Tips for achieving your goals: Advice from our cardiac rehabilitation professionals

Let's face it. Setting and sticking to our health goals can be hard. We turned to our specialists in cardiac rehabilitation for their best advice. After all, their patients – many who may have had or narrowly averted a heart attack – may be more motivated than most of us.
 
Here’s what we learned:

Take a SMART approach

Whether you’re in cardiac rehab, or trying to avoid ever needing to be, here are tips to help you set goals and achieve your better self. You can gain energy, feel stronger and stay motivated for your whole life.
 
Start with goals that are specific, measurable, accountable, realistic and timely – or SMART.
 
Set specific goals based on what's important to you. If you want to play a full round of golf, start with a 10-minute walk and push yourself to add distance, time or speed. Before long, you'll be on the 18th hole.
 
Measure your progress as you set new goals. You probably can't ride a bike 100 miles right away. Instead, try a 10-minute ride twice a week. Add time and distance to your routine as you gain energy. Eventually, you'll be up to 150-180 minutes of exercise most days a week. That's the recommended level of activity for a healthy heart.
 
Be accountable to yourself or use the buddy system. Apps on your phone or a calendar on the refrigerator can help you track your progress. A check-up with your doctor can assess your progress, identify areas to target and keep you on the path to better health.
 
Choose realistic goals that you can actually reach. Goals that take you from couch potato to slimmed-down powerhouse in a few weeks set you up for failure. Know your body and what you can do. Small changes, like one less sugary drink a day or a piece of fruit instead of dessert, can get you to your weight goal in less time than you may think.
 
Build in a timeframe to meet your goal. Let's say you want to change eating habits this year. Make Mondays meatless for a month. Or pack a lunch two times a week instead of going out to eat. Simple changes can make a big difference in how you feel – and how you live.
 
Above all, smart goals can give you a powerful incentive to shape the life you want to live. And success breeds success. Meeting one goal gives you the confidence and satisfaction to set and achieve another.

Talk with your doctor

We'd rather see you healthy than in a cardiac rehab program. Ask your doctor if a heart screening is right for you.

These tips to get your heart in shape come from Carlos Albor, Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Coordinator of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at Goshen Heart & Vascular Center.