A new year always seems like the right time to make lifestyle changes, but we all know change is much easier said than done.

To help you take that first step to make 2014 your healthiest year yet, we turned to dozens of local experts and asked them to share their smartest tips for a better, more balanced life. Take on one change a day (or per week—it’s up to you!). We guarantee you’ll be happy with the results.

SWEAT

1. “SET ASIDE A MONTHLY BUDGET FOR WELLNESS: gym membership, [personal] training, massages, race entries, new shoes, sports gear, coaching, counseling, a wellness retreat with a friend, etc. This way the money will be there and you don’t have to convince yourself each time. You are worth it!”—Noelle Ritter, Certified Athletic Trainer, Roseville Health and Wellness Center

2. “TRACK YOUR PROGRESS. Research has shown that people who continually note and record their training progress increase their chances of success to accomplish their goals and maintain a long-term dedication to their training and healthy lifestyle. Try it: Find or create a training log and begin recording your workout routines.”—Eric Fuchino, B.Sc., CSCS, CPT, Director of Athletic Performance & Conditioning at Athletes Gym and Personal Trainer, Roseville Health & Wellness Center

3. “Starting a new fitness plan for the new year? Keep in mind it takes three months to create a new habit, so schedule it! That’s right—SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS AND HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE. Sit down with a schedule from your fitness center and your calendar, and plug it in. Treat your fitness appointments like a doctor’s appointment because, after all, exercise is medicine and it will change the quality of your life.”—Lisa Schetter, General Manager, Roseville Health & Wellness Center

4. “BUILD MUSCLE. We lose approximately 15 percent of our muscle mass per year between ages 25 to 50. And after 50, it’s up to 30 percent! Muscle strengthening increases bone density, increases metabolism, renews cells and looks sexier...lift!”—Angela Clark, CPT, NASM, Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer, The Studio Martial Arts & Fitness

5. “YOGA ENCOURAGES OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS. It’s not just about working out, it’s a lifestyle. The practice allows students to be still in a world full of chaos. Yoga’s deep breathing and meditation helps relieve stress and declutter the mind. The postures are meant to strengthen your body from the inside out, so you don’t just look good on the outside, you feel good too.”—Joyce Kilburg, Yoga Teacher at Powerhouse Gym, Radiant Yoga Studio and Main Street Yoga

6. “Ten minutes for me! That’s what I tell women to adopt as their healthy life-change mantra. We all have 10 minutes a day. If a person has not been exercising, trying to go to a gym can be daunting, and end in defeat in no time. Instead, I challenge my patients to WALK FOR 10 MINUTES EVERY DAY. At the end of a month, get a treat (pedicure, manicure, something fun!). Now, acknowledge that exercise is more about time management and placing health as a priority than it is about energy. Add 10 more minutes every day for another 30 days. By three months, you should be walking half an hour a day and noting the improvements!”—Jeanne Conry, M.D. (OBGYN), Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center and Executive Board Certified for the American Congress Obstetricians and Gynecologists for CA.

7. “Partner up! FIND A FRIEND TO WORK OUT WITH WHO HAS A SCHEDULE SIMILAR TO YOURS. Schedule your workouts together and stick to the schedule. Having a partner to work out with will help keep you both motivated and provide accountability that will keep you going—even on the days you don’t feel like working out.”—Jamee Pau, Owner, Jamee Pau Fit

8. “VARY YOUR WORKOUTS! Eliminate the chance of overuse injuries, muscle imbalances and boredom. Not an early-morning riser? Choose just one early morning workout per week on the same day to meet your fitness buddy or take your favorite class. Find group classes such as sculpting, yoga or Pilates and schedule them in your week. You may work out 5-6 days, but you’ll be giving your body a variety of benefits and you’ll be more likely to stick to it if you have the accountability of scheduled classes.”—Ann Vezey, Corporate Group Exercise Director, Spare Time Clubs

9. “STRETCH. Stretching is often the most overlooked part of staying healthy. Taking a few moments to stretch each day, and before and after each workout will improve your range of motion, help to prevent injuries, and give you an overall feeling of well-being. It’s well worth the time it takes!”—Jamee Pau, Owner, Jamee Pau Fit

DIGEST

10. “EAT BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING. Fiber in the morning keeps you less hungry later in the day, when you’re most likely to feel tired and look for sweets. [Try] steel-cut oatmeal mixed with raisins, walnuts and flaxseed oil. Eating breakfast keeps your metabolism more active throughout the day; studies have shown that people who eat breakfast tend to be thinner than people who don’t.”—Kari Holmstedt, R.D., Diabetes & Nutrition Education, Marshall Medical Center

11. “Eat a variety of colors each day. Foods with bright, rich colors are packed with flavonoids and carotenoids, powerful compounds that bind the damaging free radicals in your body, lowering inflammation. EAT NINE SERVINGS OF COLORFUL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES EACH DAY and you’ll reap the benefits.”—Tamalisa Carlson, R.D., Diabetes & Nutrition Education, Marshall Medical Center

12. “Thirsty and want to protect your heart? GRAB A GLASS OF THE ‘NECTAR OF THE GODS’—GRAPE JUICE! Grapes are rich, health-protecting antioxidants. Some research studies suggest that red and purple grape juice may reduce the risk of blood clots, lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol, prevent damage to blood vessels in your heart, and help maintain healthy blood pressure. Drink up!”—Diane Sotir-Holland, Owner/Instructor, BARRE-FLIES Fitness Studio

13. “KEEP HEALTHY SNACKS ON HAND AT ALL TIMES. Our lives become busy and we try to cram as much as we can into our weeks and days, sometimes going long periods of time without eating. This does three things—slows your metabolism, makes you crave simple carbs and encourages overeating, which is a recipe for disaster.”—Donna Webb, CPT, NASM, Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist, The Studio Martial Arts & Fitness

