Kingsport offers healthy options for the New Year

This time each year millions of people around the world make New Year’s resolutions. One of the more popular promises people make is to improve their health by losing weight, eating better or joining a gym.

If you made that promise for 2023, the City of Kingsport would like to help you reach your goal by offering the following suggestions:

Swimming is the perfect way to get regular aerobic exercise without placing too much stress on the body. Swimming provides you with a full-body workout, an effective way to burn calories, a chance to de-stress and relax while exercising without the sweat.

And it can be done year-round at the Kingsport Aquatic Center. Now in its 10^th year of operation, the KAC offers water aerobics, a warm water pool and indoor/outdoor lap swimming throughout the year for guests and members.

For membership information visit www.swimkingsport.com.

If the outdoors is more for your liking, then consider a hike or biking excursion to Bays Mountain Park. The park offers 44 miles of hiking and biking trails throughout it 3,750 acres. Visiting the park two or three times a week, walking amongst nature will do wonders for your physical health, as well as your mental health.

An individual membership is just $30 a year and grants you free admission to the park, along with complimentary passes for nature, planetarium and barge programs. For membership information visit www.baysmountain.com.

As you age, maintaining a healthy mind and body is vitally important. Staying active through regular exercise, engaging with friends and participating in activities are all essential for good health. One way older adults can accomplish these goals is by joining the Kingsport Senior Center.

Anyone age 50 and older can join the senior center for just $25 a year. Membership gives you access to a variety of classes, including aerobics, Tai Chi, Zumba and dance. You can also play pickleball and basketball in the gym, use the exercise machines in the fitness center or attend a wellness seminar on healthy cooking, memory/brain health or pre-diabetes screening.

For membership information visit seniors.kingsporttn.gov.

Something simple as taking a 30-minute walk three to four times a week can make a difference in your health, especially if done consistently over the long term. An easy way to do that is by visiting the Kingsport Greenbelt.

Kingsport’s 10-mile walking and biking path stretches from one end of town to the other and is conveniently located to many neighborhoods throughout the city. Open year-round from dawn to dusk, the best part about the Kingsport Greenbelt is it’s free to use.

For more information about the greenbelt or any of the other 30 parks found in Kingsport, visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.