It’s long been tradition to welcome the new year with an athletic feat: a bike ride, a run, a dip in the ocean or other suitable frigid body of water. The most popular way — in the populist sense — has been to welcome the new with a walk in the woods. And for the last several years, North Carolina’s State Parks have been helping you do exactly that, by participating in the nationwide First Day Hikes program.
We all resolve to be healthier and more active at the start of the new year. What we don’t always realize is that a healthier lifestyle is a day-by-day undertaking.
That said, get your first day of your active new year off to a good start with a hike. Hiking is one of the more traditional ways to start the blood flowing on January 1. (Jumping into an icy lake is another; we’ve tried that and don’t recommend it if you intend to keep the blood flowing.) Fortunately, there are lots of hike options on New Year’s Day, thanks to the First Day Hikes initiative launched a few years back by the nation’s state parks.
Another year, another opportunity for change. And what better way to think about what that change may look like and how you can make it happen than with a head cleared by fresh, clean air. Fresh, clean air inhaled on a New Year’s Day hike.
Lucky for you, such events abound.
Thanks to the North Carolina State Parks’ First Day Hikes program, every park in the system is hosting a hike today. That means that no matter where you live in the state, there’s an organized New Year’s Day hike near you.
The hikes vary in length and when they start. To find out what’s happening at a state park near you, go to ncparks.gov.
A great way to start a new year.