Almost half of all Americans stimulate New Years resolves, and exercise and weight loss is always at the top of the listing. Thats no amaze, considering that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and less than half get the recommend amount of exercising needed to stay healthy.

But a future plan to exercising can be used as an excuse to curl up in a ball of blankets and hibernate through the holidays, which could explain why some folks go into the new year with a little added heft. A 2000 study of 195Americans found that people who were already overweight or obese gained an average of five pounds in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that for all the persons who gained holiday weight, these extra pounds made up more than half of the total weight they gained that year.

Thats why if you already know you need to exercising more — the government recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity per week with at the least two strength training sessions — theres no better period than the present to make a resolution about it, experts say.

Dr. Christine Whelan, a thought leader for AARPs Life Reimagined program and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells its a good psychological trick to mark a new beginning on a special date — tell, your birthday, the new year or even just Monday morning. However, weve got to be careful that were not utilizing its future work date to justify delaying a life change.

If youre saying, I will lose weight in the New Year as a way to allow yourself to binge during the holidays, think of what small step you can take right now — Dec. 1, perhaps — to get you on the right path for an even more successful new year, Whelan told HuffPost.

In the spirit of resolution, we spoke to Whelan and two other experts about why you shouldnt wait until the new year to start working on your goals now, and how to approach fitness so that youll greet 2016 with a strong exercising game already in place.

Be mindful about why you want to exercising more

Whelan tells its easy to identify problems in our lives, but strategizing about ways to solve them is a lot harder. One way to know youre building the right resolution for yourself is to first figure out why youre doing it in the first place.

Thinking about what you want to feel — and the why behind the change — attains you more likely to commit to the right resolution to achieve the desired outcome, Whelan said.

Figuring out why you want to get in shape will also give you direction in how to go about it. Butch Nieves is a former winner of the Mr. America and Mr. USA bodybuilding contests and a personal trainer and leader at the New York Fit Body Boot Camp. He agreed that the first thing people should do when they decide they want to start exerting again is to really contemplate why they want to do it in the first place.

First, know your why: Why did you decide to train? Nieves said. Your why will dictate what your program should be, and what your sense of importance should be.

Set some realistic goals and timelines

Research shows that writing down your goals attains you more likely to achieve them. But if those goals are too broad, big or unrealistic, you may find yourself discouraged after failure or burnout, cautions Joe Ardito of Fit Crush NYC.

It may seem counterintuitive to start small, but remember that you want to set yourself up for success , not injury or burnout. Joe Ardito of Fit Crush NYC

Being realistic about your fitness objectives can help you both mentally and physically, Ardito said. “It may seem counterintuitive to start small, but remember that you want to set yourself up for success , not injury or burnout.”

To maximize success, Whelan suggested picking just one goal to fulfill from now until the end of the year — not a whole listing of big changes.

“Maybe you want to exercise several times a week, despite the holiday parties, she said. “Maybe you want to focus on your relationships by putting devices away each evening.”

Make a workout plan

Ardito says there are four building block of fitness: flexibility, strength train, cardiovascular training and nutrition. The more you plan to tackle each of these pillars before you make the gym, the less likely you are to waste time and get confused, he says.

If you want to get in the gym and get by fast, a combo of circuit training and high-intensity interval train will accomplish the most in the shortest amount of period, Nieves tells. Alternating periods of vigorous exertion and active recovery have been shown to increase the number of calories burned, both during the workout and afterwards.

But, if going to the gym isnt an option right now, brainstorm other physical activity objectives you are able to define, Ardito suggests.

Bike to work, take the stairs rather than the elevator and walk a few times around the block on your lunch break, he suggests.

Get some friends involved

Whelan adds that it isnt enough to write down your goals; telling others about them and bringing them alongside you can increase your chances of actually staying on track.

“Research shows that couples who go on a diet together are more likely to lose weight and keep it off, she writes. “Find training exercises partner or an accountability partner for any goal.”

“Surround yourself with an uncompromising group that only devote and demand the best, Nieves adds. “A 2011 analyse published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that the exercising habits of people you know have a positive influence on your own exercising habits.

Be kind to yourself and others

Finally, its important to keep in mind that exercising resolves arent just relentless, never-ending self-improvement projects to work on the way you seem. Sure, you may want to feel sexier, or you may want to fit into the clothes you like. But maybe you just want to be able to ride a bike with your grandkids, Nieves tells, or be able to use a flight of stairs without having a heart attack.

Your heart will get you through the tough times and through the negativity and disappointments that you may encounter from time to time. Butch Nieves of New York Fit Body Boot Camp

The point is that resolutions to exercise are ultimately resolutions to be there — for yourself and your loved ones — for as long as possible, in a meaningful and joy-filled way. Nieves frequently tells his clients that the best thing about their bodies isnt their butt, or their toned arms. Instead, its their heart.

My job, as a coach, is to get through your intellect and into your heart, he said. Your heart will get you through the tough times and through the negativity and disappointments that you may encounter from time to time.

When you have heart, you will be strong and happy and there is nothing that will stop you! he concluded.

And why not use that big heart of yours to help others? Whelan advises us to guess bigger about our exercising goals to consider the lasting impact we want to have on other people.

“Most of us focus our New Years resolves on all the little things about ourselves that we want to change: Run to the gym every day, lose weight, feed better, Whelan said. “This year, consider adding an item to that resolutions listing thats bigger than you: volunteering for a specific charity, serving your community, anything that they are able to take you out of yourself for a little while.”