Getting fit and eating right are hard things to do. That is why so many well-meaning New Year’s resolutions fail.

People start off with the best of intentions, but they slowly fall back into their old ways and abandon their goals.

One of the reasons so many weight loss and fitness resolutions fail is that people try to do too much too quickly. They might think that going to the gym every day or working out 10 hours a week will provide fast results, but in the end all it does is make exercise a chore.

If you want to reach your fitness and weight loss goals, you will need to make permanent changes to your lifestyle. You do not have to make radical changes to succeed. In fact, small steps are often the most effective. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Tips for Getting (and Staying) Active

• Start each day with a brisk 10 minute walk. Simply walking around the block Is enough to get your blood moving and boost your metabolism.
• Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity every day. That physical activity can be anything from cleaning the house and gardening to walking the dog and riding an exercise bike.
• Find an exercise buddy. Having someone to work out with is fun, and you and your friend can motivate one another.
• Do not let a lack of mobility get in the way of your fitness goals. If walking is difficult, you can use hand weights to improve your strength, or get fit with water aerobics.

Tips for Eating Better

• Rid your home of junk food to avoid temptation. Stock your kitchen and table with fresh fruits instead.
• Keep a food diary to get a feel for how much you are eating. You might be surprised.
• Aim to reduce your consumption of sugar and salt by 10 percent. When you reach that goal, you can increase it to 25 percent.
• Limit your consumption of fried foods and saturated fats. Trim visible fat from steaks and chops before you eat.
• Eat fish once or twice a week.
• Enjoy a meatless meal at least once a week. You will save money and improve your health.

Tips for Keeping Your Blood Pressure Under Control

• Talk to your doctor and work out a plan for lowering blood pressure. The plan might include dietary changes and stress reduction.
•  Watch for added sodium in the foods you eat. Even foods that do not taste salty can contain high levels of sodium.
• Quit smoking. Your doctor can help with smoking cessation programs and prescription medications.
• Watch out for beverages and medications that raise blood pressure. Caffeinated beverages and over-the-counter medications can cause your blood pressure to spike.
• Watch out for stress triggers and learn to control them.

Getting and staying fit can be tough, and that is why it is important to get help whenever you need it. The above tips can help you get started and make reaching your weight loss and fitness goals a lot easier.