4 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY IN ANDERSON COUNTY
According to the New York Times, 80% of people fail to stick to their New Year resolutions. I am sure that you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that 71% of people resolve to diet, 65% say they are going to exercise more and 54% vow to lose weight in the New Year. Well, if you are determined to be in the 20% of people that keep their resolution of being healthier, here are 4 ways to stay healthy if you are visiting Anderson County or if you live here.
Take A Hike! 
Anderson County has hundreds of miles of trails from easy to extreme. Exploring them all would be a great way to bring some diversity to your exercise routine. You might also want to take the Norris Dam 84-mile challenge this year where participants are challenged to bike, hike, horseback ride or paddle trails within Norris Dam State Park or the adjacent TVA and Norris Watershed Trails. You can get your booklet to log your miles at the Park’s visitor center.
Get Into Mountain Biking!
Mountain biking is a low impact sport, meaning it puts less stress on your joints than other aerobic activities such as running. Anderson County has several mountain biking trails that are easy to moderate and even extreme. You can find all of our trails at Hit the Trails. We suggest the trails at Norris Dam State Park, the Norris Watershed, Haw Ridge and the North Boundary Trails in Oak Ridge to start.
Swim!
Swimming is a great low impact full body workout. Many people don’t think about swimming in the winter months but the Community Centers have indoor pools and designated times for lap swimming. Click here for the Clinton Community Center’s indoor pool and click here for the schedule for the Oak Ridge Community Center indoor pool. They have a daily admission fee so you don’t have to have a membership. They also have locker rooms to change and store your personal items. There are also three hotels in Anderson County that have indoor pools so if you are visiting in the winter, be sure to check out the Holiday Inn Express and Baymont Inn & Suites in Clinton and the Double Tree in Oak Ridge.
Eat Right!
We know that it is hard to eat right when eating out but there are many restaurants in Anderson County that offer healthy options. We love Dean’s in Oak Ridge. They are located in historic Jackson Square and they serve lunch, brunch and dinner. They have many healthy choices on the menu and they are also vegetarian friendly.