By AARON DORKSEN — At Home Fitness Correspondent

About half of Americans make some kind of New Year’s resolution, according to surveys and polls.

Anyone who’s been in a public gym that’s twice as crowded as usual in January can attest to that. There’s probably a line to use the treadmills during peak hours, but by as soon as February it will be back to normal.

That’s because those same studies also show that less than 20 percent of people will keep the promises they make to themselves.

How can you be among the select few who see their promise through? Here are some suggestions to make it go right.

WRITE IT DOWN

Write down your goals and your plan to achieve them. For exercise, keep a workout log.

If you have a major goal, such as “start a business,” you’ll have more success if you plot out the many factors it takes to make it a reality. 

And, be specific. Lots of people fail because they make resolutions that are too general, or too difficult to measure. Examples include “get healthy” or “spend more time with my spouse.” Instead, vow to “Walk an extra 20 minutes every day” or “Schedule a weekly date night with my spouse.”

MAKE IT PUBLIC

Some people feel that they’re more likely to keep a New Year’s resolution when they tell others, whether it be in person or on social media. Of course, it’s also fine to keep it private if you prefer.

INCLUDE A FRIEND

A friend who shares your New Year’s resolutions can provide a huge dose of motivation.

CHOOSE TANGIBLE GOALS – There’s nothing wrong with making less ambitious, but more achievable goals, such as running a 5K (instead of a marathon) or organizing your out-of-control closet (instead of renovating the whole house).

AVOID PAST FAILURES

Don’t set resolutions that you’ve made in the past and always seem to fail – unless of course you really believe this is the year.

And if you do try to repeat a resolution that’s failed in the past, try altering it some.

GIVE IT TWO WEEKS

Most resolutions are lost before January is even a few weeks old. The most crucial time to keeping a resolution is the first two weeks, so be tough on yourself the first two weeks even if it’s really hard.

If you can get through those two weeks you’re obviously still not home free, but it will be a lot easier.

EXERCISE IN A HOME GYM

Working out in a home gym is a good way to stay fit because you can exercise whenever and however you want to.

Stop into one of At Home Fitness’ superstores in Arizona and talk to a highly trained sales associate to find out which equipment would be best for you.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Ahwatukee Fitness Equipment Superstore
14647 So. 50th St. located near Ahwatukee, Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe and it’s the chain’s closest store to Tucson.

Gilbert Fitness Equipment Superstore
2810 S. Market St., located near Mesa, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Queen Creek, Chandler and Gilbert, to name a few.

Scottsdale Fitness Equipment Superstore
6969 E. Shea Blvd. located near Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Anthem and many other locations in the West Valley.