Today is the day when we're reflecting on the past year and preparing to usher in a new one. Along with that comes at least thoughts of New Year's resolutions.
By some estimates, about 37 percent of those resolutions have to do with increasing our exercise and decreasing our weight. Those statistics seemed to bear out in interviews Sunday.
Lifelong Jefferson City resident James Casteel said he wants to "just improve from the year before." More specifically, he said he wants to work on cardio exercises to keep his heart healthy.
"The older you get the more exercise you need to do. It helps you live a little longer," he said.
Casteel wasn't waiting for the new year; he was working out Sunday in the weight room at The Linc, just like he does an average of five times a week.
Not all of us are that committed to fitness. Have you noticed how busy gyms are in January, compared with other months of the year?
That's why the YMCA has a new program called Activ Trax, which is in part designed to get people to stick with a fitness program.
Michael Callahan, a front-desk worker at the Knowles YMCA, said it's intended for people who aren't heavy into personal training, or who are just starting. These are people who otherwise might go to the Y in January with a resolution to get in shape, but eventually quit because they feel lost about how they should start a plan.
Activ Trax is a personalized program based on your input as well as a strength test at five different nautilus machines, he said.
"We want to start people out and give them something to do with a level of structure," he said, adding that studies have shown that method keeps people in their fitness programs longer.
Also, the local Y is again offering free group fitness classes on New Year's day, starting with a dance mix class at 9 a.m. and ending with a body pump launch class at 1 p.m. The classes will be at the West YMCA, 3507 Amazonas, and child care will be available.
A trio of basketball players on Sunday at the Knowles YMCA all said improving at the game was a main goal of theirs in 2019.
"I want to become a better basketball player and get all As and Bs in school," Rayvon Webster said. He plans to play more and study more to make that happen.
Marquess King, a volunteer trainer for some youth in the community, said a key to New Year's resolutions is looking at them not as resolutions, but as lifestyle changes.
"I don't look at the beginning of the year itself, but it's more about assessing the past year," he said.
After interviewing with a reporter, he quickly rounded up Webster and a couple other basketball players he was working with. "Alright, back on schedule. Let's go, let's go, let's go!" he said.
Not everyone has fitness or athletic goals. At McKay Park, Brian Shirley was taking his son Warren, 10, fishing to try out a new fly rod that Warren received for Christmas.
In 2018, Warren's youth baseball league kept him busy in the summer. So in 2019, the father and son plan to carve out more father-son time. "We're going to do more fishing this (next) year," Brian Shirley said.