By Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants – San Antonio, TX
As the new year is upon us, many of us are now thinking about the resolutions we set last year and ways to improve our lives this year. If you are participating in physical therapy, you’ll want to think about setting specific goals. Through setting specific goals, you may find this to be a powerful way to improve your outcomes, enhance your overall recovery, and improve underlying health. Here’s how to best set realistic physical therapy goals which are not only achievable, but also sustainable.
Understanding the Importance of Goal Setting in Physical Therapy
When you choose to incorporate goal setting methods into your physical therapy routine, it will assist you in providing a clear roadmap of where you would like to go, and how you’re going to get there. Properly defined goals will help you stay motivated, maintain focus, and help you celebrate milestones along the way within your recovery journey. Goal-setting will also help your physical therapist customize your treatment plan to meet your specific needs, preferences, and anticipated achievements.
Start with a Self-Assessment
Prior to setting any new goals with your physical therapy program, you’ll first want to have a full evaluation of your current physical condition, including any limitations and any initial progress you’ve made so far since your injury or surgical procedure. Be sure to have a thorough discussion with your physical therapist to have their professional insight into what you can best achieve in the coming months or year. From here, you’ll be able to form a solid foundation for all of your goal-setting processes.
Setting SMART Goals
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Time-Bound. Here’s how you can best apply the SMART framework to your physical therapy goals and achieve better results over time.
- Specific: Try to be as specific as possible when setting your goals. Instead of saying “I really want to improve my mobility…”, say “I will walk 100 yards without assistance by [insert date].”
- Measurable: It’s always a good idea to ensure you can accurately measure your goal for performance analysis purposes. Deciding how you will best track your progress towards your goal will allow you to see the milestone achieved and you’ll know when you’re nearing the finish line.
- Achievable: Your goals should certainly be challenging enough, but you also do not want to set a goal so high that it’s unachievable. Factor in your current limitations and the typical progress timeline for the average person with your condition. From there, you’ll have a better idea of what’s achievable within the timeframe you’ve set forth.
- Relevant: Relevance is important, especially when it comes to ensuring you’re not only doing this for rehabilitation purposes, but also to prioritize your health and overall long-term wellness.
- Time-bound: Setting a hard deadline to complete your goal will help keep you motivated along the way. The deadline could be anywhere from a month to several months, or even next year; ultimately depending on the underlying complexity of your physical therapy goals. The important thing to remember is to set realistic timelines.
Incorporating Variety & Flexibility
While it’s certainly great to have specific goals, ensure that your routine includes a variety of different exercises to work different parts of your body, as everything is truly connected throughout your entire bodily framework. This physical therapy style of not only working on the affected area, but the entire body will help improve overall fitness and strength. It will also help in mixing things up to prevent boredom along the way. Additionally, try to be flexible in your approach. If a goal you’ve set before turns out to be too much, it’s okay to modify it. Life changes, and so do your goals. It’s okay to proactively adjust your goals along the way to achieve a successful outcome.
Regularly Review & Adjust Your Goals
Be sure to set regular check-ins with your physical therapist to fully review any progress being made. These check-in sessions can provide you and your physical therapist with an opportunity to see if there’s any room for improvement or if there should be an adjustment to your current goals based on your current abilities.
Celebrate Your Achievements
As each milestone is completed, it should be celebrated. Acknowledging your hard work when you reach a new milestone is so important, even if it’s a small reward. Through celebrating your achievements, you can boost your overall motivation and create a reward system to help you maintain a positive outlook as you progress.
Contact Neurosurgery & Spine Consultants to Start the Year Off On the Right Foot
When you set realistic goals for your physical therapy program as part of your New Year’s resolution, it may end up leading to significant improvements in your overall physical health. The key thing to remember is that successful goal setting is achieved with being specific, measuring your progress accordingly, and allowing yourself some flexibility along the way. Here’s to a healthier, stronger you in the New Year!
DISCLAIMER: No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.