Getting Fit in the New Year

Getting Fit in the New Year

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is getting fit, losing weight, or just exercising more. Unfortunately, it’s a resolution that often falls by the wayside—but sometimes getting fit just means getting moving, and with the unseasonably warm temperatures we’ve been seeing in the Upstate, it’s a great time to get moving outside.

There’s nothing wrong with joining a gym, but being active doesn’t have to cost much if you know where to look. If you’re a novice hiker, a tentative cyclist, a beginning runner, or a casual walker, there are plenty of opportunities here in the Upstate for you to get out and move—and maybe get hooked on it!

Starting out the new year with a hike is a great way to kick start your year, and the South Carolina State Parks Department is offering First Day Hikes all over the state on January 1, with plenty of options here in the Upstate:

Caesars Head offers three different hikes on New Year’s Day of varying degrees of difficulty,

from an easy mile on the Wildcat Wayside Trail to a moderate 5-mile hike on the Raven Cliff Falls Trail to a difficult (but well worth it) 4.5-mile hike to Rainbow Falls.

Croft State Park’s First Day offerings vary by activity, with mountain biking, trail running, horseback riding, and an easy hike in the mix.

Devils Fork will have an easy and a moderate hike and, for the very brave (or slightly loony), a “Loon Lunge” in Lake Jocassee.

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site offers an easy walk on the Battlefield Trail.

Oconee State Park’s easy 1-mile walk will have stops at various CCC buildings on the Old Waterwheel Trail, and there will be hot cocoa at the end.

At Paris Mountain, you can take the Polar Plunge if you’re feeling your inner polar bear, or opt for an easy, 1.5-mile walk on the Nature Trail.

Sadlers Creek offers an easy 1.5-mile walk on the Pine Grove Nature Trail.

At Table Rock State Park, you can choose an easy, 1.6-mile walk on the scenic Lake Pinnacle Trail or a challenging 7.2-mile hike on the Pinnacle Mountain Trail.