Getting fit at the top of
 New Year’s resolutions

Getting fit is a popular New Year’s resolution every year, right next to saving money and managing debt.

Scott Gustafson, general manager at XSport Fitness Express in Batavia, knows that to be true. He has seen more people sign up for memberships at the club.

“We try to set realistic goals for them,” he said. “We really want them to be successful.”

XSport Fitness is getting a new look for the new year. The club at 81 N. Randall Road is expanding by 6,000 square feet and receiving more than $500,000 in renovations, including new locker rooms, equipment and a group exercise studio.

The improvements started in December and should be completed by the end of January, Gustafson said.

Anthony Ligammari, fitness manager at XSport Fitness in Batavia, said it’s important for people to know their fitness level before starting any program.

“You don’t want to overwork your body,” he said.

Dana Whitley, 32, of Batavia said she had to overcome obstacles when she started working out five years ago.

“It’s getting the energy to go to the gym after work,” she said. “You have to talk yourself into going to the gym.”

Giving up smoking is another popular New Year’s resolution and something more Kane County residents are doing. The Kane County Health Department’s Community Health Improvement Plan showed the smoking rate in Kane County is 12 percent, down from 15 percent.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, which prohibits smoking in workplaces, restaurants, bars, theaters, casinos and other enclosed public places.

A 2006 U.S. Surgeon General report estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 people a year in the United States, including about 2,000 people in Illinois.

The Kane County Health Department offers resources to help people kick the habit on its website, www.kanehealth.com.