The New Year is almost upon us. With that comes a new set of resolutions. The commonality with every successful resolution is attrition. That holds especially true with any pertaining to weight loss and fitness. The amount of time it takes to form new health and fitness habits ranges greatly from person to person. It could take weeks or months. Most that start a new routine today won’t make a lifestyle out of it until March, April or even later.

Thankfully, Beaufort County offers plenty of health and fitness options to help people of all ages keep up with their goals for 2016. A lot of them are free, too, negating the need to worry about the price and commitment that comes with your typical gym membership.

A glance at the community calendar shows plenty of options for the first week of the year. The Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center offers yoga and Tai Chi classes for folks 55 years of age or older. There are also the “Growing a fit community” classes that are offered regularly in Pantego. They focus not just on exercise, but also healthy eating.

The Beau-FITT program at Beaufort County Community College is another top destination for those looking for more than just a place to get a few workouts in for a few weeks. One of the program’s focal points is attrition and creating better lifestyles. It emphasizes the fun and competitive aspects of fitness. The idea is that making workouts feel less like work will better promote complete changes in one’s life. The program currently has a number of people wearing fitness trackers, separated into groups that are competing to see which team can take more steps.

The program is based around a 1-mile trail that wraps around the BCCC campus. Along the walking trail are workout stations. They’re geared toward stretching, balance and strength training.

So start small. Get together a group of friends or family to regularly go on walks, and attend classes on healthy eating. Push each other toward a healthier existence. Before you know it, it will be less of a chore and more of a lifestyle.