Getting fit is a popular New Year's resolution every year, right next to saving money and managing debt.

Scott Gustafson, general manager at XSport Fitness Express in Batavia, knows that to be true. He has been seeing more people sign up for memberships at the club.

"We try to set realistic goals for them," he said. "We really want them to be successful."

XSport Fitness is getting a new look for the new year. The club at 81 N. Randall Road is expanding by 6,000 square feet and receiving more than $500,000 in renovations, including new locker rooms, new equipment and the addition of a group exercise studio.

The improvements started in December and should be completed by the end of January, Gustafson said.

Anthony Ligammari, fitness manager at XSport Fitness in Batavia, said it's important for people to know their fitness level before starting any program.

"You don't want to overwork your body," he said.

Dana Whitley, 32, of Batavia, said she had to overcome some of her own obstacles when she started working out five years ago.

"It's getting the energy to go to the gym after work," she said. "You have to talk yourself into going to the gym."

Giving up smoking is another popular New Year's resolution, and something that more Kane County residents are doing. The Kane County Health Department's Community Health Improvement Plan showed the smoking rate in Kane County is 12 percent, down from 15 percent.

Jan. 1 marks the fifth anniversary of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, which prohibits smoking in workplaces, restaurants, bars, theaters, casinos and other enclosed public places. A 2006 U.S. Surgeon General report estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 people a year in the United States, including about 2,000 people in Illinois.

"Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of early death in the United States, but thanks to the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, we can collectively take a breath of fresh air in Illinois knowing that more people than ever are enjoying smoke-free environments," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck said in a press release.

The Kane County Health Department offers resources to help people kick the habit at its website, www.kanehealth.com.