We’ll keep it short and sweet. Here are five resolution ideas for the new year:

1. Add fitness to your daily routine. Many resources are spent fighting cancer. Remember, the best way to prevent cancer and several other diseases — though it is no absolute guarantee — is regular exercise. And if you exercise some days and not others, perhaps 2012 is the year to step it up and be moving every single day.

2. Quit smoking. Most readers of this piece probably don’t smoke. If you do, however, the Tribune sincerely worries about the long-term health impacts of your addiction. We want you to be around to see your grandchildren and enjoy a long life. Quit the stinky habit in 2012.

3. Relax and stay calm. Work, school, home, family and financing demands sure can make for a hectic day. We suggest you do more to find ways to be the calm, reliable one when the world is spinning ever so fast. How? Listen to music more often. Read before going to bed. Cut back on caffeine and go to bed earlier. Generally heed your body’s wishes, yet do some activities that make you enjoy being alive, which in turn produces a calmer, more rested person.

4. Cut back on portions. It’s OK to eat a big meal from time to time, but try to save those moments for, say, a family night out. At other meals, attempt to eat less — which is to say, eat the right amount. Remember, your stomach takes 20 minutes to know when it is full.

5. Commit to helping others. Don’t let Christmas be the only season of giving. Volunteer to help in your church, your community, your service club or wherever you feel there is a sincere need. Not being selfish is a joyous feeling that warms the heart and relaxes the mind. Being miserly does the opposite. Be one of the givers in 2012.