Eat less junk food. Read more books. It comes up every year -- a list of New Year's resolutions.
Some people have short lists, while the self-depreciating have long ones. No matter the number of resolutions, a common denominator usually stands out: People vow to lose weight and get fit.
Eighty-two-year-old Danny Schwartz of Summerlin, a home builder, is a living example that it's not too late to get fit. Like many people contemplating a physical New Year's resolution, Schwartz spent much of his adult life carrying around those stubborn pounds. Throughout his life he was active to some degree and played tennis as well as golf, but it wasn't enough.
"I was always trying to lose weight," he said.
He wanted to lose 30 pounds and tried whatever was the latest fad in dieting. In the early 1990s he began going to a gym and worked out with a personal trainer. Having a trainer, he said, served to keep him motivated. He said once he scheduled an appointment, it became automatic to keep it.
"I always loved sports," he said. "But going to work out in a gym, there was no challenge to it. I found it very boring."
Between back surgery and a hip replacement, Schwartz's workouts got sidetracked. In 2000, after building a gym in his home, he hired a trainer to come to him with a personalized fitness regime.
"She works me pretty hard," he said. "With my hip replacement, she has me doing exercises that don't put a strain on it."
Now Schwartz works out three times a week for an hour with his trainer. He also spends another day on his own in his gym. Ten of the stubborn pounds were shed. Now he's focusing on the final 20.
Lynn Anastasia, who has been a fitness trainer for 20 years and works with Schwartz operates her business, Fitness on Call, which offers in-home services to those seeking to get serious. Anastasia was motivated to have a fitness career after battling her own weight problems as a teen.
About half of her clients are age 55 or older. She advises them to check with their doctor before starting an exercise program.
When she takes on a new client, Anastasia begins with a fitness evaluation that covers myriad topics. Do they have a chronic disease? A bad back? Do they take medications that affect their heart rate and blood pressure? Have they had a recent surgery?
Exercising and eating right, Anastasia said, can affect people so positively they're able to reduce their doses or even get off their medications all together.
"I always stress balancing exercises," she said. "When you're dealing with people 55 and older they often have balance problems."
To determine that, Anastasia assess her clients' ability with a floor exercise that requires raising one leg and the opposite arm. The exercise is repeated with their eyes closed. Another balance gauge is having the client walk a straight line toe-to-heel.
"It's like the DUI test the police give you," Anastasia said.
Once she knows if the person has balance problems, she begins each program with simple exercises for toning and stretching. As the client's needs change, the amount of weight they use is increased or new exercises are added.
"People who regularly exercise are leaner, have more energy, they look younger and have good muscle tone. I have 50-year-olds who look better than some people in their 20s," Anastasia said.
For most people, the toughest aspect of an exercise routine is the time involved. But that's usually a plus for those 55 and older -- an age group that is retired or working only a few days a week. They also are more aware of how their health affects their daily lives as opposed to someone who, at 25, thinks they're invincible, Anastasia said.
Generally, it takes two or three weeks for a person to notice benefits from exercising, which usually include sleeping better, feeling stronger and having more energy.
"I always encourage people to exercise. It's never too late to start," Anastasia said. "I tell people, 'You only get old when you stop exercising.' "
While movement is vital, it is not the only factor viewed with success stories.
Clifford Molin, a doctor of internal medicine affiliated with Mountain View Hospital, said at least one-third of his patients make New Year's resolutions that involve getting fit.
"Generally, what I tell them is exercise alone will not result in a significant amount of weight loss. It has to be a total lifestyle change," he said. "Some people think if they exercise 30 minutes a day without changing anything else, they'll lose weight. But that's not realistic."
At mealtime, calories need to be counted and portion sizes kept in check. While he's not crazy about them, liquid diets, low-carb and Atkins diets can be effective. Most people, however, find them unsustainable so they should be viewed as a jump-start to shedding pounds.
"I like the old-fashioned way, calorie restriction," Molin said.
He also suggested that being part of a support program, like Weight Watchers, carries a higher level of success than going it alone.
Being around others who face the same caloric challenges serves to keep one's motivation up.
When smart eating is combined with exercise, the benefits are seen more rapidly.
The latest research shows the more the better when it comes to physical activity. It doesn't have to be strenuous exercise, Molin said.
But it does have to be sustained for an extended period of time, about an hour.
Check with your doctor before beginning a regime of diet and exercise.
When it comes to New Year's resolutions, a large percentage of people set goals only to give up on them.
In fact, William Slagle, a clinical psychologist with the Green Valley Psychiatric Association, said in his experience it is as high as 95 percent.
"We have a fast-food-type mentality in our culture," Slagle said. "People want an answer now, a result now. As soon as we slip up, we tend to (discard the intention)."
How can we set ourselves up for success? Some professionals suggest marking milestones by a reward -- going to the movies, buying that book we've had our eye on.
Slagle adds another facet: Rather than shift the goal, shift how we plan to get there.
"If you look at professional people in any occupation they have the ability to be flexible," he said. "They look at the long-term goal and aren't married to a particular concept of success or failure."
He said looking at a goal in terms of steps can help achieve them, especially if the person re-evaluates step two after achieving step one.
"When you re-evaluate step two, it might change to an even better, more defined goal," Slagle said.
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