But for most, somewhere during the year dust starts collecting on the exercise bike and treadmill, and before long those first-of-the-year resolutions to get into shape are tossed aside.

For those who are ready to jump over that hurdle and continue toward the finish line, 2004 could be a year of new beginnings.

In fact, there are residents in Willow Glen who have already decided to keep their goals intact.

House of Nutrition employee Cheri Elliott-Martinez says she has already printed out her list of resolutions and is planning to place it on her vanity mirror so she can't miss it. Some of her long-term goals for 2004 are starting a vitamin-supplement routine, working out and saving money for her dream car, a 2002 Lincoln LSE, which costs about $49,000. The 25-year-old Willow Glen resident says she is going to work hard to make her resolutions come true.

Like Martinez, 85-year-old Jeanne Stewart says she has already made a personal goal for 2004—to quit smoking.

"I've been smoking for 60 years and I'm trying to kick the habit," she says.

While Martinez and Stewart are on the path to resolution fulfillment, 45-year-old Theron Pogue says five years ago he made a resolution to stop making New Year's resolutions.

Pogue's philosophy is a shared commonality among many residents, says Studio Fit personal trainer and lifestyle and weight management consultant Christine Collins. She says that clients often make their resolutions so big that they become unachievable and give up all together.

Collins says a common resolution she often hears at Studio Fit comes from clients who want to run a full marathon.

But once the reality sets in about the intense training it takes to run 26.2 miles, many give up and stop training all together.

"Choose goals that are meaningful to you," she says. "Many will say they want to run a marathon, but eventually I find out they hate to run."

She advises clients to write down their resolutions in a journal and place it somewhere that is hard to miss, like a bathroom mirror. She says her advice on goal setting can be applicable to fitness and personal goals.

To stay focused, she also says it is essential to make short-term goals and long-term goals, especially if a long-term goal will take several months to attain.

"Everyone should ultimately get to something really specific," Collins says. "Assess how you feel and reset your goals if you find them to be unattainable. Nothing should be set in stone."

Collins, 34, says her own resolutions include keeping better contact with friends and becoming a yoga teacher. She says both goals will not be accomplished overnight, but she plans to work hard toward that end and other personal goals for 2004.

"I don't just state my goals," she says. "I define them for myself and make it something important to me."

Ultimately, she says find something you have a passion for and aim on setting short­term goals that lead up to those objectives.

"Your goals should inspire you to go beyond your comfort zone," she says.

Yet she says that surpassing a comfort zone can be hard for many, especially when it comes to starting an alternative practice like yoga.

Willow Glen Yoga director and owner Kent Bond says yoga is an excellent way to reduce stress and tone the body, but has clients who admitted it took years of walking past the studio before they felt comfortable walking inside.

"It does take courage to come to your first yoga class," he says. "But we've created a place where people feel safe, at any level, to practice yoga."

As for creating longstanding resolutions, Bond, 50, says we set ourselves up to fail because we set our goals too high.

He says, "If you bite off too much, you will fail. With yoga, it is not about getting your leg behind your head, it is about taking the time to invest in yourself."

He says yoga is a practice that allows time for self-reflection and provides a moment to "downshift" to look at life more objectively.

"With resolutions, we set ourselves up for disappointment when reality sets in," he says. "When thinking of goals, tap into the possibility of your potential. Yoga helps you live on a moment-to-moment basis."

And he adds, "Make time this year to do the things you want to do. People who practice yoga consistently know that everything becomes enhanced because you are more in touch with yourself and what you need."

Along with yoga, Pilates has become the exercise du jour in Willow Glen, which is evident with the growing number of studios popping up on Lincoln Avenue. New business Core Fitness, which offers Pilates, yoga and dance classes, provided a little extra help for residents who sought a jump-start on goal setting by holding its first Wellness Fair and Open House on Dec. 10.

Core Fitness owner Alisa Bonsignore had representatives from organizations like the American Cancer Society, Diabetes Foundation, American Heart Association and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on hand to discuss how fitness can help prevent disease or alleviate symptoms.

She also offered free, daylong classes to introduce newcomers to Pilates, belly dancing, yoga and ballet body.

"It seems that everyone is chasing the new diet or fitness trend after the new year hits," she says. "But after they drop the bothersome five or 10 pounds, they fall right back into their regular habits."

Bonsignore, 30, held the event to emphasize the importance of a balanced, healthy lifestyle throughout the year, which she has maintained through regular Pilates at her studio.

But although she has practiced yoga and Pilates for nearly two years, she never dreamed of one day opening a studio of her own. When the previous studio owner decided she was going to sell the business in August, Bonsignore couldn't stand losing her favorite studio, so she decided to start her own, buying the business and reinventing it. She opened Core Fitness in October. In addition to her duties at the studio, she also works full time as a marketing manager for a software company in Sunnyvale. She still can't believe she decided to start a yoga and Pilates studio, but says it has been a fun and challenging experience so far.

And, she happily adds, she didn't have to find a new studio to practice Pilates at.

"I make Pilates a priority by marking it on my calendar as a meeting," she says. "I know I have to be there at a certain time, and that it is a commitment I can't back out of. People need to find a way to make exercising a priority in their own life."

Although Pilates practices are more than 80 years old, she says it became more mainstream when dancers discovered the movements promote strength and tone rather than large muscles.

Yet while many may try and incorporate Pilates into their new fitness routines, she agrees with Bond's comments that for some clients, walking through the studio's door for the first time can be a little nerve-wracking.

"It can be a little intimidating to see people around you with years of experience," she says. "But don't measure your ability against others'. It is all a matter of what works best for you."

Bonsignore also says that it is beneficial to combine Pilates with a healthy diet. And residents looking for a little nutritional help can go to the House of Nutrition on Lincoln Avenue. House of Nutrition owner Monika Keller says that the first step each person should choose toward a healthier self is detoxification. She says this process aids in digestion and can improve vision and help shed excess pounds, and that it has other benefits, depending on what a person is seeking to detoxify. She says toxic materials in the liver, kidneys, and bladder as well as excess acids can be expunged through this process. A program can be started using tea, powder or capsules, says Keller.

After the body is properly detoxified, Keller recommends eating a lot of green vegetables. If the person doesn't like vegetables, she says take supplements, like blue-green algae, which can serve as a substitute. She also advises people to cut back on carbohydrates, drink more green tea and drink only one cup of coffee per day.

After visiting the House of Nutrition, some woman may opt to further improve their health habits at one of the many fitness centers in Willow Glen, each providing a different philosophy.

Curves, a woman-only facility, combines strength and cardio training through hydraulic resistance for a half-hour three times per week, women can be in better physical shape.

Owner Jeannine Wood says that a half-hour at Curves is equal to an hour and a half at a normal gym. She also says there are weight-loss programs available.

Wood believes the supportive atmosphere at Curves, along with upbeat music, brings women of all ages to her facility.

"Many of us make unattainable goals when the new year begins," she says. "But coming here three times a week for 30 minutes is a reachable goal, something woman can fit into their busy schedules."

Professionals from all levels of the fitness spectrum seem to concur that setting small goals, while working towards larger ones, seems to be the best way to stay with New Year's resolutions—there are only 351 days to go.