Every year at this time we turn our attention to New Year's resolutions, promises that often are extreme and rarely, if ever, kept. Heading the list are resolutions to get healthy and that often means exercise.

Now, I don't mean to imply that starting an exercise program is a fool's errand. On the contrary, exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health, and it's the closest thing we have to a "fountain of youth."

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For proof, consider that in our younger years, we can pretty accurately envision what someone looks like, especially when they move around. Take toddlers, they have common traits, and the same is often true for teens, those in the 20s, 30s, etc.

However, now envision what someone in their 70s looks like when moving around. Are they vigorous, or do they shuffle along looking every bit their age?

Unfortunately, too often older folks find themselves victimized by a vicious downward spiral. It starts when something vigorous, like stair climbing, becomes physically demanding. In response, they do less stair climbing, which helps them avoid the challenge, but it also removes the stimulus imposed. When that stimulus is removed, the muscles are no longer required to exert themselves and they become weaker. This increased weakness causes them to avoid the stairs more, making them even weaker.

You can see the downward spiral.

The solution is when something physical becomes a bit more demanding, take that as a call to action and do more of it, not less. As you do more, it gets easier. Avoid it and it gets harder.

Thankfully, unless things have gone too far, it's possible for a shuffler to transition into a vigorous senior. Unfortunately, as the vast majority of our society is notoriously sedentary, and our reluctance to move increases with age, it may be an uphill battle. But, if you decide to buck the odds, putting time and effort into a do-over, exercise can pay huge dividends and change can occur quickly.

So, how can you get started?

If you're looking to start a new exercise regime in the new year, the first consideration is don't make it a chore. Stop a moment and think about it. If you are typically sedentary, seeking a high intensity exercise program might be too ambitious. Setting your sites too high is likely to backfire and you quit soon after you start. This, of course, is what happens to most new year exercise resolutions.

An optimal exercise program will get the best results for health and wellbeing. It should include cardio exercise to burn calories and strengthen your heart. To do this, you elevate your heart rate in a prescribed manner into a target zone and keep it there for at least 20 minutes, four days per week. Typical choices include brisk walking, jogging, swimming laps, cycling, rowing, elliptical training, etc. Optimal training also includes exercises to increase strength and muscle mass. This requires a variety of resistance (weightlifting) exercises, and you need to work hard to push the muscles out of their comfort zone and force them to adjust to the challenge.

However, before leaping into an optimal exercise program you must ask yourself: Are you prepared to pay the price such a program requires?

For those who have exercised hard in the past (former athletes, military personnel, etc.), optimal exercise is a natural choice. But, for the vast majority of Americans, optimal exercise is a foreign concept, and it can be overwhelming. What's more, research studies tell us that less than 10% of adult Americans who begin a challenging exercise program will sustain it long enough to reap any benefits.

The alternative is what I call "free-wheeling" exercise. It's spontaneous, in much the same way physical activity is natural among children outside at play. They are moving their bodies and enjoying themselves, without a thought about whether the exercise is producing beneficial results.

An example of free-wheeling exercise is going to a commercial gym because of the wide variety of choices, and the only commitment is to a time frame, say 45 minutes. You enter the gym without a preconceived notion of exactly what exercise routine you must complete that day. This frees you from thinking about the dreaded preplanned workout ahead, and you can be spontaneous. You look around and decide to walk on the treadmill for a while at a comfortable speed, then stop when you feel like it. Next, you go over to the dumbbell rack and pick up a pair of light dumbbells and do a series of exercises. After that, you do some cycling on a stationary bike.

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The key is you are moving your body continuously, burning calories, and maintaining strength and muscle mass, even if you are not adding to it. And most important, this kind of approach is not a chore, not something you dread on your way there. When this is the case, you are more likely to keep coming back for more and this promotes consistency, the most important element of an exercise program.

Then after you create an exercise habit, and make it part of your lifestyle, perhaps you may decide to take the next step toward more productive exercise. Or perhaps not. As the Nike commercial says, "Just do it!"

Reach Bryant Stamford, a professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Hanover College, at [email protected].