14. When trying to lose weight, DO NOT ELIMINATE CARBOHYDRATES COMPLETELY. [They’re] your body and brain’s energy source and are needed to fuel you during workouts. Try to eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and stay away from alcohol and sugary foods.”—Jon Meyer, Owner, Max Muscle Placerville

15. “USE SMALLER PLATES WHEN EATING. Turns out we eat in proportion to our plate size. Don’t go back for seconds.”—Davis Liu, M.D., Specialist in Family Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Offices, Roseville, and author of The Thrifty Patient

16. “Help chase away the common cold and STOCK UP ON EMERGEN-C. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals and loaded with vitamin C. Try it hot, [and] drink it every day to keep colds away.”—Diane Holland, Owner/Instructor, BARRE-FLIES Fitness Studio

17. “DRINK A LARGE, 12-16 OUNCE GLASS OF WATER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING—BEFORE BREAKFAST, BEFORE COFFEE OR TEA. The water will get your system flushing, prepare your digestive track for nourishment, and hydrate you; your skin will even benefit from this ritual.”—Noelle Ritter, Certified Athletic Trainer/class instructor  at Roseville Health and Wellness Center

18. “Just as a diabetic uses medications to control insulin levels, ANTI-OBESITY MEDICATIONS help reset eating behaviors, which allows you to take the focus off food and make better eating and health decisions. These medications play an integral part in successful long-term weight management.”—Ed J. Hendricks, M.D., Obesity Medicine Specialist, Researcher & Chair of the Obesity Treatment Foundation

19. “Always have a plan. SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SHOULD ALWAYS INCLUDE PLANS FOR HOLIDAYS, FAMILY EVENTS, VACATIONS, AND ANY OTHER DEVIATION FROM YOUR DAILY ROUTINE. Whether you decide to throw caution to the wind for an evening, it is your plan. The next day start fresh, focused and back on track.”—Paula Hendricks, Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, Hendricks For Health, The Center for Weight Management

MAINTAIN

20. “If you don’t already have significant sun-damaged skin, the single most important thing you [can do] is APPLY SUNBLOCK DAILY TO YOUR FACE, NECK AND UPPER CHEST. If you already have sun-damaged and/or prematurely aged skin, the single most effective thing you [can do] is USE A RETINOID CREAM/PRODUCT.”—Reginald D. Rice, M.D., Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgeon and Facial Plastics & Reconstructive Surgeon, Marshall ENT, Plastics & Medical Spa

21. “Getting CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS CAN HELP YOUR BODY GET THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS BY INCREASING THE STRENGTH OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.”—Dr. Roger S. Brisbane, Family Chiropractor, Brisbane Chiropractic

22. “IMPLANTS ARE ONE OF THE BEST TEETH-REPLACEMENT OPTIONS. They help preserve your bone (which starts to wither away as soon as you lose the tooth!) and most closely approximate your tooth, so you can floss between the teeth.”—Amar Pawar, D.D.S., Folsom Family Dentist

23. “IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT PLASTIC OR COSMETIC SURGERY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE CLOSE TO YOUR IDEAL BODY WEIGHT AND TO STOP SMOKING FOR THE BEST RESULTS (complication rates can [increase by] up to 12 times). If you’re planning to have more children in the near future, it’s also important to wait for optimal results.” Kenneth Sumida, M.D., Nuance Cosmetic Surgery

RELAX

24. “Be well-rested and MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY. Seven to eight hours of sleep each night not only helps you live longer, but also lowers your stress, sharpens your memory, may reduce your risk of developing diabetes and obesity, and reduces food cravings. Set a bedtime, develop a nightly routine and stick with it.”—Ann J Kenworthy, R.N., CDE, Diabetes & Nutrition Education, Marshall Medical Center

25. “TAKE 5-10 MINUTES EACH DAY TO DECOMPRESS.”—Ale Wilson, MPH, Senior Health Educator, Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center

26. “BECOME AN OBSERVER OF YOUR OWN THOUGHTS. Recognize that thoughts are only thoughts—your self-created, internal chatter. Your thoughts don’t have to dictate your behavior.”—Sheri D. Pruitt, Ph.D., Psychologist, Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center

27. “Write out three things: IN ONE YEAR, ‘WHO DO I WANT TO BE?’ ‘WHERE DO I WANT TO BE?’ AND ‘HOW WILL I GET THERE?’ Get personal, dream big and then figure out a plan!”—Noelle Ritter, Certified Athletic Trainer, Roseville Health and Wellness Center

28. “THE ONLY REAL CHANGE YOU CAN MAKE IN THIS MOMENT AND IN THIS VERY INSTANT IS YOUR BREATH. Start with this before anything.”—Anthony Retodo, M.D., Medical Services Director, Kaiser Permanente Folsom Medical Offices

TAKE TO HEART

29. “The seven AHA heart health tips are: 1) EXERCISE REGULARLY; 2) EAT A HEALTHY DIET; 3) DON’T SMOKE; 4) MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT; 5) MANAGE BLOOD PRESSURE; 6) control cholesterol; and, 7) KEEP BLOOD SUGAR AT HEALTHY LEVELS. If you take care of 1, 2 and 3, it’s a good bet the rest will follow.”—Scott Vasconcellos, M.D., Board Certified Cardiologist, Marshall Cardiology

30. “Do the math and KNOW YOUR NUMBERS. These include blood pressure (less than 120/80), LDL cholesterol (under 100), resting heart rate (under 70), and fasting blood sugar (under 100). If your numbers aren’t ideal, make changes in your diet and lifestyle, and set realistic goals for yourself.”—Jeanne Appell, R.N., CDE, Diabetes & Nutrition Education, Marshall Medical Center