WELCOME TO THE SMALL STEP WEBSITE: TAKE A SMALL STEP TO GET HEALTHY text only small steps home en español contact us
step 1: get the facts step 2: eat better step 3: get active step 4: learn more




Step 3: Get Active
Goals
Resources
Choices
Take Small Steps Today!





Step 3: Get Active: Goals
Try to work activity into your daily life by setting realistic goals. Activity doesn't have to take up a lot of time in your day -- in fact, many people find that they can significantly increase their activity just by taking a few small steps.

It's essential to be realistic about what you can do -- either because you're busy, or because you simply haven't been active in quite a while. Some examples of realistic goals:
  • Add 15 minutes of activity to your daily routine-whether it's walking, playing with the kids, swimming, or another activity that you enjoy.
  • When given the choice between walking or driving, choose walking -- going up the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking further away from the store. Or walk the kids home from school or activities.
  • Each weekend day, spend an hour doing something physically active -- gardening, hiking, playing a sport, taking a fitness class.
Write down your goal and give yourself a timeframe -- say, one month -- to accomplish that goal. The timeframe is very important -- without it, you may lose momentum, and you won't know whether you've been successful.

At the end of the time period, ask yourself:
  • Was I successful in accomplishing my goal?
  • If not, what got in the way? And how can I overcome those obstacles? Perhaps I need a more realistic goal.
  • If I was successful in accomplishing my goal, how can I build on that success and set a new, slightly higher goal?
By setting goals, meeting them, and then setting slightly higher goals, you will eventually exceed your own expectations about what you can do.






Sign Up
for the Small Steps newsletters, get tips, recipes and more.
email
Any information that you enter will be used only for delivering the smallstep.gov newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy statement for full disclosure.



email a POSTCARD



HHS Home | Questions? | Contact Us | Site Map | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act | Disclaimers

The White House | USA.gov

more