Fitness for Life – Signature Assignment

Part 1

I have a better understanding of how exercise, stretching, and weight lifting work
together for a complete fitness plan. I also realized that I had done a good job planning
my fitness program before beginning this class. I started with walking, and increased
the duration and speed gradually over a three month period. Tracking my progress
really kept me going. I felt like it was a box that I needed to check everyday and
enjoyed the success of completing my goals each week. I stared with a goal for weight
loss, and broke it up into 15 pound increments. I felt more success each time that I met
my smaller goal instead of planning a very large goal and not achieving for 6 months or
possibly not actually meeting the end goal.

I have also learned that I don’t need to keep up my hour of exercise every day in order
to stay fit. I worry that if I skip my exercise routine for a couple of days, that I will derail
my fitness plan. I am also working on staying active even if I can’t devote an hour per
day to my specific plan. I do try to run a little every day. My job is very sedentary and
running helps me reach my daily step goal on my Fitbit. I may only be able to run for 20
– 30 minutes, but it is still better than skipping exercise that day. I am also working to
break up the monotony of my daily plan, that I maintained through the winter. I am
adding hiking and bike riding to my weekend activities. I learned that I can maintain my
fitness level by continuing to exercise 3-4 days per week instead of the 7-day pace that I
was maintaining while trying to lose weight.

SMART goals can be applied to more than just a fitness plan. I was involved in training
program through my employer last month. Part of the training was to identify a
problem that we wanted to solve, and then to create goals to develop a plan, relevance,
time frame for completion, and a measurement to determine success. The SMART goal
process is designed to help you specify a goal and break down the steps to success. In
some ways SMART goals are similar to basic project planning and can be used in
financial planning, career planning, plus educational goals.
Part 2

Set your SMART goals for your Fitness Plan – Original Goal 1/20/19

 Exercise a minimum of 5 days per week.

 45 minutes of moderate to intense exercise per day.
 Weights and strengthening training for a minimum of 2 days per week

Adding Cardio 1/27/19

M: Measurable Jog/run for 35 minutes and elliptical for 20 minutes per

day, on weekdays.
Setting measurable goals will assist
you in monitoring your progress.

Adding Body Comp 2/3/19

M: Measurable Jog/run for 35 minutes and elliptical for 20 minutes per

day, on weekdays.
Setting measurable goals will assist
you in monitoring your progress. Lift weight and do abdominal crunches – 5 sets of 10
each.

Adding Strength Training 2/10/19

M: Measurable Jog/run for 35 minutes and elliptical for 20 minutes per

day, on weekdays.
Setting measurable goals will assist
you in monitoring your progress. Lift weight and do abdominal crunches – 5 sets of 10
each.

For strength I will start with 2 sets of 8, 2 times per week,

for arms and core.
Adding Flexibility 2/17/19

M: Measurable Jog/run for 35 minutes and elliptical for 20 minutes per

day, on weekdays.
Setting measurable goals will assist
you in monitoring your progress. Lift weight and do abdominal crunches – 5 sets of 10
each.

For strength I will start with 2 sets of 8, 2 times per week,

for arms and core.
Combine flexibility stretches with strength training for
legs and back, 2 days per week.

Adding Optimal Body Weight 3/17/19

M: Measurable Jog/run for 35 minutes and elliptical for 20 minutes per

Setting measurable goals will assist
you in monitoring your progress.
day, on weekdays.
Lift weight and do abdominal crunches – 5 sets of 10
each.
For strength I will start with 2 sets of 8, 2 times per week,
for arms and core.
Combine flexibility stretches with strength training for
legs and back, 2 days per week.
Burn 500 – 600 calories per day during exercise.

The culmination of planning and adjusting my measurable smart goals over many weeks
included cardio, body composition, strength training, flexibility, and optimal body
weight goals. Not all areas of improvement were focused on daily, but the outcome was
complete health improvement.

My main concerns were my weight and heart health. I was 8-month into my health
improvement journey when I started this class, and had lost 50 pounds. The main
reason for taking a health class was to fill in the gaps in my current health plan. It is
difficult to find the time to incorporate a full circle fitness plans because there are a lot
of steps, and not everyone will have the time for all of the detail.
We all make time sacrifices when we are in school, and it can be even more difficult to
find the time to exercise on a regular schedule. I struggled more to maintain my
exercise plan during the semester. I am healthier than I have been in the past 10 years,
but I am not yet where I want to be. I need to continue to balance my time between
my family, my health, and my education.