As 2019 begins, Santa Clarita experts are offering tips for keeping New Year’s resolutions like exercising, saving money and getting more sleep.

About 26 percent of people said they planned to make a New Year’s resolution for 2019, according to a YouGov survey.

Americans between ages 18 and 34 are more likely to make goals, with nine out of 10 being somewhat or very confident they’ll be able to stick to their plans for the year, officials said.

The specific resolutions people are making include:
1. Exercise more
2. Eat healthier
3. Save money
4. Lose weight
5. Reduce stress
6. Stick to a budget
7. Get more sleep
8. Spend more time with family
9. Learn a new skill
10. Travel more
11. Get a better job
12. Improve relationship with my partner
13. Make more friends

“Women (46 percent) are far more likely than men (31 percent) to say reducing stress is one of their resolutions,” said survey officials.

Santa Clarita Personal Trainer Ellen Como says she congratulates those who make the decision to improve their lives, but advised looking for help in achieving their goals.

“Reach out to experts if you’re just getting started, and remember to look at it as a healthy choice and not an aesthetic choice,” said Como. “Your body will follow.”

Como says that it’s important to find an exercise plan with specific needs to match one’s abilities, not “the same workout class as your neighbor.”

“Don’t just jump into the newest, greatest challenge,” added Como. “Find the right program so that you can flourish, and if it doesn’t feel right, then look for something different.”

She also mentioned that everyone’s nutrition plan should also be geared towards individual needs in order to be successful.

“Nutrition is more confusing now than it’s ever been,” said Como. “There are so many different kinds of nutrition and a lot of people fail because they jump into things that they are told they need to do.”

While eating healthier can be a challenge, the Santa Clarita personal trainer says that it’s important to start with something you can enjoy so that you can keep it up.

“Balance your nutrition, and then try something that’s going to take you to the next level,” said Como.

Although changing old habits is difficult, it can be done with help from others, according to Alex Urbina, a Santa Clarita life coach.

“Invite people in your circle to check up on your goals,” said Urbina. “Have somebody hold you accountable for your goals to make sure that you’re on track.”

Motivation from loved ones can help pick you up on days you are feeling down, according to Urbina.

“Start your day with reading your goals; sit down and go over your goals,” said Urbina. “At the end of the day, document some of the things you did that day to put you closer to your goals.”

People who wrote their goals down were found to have a 70 percent probability in achieving their plans, according to a Stanford University study.

For those looking to quit smoking or drinking, solutions can also be found.

“At this time of year, we know that many smokers make a resolution to quit and start off on a healthier course,” says Corinne Graffunder, DrPH, MPH, director of the Office on Smoking and Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “If now is your time to quit tobacco, there are many tools available to help you find and follow a quit strategy that works for you.”

Even though adult smoking rates are at an all-time low, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the country, with 480,000 people dying every year, according to the CDC.

Every smoker’s “quit journey” is different, but it helps to create a personalized quit plan, according to officials.

When it comes to stopping drinking or other substance use, finding support is important, according to Bob Sharits, program director at The Way Out Recovery SCV.

“Have a buddy in it with you, just like when you go to the gym,” he said. “You can do that in the recovery process too.”

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