With 2008 just days away, many people are pondering New Year’s resolutions. There’s definitely something about a fresh calendar year that jump starts our desire to make positive changes. Being surrounded by friends, family, and co-workers who are also brainstorming ways to improve makes this an especially ideal time for such endeavors. Bonus!

Over the next week we will be exploring some of the most popular New Years resolutions in a new series of blog posts. Please be sure to come back again and let us know which of the featured resolutions that you will be committing to, or to suggest tips for sticking to new resolutions.

The most popular New Years resolution is always Get In Shape. There are countless ways to do this, and here are a few of my favorite tips and products.

For the Yoga Newbie: The Yoga for Beginner’s Kit from renowned yoga expect Rodney Yee contains everything you’ll need to get started with yoga. My favorite part is the marked yoga mat that shows you just where to place your feet and hands. And, if you do it regularly, “this 20-minute complete practice yields more benefits than a 90 minute yoga class once a week.” Yoga For Inflexible People is another good introductory DVD that is a user favorite. $30 & $10.99

When Space is Limited: You’ll be hard pressed to find a piece of exercise equipment that is smaller than the Mini Stepper with Resistance Cords. Taking up less than 2 square feet, it provides a no-impact, high-intensity, full body, strength and cardio workout. The built-in computer tracks time and steps, and since it’s so portable you can bring it to work and exercise while sitting at your desk. $69

Sexy Fit: Varying your routine is key in sticking to your exercise plan. If things get boring, try a DVD or class that will spice things up. I didn’t think I would enjoy the Aerobic Striptease DVD series, but I was pleasantly surprised when it actually turned out to be fun. The first 2 DVDs (”Aerobic Striptease” and “Fit To Strip”) make excellent additions to your overall workout plan, or would make great beginning points for those who are just beginning to exercise. Either way, you’re likely help you to feel more confident “in your skin”. For more sexy exercise options, check out the wildly popular Pole Dancing Kit! $34.99 & $99

I can’t say enough good things about instructional fitness videos: they are way more appealing to me than the gym. Plus, this winter weather doesn’t exactly compel most people to go outside. My fellow indoor fitness lovers will appreciate this final collection of exercise DVDs.

World Dance Inspired: This is a category near to my heart. There are movement styles from other countries that are so beautiful, exotic, unique, and sometimes quite sexy. Even better: If you feel you “can’t dance”, you may feel differently after trying one of these new styles. These titles are customer favorites, best sellers on Amazon, and are all on my To Buy/Rent DVD list.
L to R: Dance the Chakras, Bellydance Basics and Beyond, Bollyrobics Dance Workout, African Healing Dance and Hoopnotic Hoopdance Level 1 (PS- I’ve recently fallen in love with hula hooping for fun and fitness. Highly recommended.)

Photo by Cheryl Empey

Living in cold weather climates has it’s ups and downs. One of the funnest things about the normally not-so-fun freezing temperatures is the ability to make your own backyard ice rink! Just think… no more driving to the ice skating rink or paying entrance fees. Now you can have your very own outdoor home ice rink to skate or play hockey on anytime you like.

Whether learning how to ice skate is on your “to do” list or you’re an ice skating pro, having your own ice rink is a great winter treat. I just moved to California from back east, and although the warm weather is fantastic, I’ll always kinda miss cold weather fun like this. Playing in the snow is great, but outdoor ice skating is even better, it’s great excersize, and it’s fun for all ages. It doesnt even matter what size yard you have. KB Toys offers DIY kits to make an ice rink in 4 different sizes, so even smaller yards are not left out. There is a Snow Toy sale going on at KB from now until February 12th and all of the Ice n’ Go rinks are 30% off.

How to build an ice rink with your Ice n’ Go Kit

$149.99-279.99 (normally $199.99-399.99)

For some of us, adults and kids alike, our bicycles are like good friends. They provide us with eco-friendly transportation, a healthy hobby, and many miles of outdoor fun. Many people receive bikes as gifts (particularly birthday or Christmas presents), and with a bike being stolen every 30 seconds that means a lot of heartbroken gift recipients. It’s estimated that over 1.5 million bicycles are stolen every year, and it only takes about 7 seconds to steal one! The odds look stacked against bicycle owners, but the National Bike Registry has an excellent tool to assist in the recovery of your stolen bike or scooter.

How does it work? With their bicycle registration service, you you can register your bicycle by serial number in their national database and apply the tamper-proof label you receive to your bike. If your bike is ever stolen, it can be identified and you can prove ownership. Law Enforcement anywhere can access our database, they advise NBR that your bike has been recovered, and you can be notified immediately. For a single bike the cost is just $10 for 10 years, and a family of 5 can register all of their bikes for just $25 for 10 years. The cost makes it economical for even a mid-priced bicycle, and an absolute steal if you have an expensive one.

Whether you’re a pro or a newbie, practicing your dance moves at home can be very fun and convenient. You’re free to dance your heart out and you can be your own DJ, too! Even in a small space you can fit a piece of equipment that can help you limber up or get on down: a dance bar or pole. Whether you just know ballet basics, do yoga, or simply want to work on stretching and balance, a ballet barre can be very helpful. They’re adjustable so adults and kids of any height can comfortably take advantage of them. Use of a ballet barre promotes flexibility, good posture, and graceful movement.

Looking for something a little more exciting? Peekaboo’s Pole Dancing Kit is the first complete portable pole dancing package and it comes with chrome plated, extendable dance pole that needs no screws or bolts. Thanks to DVDs like Carmen Electra’s fantastic Aerobic Striptease set (which I personally recommend) and Sheila Kelley’s S Factor, women can learn to dance sexy in the privacy of their own home. Don’t fret if you can’t actually imagine yourself giving a pole dance or striptease; despite the stigma, you don’t have to look or act a certain way to benefit from these videos. They can simply help you gain confidence in your body and learn how to dance and move with more freedom. After trying some videos and taking a class at 24 Hour Fitness, I can also attest to it being a fun yet very challenging workout that gets you results fast. Peekaboo’s kit comes with an instructional DVD and dance move guide so all you need to add is attitude.