engaging in “riskier” activities. Therefore, doing pull-ups would not be off my list.

T – time-bound

How long does it take for you to achieve your goal?

This pillar is often the most neglected out of all the pillars of the approach. People set a goal for themselves. It satisfies all the other pillars mentioned above, but they never put a deadline. And you make a grave mistake right here, especially for new exercisers. Remember about the big projects you had while going to school? Your teachers put in those deadlines to motivate you to complete the work! You are an adult now. You have to set those deadlines yourself. Create a time urgency, so you are motivated.

Here is my 6 SMART Pillar-Approach to building an exercise routine

You can have only one or multiple goals at once. Be mindful and not inundate yourself with overwhelming amount resolutions. You may use this to personalize your fitness goals.

S – pull up from a bar

M – at least 5 repetitions

A – slowly build up the strength from dead hangs to pull-ups

R – my body can handle it

T – reach the goal by the end of the year

Now that you understand the 5 SMART Pillar-Approach to build an exercise routine, feel free to use it to achieve your goals this year.

Now that you know about SMART Goals and how to use them. How about putting them into good use? Download my free checklist below to try!