Some people make resolutions to cut out negative habits, but consider putting a positive spin on the New Year by building good habits. Activity is vital to your health, but without sufficient mobility, it can be challenging to get enough exercise. A visit to a Boise area orthopedic center that performs minimally invasive surgery such as hip resurfacing, knee resurfacing and fracture care can help you achieve your goals of getting active in 2013.

If you are considering joint replacement surgery Dr. George Nicola at West Idaho Orthopedics helped pioneer a knee replacement technique that moved the quadriceps, the major muscle of the thigh, instead of going through the muscle mass. Because this knee surgery requires a smaller incision and less soft tissue disruption, recovery times are relatively short. Quad-sparing knee surgery is only one kind of joint replacement surgery Dr. George Nicola performs; he has also performed hip replacement surgery and hip resurfacing procedures to help thousands of patients become more active.

West Idaho Orthopedics' other orthopedic specialists, including Dr. Michael Shevlin, Dr. John Smith, Dr. Charles Schneider and Dr. Robert Hansen, have helped thousands throughout the region transform their lives through greater mobility as well. Your local orthopedic surgeon could play an instrumental role in your fitness goals. Minimally invasive surgery to perform a hip replacement or corrective carpal tunnel procedure can restore you to activities you may have avoided for years. A foot surgery, knee resurfacing or knee replacement performed soon may have you ready to walk by Valentine's Day and ready to jog in the spring.

Dr. Michael Shevlin, a Caldwell Idaho orthopedic surgeon at WIO, is an avid backpacker and knows how important good joint health is to activity. Proper fracture care after an injury and corrective foot surgery can make the difference between walking with comfort and finding mobility a challenge. Dr. John Smith and Dr. Charles Schneider, skiers who enjoy Idaho's snowy peaks, also encourage their patients to get a necessary hand surgery or shoulder surgery instead of putting it off until spring.

More activity is good for your health, but activity doesn't have to mean strenuous exercise. Taking up a new hobby is another popular resolution for the new year, and with minimally invasive surgery to ease a painful condition, this may be your year to start knitting or typing your novel. Dr. Robert Hansen, a Meridian Idaho orthopedic doctor who specializes in shoulder surgery and hand surgery, may be able to restore comfortable motion to hands and wrists that have become stiff due to carpal tunnel syndrome or a past injury.

Sports medicine prepares you for more than just sports. All the activities you do during a day count toward improved health, so see a Boise Idaho orthopedic surgeon at WIO to fulfill your promise to yourself this year. A Meridian Idaho orthopedic doctor can help you achieve your fitness goals.