Resolve to be a healthier, smarter, more satisfied you -- on a budget

Most New Year's resolutions lose their fizz faster than a bottle of cheap champagne.

That's because, experts say, people expect sudden transformation rather than gradual progress. They hope a single decisive action, like buying a treadmill, can help make them thin or happy.

But it takes daily dedication to break a lifelong habit or create a new one. And in these uncertain economic times, people aren't necessarily looking to spend big bucks on a piece of exercise equipment or a long-term health club membership - yet. We've come up with a few ways to make steady strides toward your goals while keeping more of your cash. Or if you want to go the club route, we've got some tips for how you can get the most fitness bang for your buck.

And it may turn out that our budget-minded approach will be more effective by helping you change for the long term, without counting on any magic bullet.

Set short-term goals

Every year, people sign up with the Schaumburg Park District with the goal of losing 20 pounds. And every year, many disappear after a few visits, no lighter than before.

Instead, fitness supervisor Jennie Bever suggests setting small daily and weekly goals.

Rather than vowing to work out every day, start out with three times a week, 30 minutes at a time. Once you've established that routine, you can increase the intensity or length of the workout.

Next, join a group or get a trainer so you'll have others to work out or eat with who will check up and encourage you.

Then, cut yourself a little slack - but stick with your plan.

"One Big Mac does not lead to the end of the entire program," Bever said.

The park district's Fit Quest is modeled on "The Biggest Loser" but measures progress in inches, not pounds, to help people see quicker results.

Join a group

It's hard enough to exercise alone in the summer, let alone the winter.

Get moral support by joining a group, like the Chicago Area Runners Association or the Hillstriders Running Club in Crystal Lake.

Stroller Strides in Naperville YMCA offers moms a way to workout with their babies. Each workout runs an hour, pushing the stroller and using tubing to do body toning exercises.

Customize your workout

While people mistakenly assume what works for their friends will work for them, Lifetime Fitness in Schaumburg tests each person's metabolic rate, and tailors a unique workout plan for each individual.

For those just starting out, Lifetime offers a Cardio 02 class that gradually works up to an invigorating cardiovascular workout. For those who are already fit, the Boot Camp class offers a high-intensity workout squeezed into a lunch hour.

Personal trainer Corey Bern also emphasizes the importance of positive feedback along the way, to know even if the pounds are stubborn, you're getting stronger, faster and healthier.

"We try to replace bad habits," Bern said, "with a positive mental attitude."

Cut the rug

If you don't like exercise, try dancing - and get a workout while having fun.

The National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute says dancing improves cirulcation, lowers stress and decreases your risk of heart disease. It also burns off about 300 calories an hour.

Salsa and swing dancing get the blood flowing, but so do country, ballroom, hip-hop and just about any kind of sustained rhythmic movement.

Check for classes at places like Ballroom City in Villa Park, the Chevy Chase Ballroom in Wheeling, DanceSport Studio in Vernon Hills, or the DuPage Dance Center or Desage Danceworld, both in Naperville.

Write it down

People who keep track of what they eat by writing it down lose twice as much weight as those who don't.

That's the finding of a recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Nearly 70 percent of those who kept daily food diaries lost weight and significantly improved their help.

Writing down every bite you eat not only keeps you honest before your conscience, it helps you realize where you can cut down on the most calories.

Bring the family

If you can't afford to leave the kids alone, bring them with you.

Total Body Yoga in Mundelein offers prenatal and kids classes, and mommy-baby and family workshops for ages 4 and up. They promise to get you "wiggly, giggly and jiggly," then "slow, soft and still."

The family session is $40 for a family of four with preregistration at totalbodyyoga.com or (847) 266-9642.

Fight boredom

Tired of working out on machines? More clubs are varying their workouts to keep boredom from setting in and to promote overall, usable fitness, rather than isolating one muscle at a time.

Elite Athletic Development in Arlington Heights now offers Crossfit, a strength and conditioning program used by the military and police. The program uses calisthenics, kettlebells, free weights, bars and rings to create a different workout every day.

Training is done one-on-one or in small groups, with scoring systems to turn workouts into a sport.

Soft addictions

Ninety-one percent of us have a soft addiction that keeps us from being satisfied - and the rest are in denial, according to Judith Wright. The author and motivational speaker says we all have seemingly harmless habits - like watching TV, shopping, surfing the Web or procrastinating - that keep us from doing what we really want to do.

The first step is recognizing what you would like to change, then understanding why you want to. Beyond wanting to lose 10 pounds, Wright said, there's usually a deeper reason - we want to be healthier, or sexier, to improve certain relationships.

So don't just work out to lose weight - do it with the added motivation of improving your relationships or whatever it is you ultimately want.

Go back to school

Good health includes going after what's important to you.

Every January, colleges see a rush of new students hoping to start the new year by finally getting the education they always wanted.

That's especially true when the economy goes sour. For the upcoming semester, Harper College in Palatine has seen a 20 percent surge in applications, and Roosevelt University in Schaumburg and Chicago had a record-large freshman class.

Unfortunately, the ones who start on the spur of the moment are the ones who most often drop out, according to Joanne Canyon-Heller, Roosevelt's associate director of admissions.

Much more successful are those who start planning for the next semester, and take time to meet an admission counselor to figure out the necessary logistics.

Land a new job

Valeri Profit runs a job club for those over 50 and people with disabilities in Schaumburg Township. Eighty-five percent of her members come in with a New Year's resolution to get a new job.

In October, the job club attracted an overflow crowd of 500 - three times as many people as usual.

This January, Profit expects more new members than ever before.

Profit also offers career counseling and a database of 100 jobs.

Those who get discouraged easily by the word "no" don't stick with it.

"Even though we all get some no's, you have to be determined to get that 'yes,'" she said. "It only takes one yes."