A new year brings renewed resolutions, and for many, physical fitness is top of mind.

Just continue to get better, whether its cardio or [getting] a little stronger, Ryan Kovarik, a member at Limitless Performance in Kitchener, said.

The gym has officially entered its busiest season, with 30 new members joining the facility this month alone.

This year its super busy, said owner Adam de Jong. Its not only new people coming in but its also our current members, long-term members that are super excited to set some new goals.

According to Forbes Health, nearly half of this years resolutions revolve around getting in better shape.

[People] want to be strong, they want to be healthy, they want to be fit, they want to eat healthy, they want to sleep well, de Jong told CTV News.

The most popular resolutions, according to Forbes Health:

According to Andy Kovacs, a financial planner with Sunlife Financial, more of his clients are looking to protect the money they currently have rather than worry about making more.

Despite the direction that our institutions and our economy are headed, Canadians still want to be in financial control, Kovacs told CTV News.

He points at a volatile 2023 thats left many Canadians on edge.

People want to make sure that their families can be taken care of, their businesses, their communities, because weve got a lot of challenges, Kovacs added.

The third most prioritized resolution is making positive improvements to mental health, especially as we emerge from the pandemic.

Registered psychotherapist Josh Zettel, at CARESPACE Health+Wellness in Kitchener-Waterloo, said more people are drawing attention to their mental health issues, rather than bottling them up.

I think people are looking to experience the benefits of working on mental health, he said. I think people have also seen other people invest their energy and invest their time into developing mental skills and improving mental health so that it doesnt have as much of an impact.

For those looking to improve their mental health, Zettel suggests the following:

The survey shows most resolutions last two to three months before theyre given up on.

Experts say the best way to stick with your goals is to practice smart and healthy habits.

Really understand and connect with the values behind your goal, Zettel advised. Why is it important to you? Why do you want to fulfill it? Why do you want to achieve it?

Other resolutions included in the survey include:

Read this article:
Health and fitness top New Year resolutions for 2024: survey - CTV News Kitchener

Flacos Tacos, for years a go-to spot for vegan Mexican food in Berkeley, is closing its brick-and-mortar location on Dec. 30, 2023.

We want to thank all of the people who have given us the chance to serve them and make it this far but as of now, we can no longer sustain our relationship to our community and people, the restaurant posted on Instagram. (The news was first reported by Berkeleyside.)

Flacos started off as a farmers market stand in 2001 and soon moved into a charming little hut by the Ashby BART station. Founder Antonio Magaa grew up enjoying the traditional family recipes from his Abuelitas Carmen & Santos Chata,' according to the restaurants website. As a child, he and his siblings would help his mother in the kitchen, and these memories inspired the creation of Flacos. He took those dishes and replaced all the animal ingredients with vegetarian-based substitutes.

As of Dec. 28, the fundraiser had collected $5,476 of a $20,000 goal.

Its been a rather brutal year for vegan spots in the Bay Area. Among the restaurants that shuttered are VeganBurg in San Francisco, the vegan-friendly Pizza Flora in San Jose, and Souley Vegan and the brick-and-mortar location of Vegan Mob both in Oakland.

More here:

Another Bay Area vegan restaurant bites the dust, this time in Berkeley - The Mercury News