Making New Year’s resolutions — for others

This is the time where I write an obligatory column about New Year’s resolutions.

The thing is, I don’t usually make resolutions because it’s too much pressure, and I don’t like to be told what to do — even by myself.

I don’t remember making a single resolution that I ever kept, anyway. Sure, I’ve lost weight, but then I gained it back. I’ve stopped drinking diet soft drinks, but I’ve added more coffee to my day — with 3 teaspoons of sugar each time, which is a big no-no. (The day someone discovers that lots of sugar is good for us is the day I’m golden.)

For Christmas, I got a book called Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy — Until You’re 80 and Beyond that I’d read a review about, and it intrigued me.

I have read a lot of it and skimmed the rest. I have been inspired by the authors, one of whom is a doctor and the other his successful patient, to exercise “hard” six days a week. To this point, I have never broken a sweat at the gym, but I have some real cute workout clothes. I watch music videos while I’m walking on the treadmill, or listen to podcasts on my iPhone while I’m lifting a minimal amount of weights on machines.

It has to be better than nothing, I tell myself.

I decided last week to get a jump on being healthier in 2016, so I decided to go to the gym early one morning. I found out it didn’t open until 10. So I went into the office early, instead, and did a few lunges on the way to my desk.

By sitting so much during the day, according to this book, I am apparently giving signals to the cells in my body that it’s time to decay. That’s just great. Sitting for hours to write articles, the stress of deadlines — combined with the mound of pumpkin cookies, Oriental crunch and fudge pie I ate during Christmas — should really shove me over the edge.

My brother has been getting up at 5:30 to work out, and he raves about how much better he feels and how it gets him through his busy days seeing patients or performing surgeries.

These authors say that after age 50, it’s downhill fast, unless you put the brakes on. They maintain that 70 percent of our illnesses could be prevented by exercising hard and by not eating junk. It isn’t exactly breaking news, but they talk about the evolutionary reasons our bodies work the way they do — all that hunting and gathering stuff.

My brother had a kidney stone last month, so he told me he was going to try to stop drinking diet sodas. I had kidney cancer last year, so I need to do a better job of drinking water and cut down on the caffeine, and I do love my caffeine.

A woman in the office, who eats well and exercises, talks about needing to stop smoking.

I will cheer both of them on with their goals.

That gives me a great idea. Instead of making my own New Year’s

resolutions, I will become a New Year’s-resolution coach. People can pay me to make sure they stick to their goals. I’m pretty good at telling other people what to do. Then I’ll write a book about it.

Instead of getting strong, fit and sexy until I’m 80 and beyond, maybe I’ll just get rich. Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached

at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansas

online.com.