Set Small Goals to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

As platters of Christmas cookies and holiday roasts disappear, one of the most common resolutions in the New Year is to be healthier. Fitness professionals say goals to drink less, eat better and exercise more can be kept throughout the year if goals start small.

“Especially for New year’s resolutions, it’s important for people to focus on overall health instead of weight or size,” said Jeanine Giordano, a clinical dietician at Hudson Valley Hospital Center.

“Focus on one change at a time. A lot of diets throw a whole bunch of things at you at once.” Better goals are, “for example, I’ll take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, or I’ll have a salad three days a week.”

January is a huge month for new gym memberships, many capitalizing on zeal to create a better you. Chuck Cartelli is a membership consultant at New York Sports Club. He says that the Croton location will likely sign up 150 new members in December and January, and about half of those members stop coming after a month or so.

“A great way to stay motivated is to get support from a family or friend. By having the support of a family of friend they can monitor you and make sure you’re actually doing it,” said Giordano.

Even children can use some meditative time, according to Elisha Fernandes-Simpson owner of Laughing Hearts Yoga in Croton, one of the only certified children’s yoga instructors in Westchester County.

“For younger kids it’s great to have the yoga to help them focus,” she said. “Middle school and up it’s great for when they’re running and doing track, basketball. It helps in any sport you can think about because it makes them more limber and makes them less prone to injury.”

Many gyms and alternative health instructors offers deals during the month of January. For example, Curves in Pound Ridge, a women-only gym, offers a three month weight loss and gym instruction program for $299. Planet Fitness is a perpetually inexpensive gym, with memberships starting at $10.

Gym prices vary with services offered. Planet Fitness fits into every budget, but the gym doesn't offer babysitting or the class variety that more expensive gyms do. New York Sports Club in Croton offers babysitting, and Club Fit in Jefferson Valley offers a pool, café and kids gym.

Many yoga studios now also offer family and kids classes, and some towns are even offering yoga classes. Yoga classes are available through municipal recreation departments in Croton-on-Hudson, Cortlandt (pre-natal yoga) and Peekskill. Nearly all municipalities have fitness programs.

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