Which is a correct SMART goal example for a healthy lifestyle?

Which is a correct SMART goal example for a healthy lifestyle?

• A. Walk 150 minutes per week for 12 weeks.
• B. Walk more.
• C. Exercise daily for a month.
• D. Lose 20 pounds in a week.

Answer: (A)

Setting a goal that is clear and trackable helps turn intention into action. A healthy SMART goal should spell out exactly what you’ll do, how much, how often, and by when. Walking 150 minutes per week for 12 weeks does that. It specifies the activity (walking), the amount (150 minutes each week), the frequency (weekly), and the time frame (12 weeks). This makes progress easy to measure, keeps the target realistic, and supports forming a sustainable habit. The other options lack one or more SMART elements. “Walk more” is too vague to plan or track. “Exercise daily for a month” uses a timeframe and frequency but doesn’t specify how long each session should last or how intense it should be, making progress hard to quantify. “Lose 20 pounds in a week” is not realistic or healthy, failing the achievability and safety aspects of a SMART goal.

Setting a goal that is clear and trackable helps turn intention into action. A healthy SMART goal should spell out exactly what you’ll do, how much, how often, and by when.

Walking 150 minutes per week for 12 weeks does that. It specifies the activity (walking), the amount (150 minutes each week), the frequency (weekly), and the time frame (12 weeks). This makes progress easy to measure, keeps the target realistic, and supports forming a sustainable habit.

The other options lack one or more SMART elements. “Walk more” is too vague to plan or track. “Exercise daily for a month” uses a timeframe and frequency but doesn’t specify how long each session should last or how intense it should be, making progress hard to quantify. “Lose 20 pounds in a week” is not realistic or healthy, failing the achievability and safety aspects of a SMART goal.