Improve your life by looking for easy, natural ways to begin

New Year's resolutions. We all make 'em and we all break 'em.

It's why our resolution to get fit devolves into an unused gym membership. Why our vow to quit smoking turns into an unwinnable battle against stubborn habit. Why our noble effort to get out of debt is sidetracked by the next shiny thing that catches our eye.

Each year, it seems, we bite off more than we can chew, often at great expense (hello, brand-new elliptical machine) or great frustration (hello, Christmas bills arriving in January).

So, we decided to ask a few experts about ways we can turn our most common resolutions into something achievable at minimum expense.

Here's what they had to say.

RESOLUTION: GET IN SHAPE AND LOSE WEIGHT

Start out, Jack Schenk says, by incorporating more physical activity into your daily lifestyle in small, easy-to-achieve doses.

Schenk is a trainer and fitness manager at the 24 Hour Fitness center at 9875 S. Maryland Parkway, and he has seen firsthand how New Year's resolutions can crash and burn. So, he suggests, take a look at what you do.

Do you park close to the door of your workplace? Park on the other side of the parking lot to add more walking to your daily routine.

Take elevators? Use the stairs a few times a day.

Let the dog out in the evening? Take a walk with Fido.

Such small changes add up. In fact, Schenk says, "a lot of clients, depending on their jobs, will do little things like 10 squats or 10 push-ups every two hours so, by the end of the day, they've done 100 of them but it didn't feel like it or they didn't have to stop and take 20 minutes to do it."

Also, effective exercise equipment can be purchased by at-home exercisers for just a few bucks. For example, Schenk says, "a lot of places sell (exercise) bands for $10. Those are really good, and when people vacation you can take them with you."

Schenk adds that incorporating more activity into daily life can be good for the whole family.

So, take walks to the park with the kids. Play an activity-based game together. That way, Schenk says, "you're not taking time away from the family. It's time added to the family."

The same principle holds with losing weight and improving eating habits: small daily changes, coupled with achievable goals.

Jay Souza, director of wellness promotion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, recommends setting goals that are specific, measurable and attainable.

For instance, he says, losing 1 or 2 pounds a week is specific, measurable and, for those who eat well and exercise, attainable. Conversely, expecting to lose 20 pounds in four weeks isn't.

So, in addition to increasing your activity -- shoot for 30 minutes of extra activity daily, he says -- make alterations in your diet.

"What it means is modifying what you take in -- avoiding fried food, foods with a lot of fats, highly processed meals, and going with healthier selections," he says.

Making such simple alterations in the diet, combined with daily activity, could result in a noticeable change -- that is, feeling better and more energetic -- within a week or two, Souza says.

"The first week is not going to be easy. You're changing habits, you're changing biochemistry and you're trying to allow your body to adapt to something different and adapt to your lifestyle," he says.

But small successes will offer you the incentive to continue or, even, step it up a bit.

RESOLUTION: GET OUT OF DEBT

Start with a simple piece of paper and a pencil, Michele Johnson recommends.

Then, starting on Jan. 1 and continuing through Jan. 31, write down every single penny you spend during the first month of 2010.

The candy bar from the machine at work. The restaurant lunch, including the tip. The cup of coffee. The kid's meal at the fast food place.

"Once you do it, it's such an eye-opening experience," says Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Nevada. "Many families will discover that the incomes they make aren't adequate to support their expenses."

That one-month record also is "very telling (about) where your dollars are going," Johnson adds, and a guide to where your expenses can be reduced or cut entirely.

Once that's done, create a budget, by designating amounts to cover each category -- food, clothing, utility bills, etc. -- of your monthly expenses. Be sure, Johnson says, to include annual or quarterly costs such as house insurance payments, as well as a portion earmarked for savings, and such future expenses as birthday and Christmas gifts.

Look also at your debts, particularly credit card payments. Johnson says some like to whittle down their highest-interest rate card first, while others prefer the incentive that comes from paying off the smallest balance card first.

In either event, make a commitment to pay as much as you can afford toward paying off your debts.

"You get this snowball effect," Johnson says. "Folks don't realize how dramatic the difference can be when you pay just $5 extra a month on credit card debts."

If you feel you need help, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Nevada offers expert advice.

"It costs you nothing, except some of your time, to have a professional financial analysis of your financial situation," Johnson says.

RESOLUTION: KICK THE HABIT

Begin your quest for a nicotine-free lifestyle with a call to the Nevada Tobacco Users' Helpline (1-800-784-8669).

The free help line, created in 1997, offers Nevadans ages 18 and older counseling and "evidence-based" smoking cessation strategies, says Dr. Elizabeth Fildes, the help line's founder.

When smokers call, they talk to trained addiction counselors who offer a holistic approach that includes the physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual, Fildes says.

"We are going to help them understand the physical and psychological components of addiction and how to manage them," explains Marta Wilson, the help line's clinical director.

Each caller receives a personalized course of treatment. For some, that might involve FDA-approved smoking cessation aids. All clients learn strategies for dealing with the inevitable pitfalls they'll face on the way to a nicotine-free lifestyle.

Kicking the habit is "a chronic process," Fildes notes. "You can't fix it with one try." While the cold turkey approach is inexpensive, it doesn't tend to work in the long term for most, she adds.

RESOLUTION: REDUCE STRESS

Stress is a fact of life, but the past year has been worse than usual for most Southern Nevadans, notes Donna Wilburn, a licensed marriage and family therapist.

"One of the ways to keep depression away and manage stress is to exercise," she says.

Go outside. Take the dog for a walk. Meet some friends in the park. Take a hike in the desert.

Activity -- particularly going outdoors -- is "a big antidepressant," she adds.

Similarly, stay connected with others. Visit with friends. Organize a potluck. Spend time with the kids. Spend time with the dog.

"You want to get out there and socialize," Wilburn says. "When you hide, you just wallow in your depression."

Borrow some yoga or meditation books or tapes from the library. You can practice simple meditation and relaxation techniques in your own home, Wilburn says, "or you can go with a friend to the park. I know people who go out to the park with friends and do yoga together outside."

When you find yourself freaking, stop and take several deep breaths. "You don't need to be doing yoga," Wilburn says. "You can do some relaxation breathing, and breathing is free and doesn't cost anything."

And, remind yourself that the worry is almost always worse than the reality.

"The majority of stressors, from what I see, are not even actual stressors. It's the thoughts that they have about something," Wilburn says. "It's not even the actual event, it's about something that might occur is what stresses them out. So learn how to manage your thoughts."

Instead of worrying about what-ifs, "think about how (worry is) not going to change the outcome, and it's ruining your relationships because you're irritable and grumpy all the time because you're so stressed out."

If that doesn't work, seek out the help of a therapist or mental health professional.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@review journal.com or 702-383-0280.