By Jen Mueller, for SparkPeople

With the New Year just around the corner, exercise is on a lot of people's minds. So many of us are bound and determined to reach new fitness goals, hit the gym with vigor, and change our bodies once and for all.

Does this sound a lot like last year? What happens between January and December that causes so many people to fail, only to set the same fitness resolutions year after year?

No one wants to fail. When you start a fitness program, the hope is that all of your hard work (and sweat) will carry you to the finish line. A lot of people can start a fitness program, but very few can stick with it for the long-term. Why?

In my experience as a trainer and health coach, the excuses we use to miss a workout aren't the real reasons people fail. You don't have to be a fortune teller to predict who will be going strong next December and who will be starting over again. Most often, I can tell whether someone will succeed or fail based on four simple signs.

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

Sometimes I dread to report on the health risks of smoking, because obviously you know the risks by now. But, just in case you (or a girlfriend you love) is still, occasionally smoking socially (even a cigarette here and there), this news is for you (and her).

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According to a new study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association Journal that looked at results of more than 100,000 women as far back as 1976, those who were light to moderate smokers had a significantly increased risk of dying from sudden cardiac arrest than those who didn't smoke.

"Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for sudden cardiac death, but until now, we didn't know how the quantity and duration of smoking effected the risk among apparently healthy women," said study author Dr. Roopinder K. Sandhu, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Alberta's Mazankowski Heart Institute in Edmonton, Alberta,

by Sarah Jio, Glamour

A superfruit for weight loss? Experts indicate that it could be apples! And, since we all know that most people gain more weight during end of the year holidays than any other time of the year, this is news we all can use--right this second!

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Here's the details: In a study of mice, researchers at University of Iowa report that apples--which are rich in a compound called ursolic acid (found in apple skins)--may increase your body's ability to burn calories and build muscle.

So maybe for every Christmas cookie you eat, munch on an apple slice too!

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Are you a regular apple eater?

P.S. 16 percent of your calories may come from this surprising source! Experts call it "food porn" and say it may make you pack on pounds...

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by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

You know what's really great? Finding out that something doesn't increase your cancer risk. And, today, we just so happen to have one of those somethings.

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A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has found that the UV lamps used to dry gel manicures don't cause skin cancer--something dermatologists have been concerned with for years.

In fact, the researchers for the study say that it would take 13,000 to 40,000 drying sessions under the lamp to raise your risk of getting skin cancer. That works out to one gel manicure per week for the next 250 years.

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The researchers say that gel manicure lights use narrowband UVB rays, which are the same kind used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Yay! How nice is it to hear that this doesn't cause cancer?

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by Lexi Petronis, Glamour

We know that sugary beverages pack a lot of calories into their sweet little containers (they've taken a lot of heat in the obesity debate). But now the results of a new study are showing that they may also trick our brains into thinking that we're hungry!

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Actually, it's the fructose in sugar-sweetened drinks that researchers say affect the brain region that regulates appetite. The researchers--who point out that the study does not show that fructose causes obesity--say that participants who drank a cherry-flavored drink with fructose in it experienced a spike in their hypothalamus. The participants who drank the same beverage made with glucose didn't have the spike.

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The conclusion: high-fructose corn syrup and other forms of fructose might actually help lead us to overeat more than glucose does. (Plain table sugar contains both glucose and fructose.) Which means, say the experts,

The holidays are over, the kids are back in school, and you're ready to jump back on the health wagon. Thanks to these little helpers, getting in shape is easier than ever. By Anthony Cave, REDBOOK.

Charity Miles
A woman can only bake so many brownies for school bake sales, so run away - for an equally good cause. Charity Miles donates 10 cents per mile for bikers and 25 cents per mile for runners to the charity of your choice. Once you choose an organization, the app automatically tracks the distance you cover, and does all the work. Charity Miles, free, iPhone/iPad/Android.

Fitness Trainer
Don't know where to start? Let your coach help you - virtually. Fitness Trainer automatically creates workout routines based on your body weight and offers exercises that can be done both at and outside of the gym as. Three mediums of instruction - audio, video and graphics - make the moves easy to follow. Fitness Trainer, $2.99, iPhone/iPad.

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Fitocracy

FitSugarSource: 5 Ways to Get Energized During a Lunch Break

Lunchtime can be crucial for resetting your focus to avoid that midafternoon slump. What you do around the noon hour can change the rest of your day for good - even if you skipped breakfast or showed up late to work. Try to make the most of your time with one (or all) of these helpful tips and see if it makes a difference in your work.

• Get moving: You don't need to run the stairs in your office attire to increase your heart rate. If you can't squeeze in a lunchtime workout, doing something a little less exerting like walking to your lunch spot instead of going to the deli downstairs can give you that extra kick you need. If you bring your lunch to work - well, kudos to you! Use the extra time to walk somewhere for a beverage or find a place to eat your homemade meal instead of having it at your desk, which can lead to mindless eating.
• Eat energizing foods: Instead of fats and heavy carbs that can weigh you down, look

FitSugarSource: 4 of the Best Thigh Workouts to Try in the New Year

Step right up (or lie down) for these simple yet challenging thigh-toning exercises. You don't need an at-home gym to sculpt your inner thighs, just a few tricks up your sleeve that will target them. Most of these exercises also work around to reach your backside, too, so they're double threats right in time to start fresh this new year! Click through to start feeling the burn.

• Circle Round: To tone your thighs from the ground up, try this inner-thigh circle exercise. Just because it's done on the floor doesn't mean it won't enhance your leggings. Lying on your back makes your thighs work that much harder to balance in order to keep your back glued and your hips square.
• Single-Leg Squat: Forget the old sumo squat, this thigh-sculpting single-leg squat looks much more graceful while targeting your inner thighs instead of just the booty. Keep the pie off your thighs with these simple lifts.
• Plié Squat: