Jumpstarting a healthy lifestyle is never easy. You must compromise on your wants and needs, limit your indulgences and set personal goals that may be challenging to obtain. Despite the hardships one may face while making New Year’s resolutions, the methods used to transform these declarations into a reality are often quite fun, especially in Coastal Virginia.
The region is abundant in activities and events that allow you to take “staying healthy” far beyond daily trips to the gym and diet alterations. Read below to learn more about how you can exercise your mind and body and adopt health-conscious trends, from the ports of Norfolk to the Smithfield countryside.
Photo by Matt Haddaway
Explore the Outdoors
Spending time outdoors reaps major benefits on your mental and physical health, even during the winter months. From the sandy dunes of Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore to the wooded walking trails of Williamsburg, the urban Jordan Bridge and Virginia Beach's False Cape State Park, the Coastal Virginia region is rich with year-round, outdoor recreational spots. Many local hikes permit a variety of activities too, so you can explore the seaside splendor and historical sites of Coastal Virginia by foot, bike and more.
Stimulate Your Mind
It is impossible to truly live out the “new year, new me” mantra without opening your mind to new experiences. The dawn of a new year is the ideal excuse to explore, and to expand your mind and palate with Coastal Virginia’s booming arts and food culture. Take the Arts + Eats Walking Tour in Virginia Beach’s revitalized ViBe Creative District, or exercise your creativity at a writing workshop at Norfolk’s Muse Writers Center. The Muse Writers Center even offers a writing seminar geared toward health and wellness, perfect for the discovery of the new-and-improved you.
Achieve Your Fitness Goals
For years, getting fit and healthy has ranked high on Americans’ New Year’s resolution list. Whether you’re looking to build muscle by lifting weights, improve your flexibility with a special course like Sky Pilates Fitness in Suffolk or start training for Virginia Beach’s 2018 Shamrock Marathon, there are a plethora of unique exercise options throughout Coastal Virginia. You can also avoid costly gym fees by joining the region’s local recreation or community centers for as low as $14 per month.
Eat Local
Stay healthy and support local agriculture this year by purchasing fresh produce at local farmer’s markets. Stands full of homegrown fruits and vegetables, freshly canned goods, organic meats and more can be found most weekends in church parking lots and city centers throughout areas like Williamsburg, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Try a Trend
The 2017 trend of antioxidant-infused and live culture-rich juices is expected to continue throughout the new year. Other upcoming health fads include group exercise, greater attention to sleep health, dairy alternatives and brain-boosting supplements. So, if you have yet to declare a New Year’s resolution or are simply looking to try something new, 2018 has plenty of trends to choose from to help you achieve a happy, healthier you.
Grace Silipigni
Grace Silipigni is an elementary school Spanish immersion teacher based in Virginia Beach and a regular contributor to Coastal Virginia Magazine, covering a wide range of topics such as health and wellness, education and learning, food and drink, happenings and events, travel and getaways and more.
