DEWITT -- Marlene Hyme started the new year with an eliptical machine and a weight bar. She's been exercising almost every day for 27 years and knows that resolutions will bring a lot of new people into the gym at Fitness Forum. She also hopes some of them can stick with it like she did.
"I think the hard part for people starting is that they start and they don't feel good," said Hyme. "They're tired, they're sore and the key is you have to keep at it for at least six weeks. you have to be very consistent."
New Year's resolutions like saving more or eating less are very common, but exercise is always near the top of the list.
Trainers say starting out is great but you also want to be careful. Burning yourself out won't help you stick with it for the long haul.
"You start light, you start simple and slow so that it's realistic and you will stick with it," said Ali Cousins from Fitness Forum.
That means those new to the gym probably shouldn't go right after the heaviest barbells. Ali Cousins added that newcomers shouldn't feel discouraged by a slow start since it's better to build up and add things gradually.
Jim Sweeney is skeptical of New Year's resolutions because he thinks exercise shouldn't just be a short term goal.
"A behavior is a long term thing," said Sweeney as he exercised on a stairmaster. "It's not a short term. It's a lifestyle sort of deal."
The exercise lifestyle can be a little tough at first but Marlene Hyme says it gets easier. "You'll get through the soreness, you'll get through the tiredness and then you'll start feeling better."
Recent surveys have indicated that more than 90% of New Year's resolutions are dropped by the end of the year. To avoid that, experts say you should start slow and be willing to make long term changes.
