Better fitness, more exercise, and healthier dietary habits appear to be a recurring theme on most New Year’s resolutions lists.

For people hoping to adopt a more active strategy toward better health and fitness going into the new year, making an individual arrangement that makes exercise and wellness some portion of lifestyle is the way to long term achievement, as indicated by Wheeling Hospital’s Howard Long Wellness Center Director Joe Slavik.

“Every year people make New Year resolutions and they’re interested in starting an exercise program or a weight management program or a combination of both, which is the ideal situation,” Slavik explained. “A lot of people don’t have the right plan of attack when they start. So we try to give them on an individual exercise program to make sure that they understand a couple of different things,” he added.

Some of those things include: ensuring the arrangement works into their daily lifestyle and routine and setting realistic goals. He said they work with patrons of the middle dependent on their goals and their medicinal status.

“If you’re bouncing around and exercising at different periods, it’s not going work,” Slavik commented. “The people that have good adherence to their exercise program are those who set up a period and they stick to it, (with occasional exceptions).”

He said for the individuals who begin exercising spontaneously, without an arrangement, it generally doesn’t work out in the longterm.

“If you want to lose 50 pounds in two months, or three months, it’s not going to happen. It’s got to be a gradual approach so the body can get used to the changes,” he added.

Slavik said a one or two-pound a week weight-loss program is a more realistic goal that will work longterm.

Slavik said the fitness counseling staff at the wellness center will work to help people who are signing up at the beginning of a new year to figure out a long term plan. He said they are there to help manage every individual through an individual arrangement and answer any inquiries that may help improve or streamline a person’s exercise.

“Based on the goals of the individual, we will set up an exercise routine that will have a combination of both strength training and cardio equipment,” Slavik explained.

He said each arrangement will be distinctive dependent on every individual’s goals. Notwithstanding exercise programs, Slavik said the center likewise has licensed dietitians on staff that can converse with individuals one-on-one about healthier dietary habits. Likewise, they offer continuous weight management classes for those keen on signing up.

Vince Gianangeli of Colerain, a six-year individual from the Wellness Center, resounded Slavik’s comments, clarifying that his long term accomplishment at the center keeps on rotating around making it part of his week by week routine and lifestyle.

“It’s a lifestyle for me,” he said.

He said when he increased around 20 pounds about six years back, it made an explanation behind him to make a healthy lifestyle change. He said since that time he has carved out, in any event, three to four days every week to work out and exercise.

“I also eat healthily. That’s a big part of it. … I’m not on a diet. It’s a lifestyle,” he said. “If I don’t come here, I feel bad. … Somehow you’ve got to find time to stay healthy.”