Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Staying Fit On Vacation
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on February 18, 2020
A lot of folks are prone to put on a few extra pounds during the winter months, which means springtime is often spent trying to shed unwanted weight in time for bathing suit season. But you don't necessarily have to wait until you hit your goal weight to commit to your next vacation this year. Read on, and we'll pass along a few ideas for how to go ahead and take that next trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, have a great time, and still get your daily dose of exercise and even decent nutrition. It's possible that the next time you come to the Smokies to visit Smoky Mountain Ziplines, you might just wind up in better shape than when you left.
Hiking
If the calories go in, they need to go out somehow in order to lose weight, and hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the perfect way to do that. Even hiking just a few miles on a level to moderately steep trail will burn calories, and of course, there are all the other benefits that go along with hiking – fresh air, the beauty of nature and, if you're hiking with others, the company of family or friends. With 800 miles of trails to choose from, there are plenty of interesting routes and destinations in the national park, from waterfalls to mountaintops to historic sites.
Shopping
Think about it. If you go to an outlet mall that has dozens and dozens of shops on site, you're going to get in a lot of footsteps walking from store to store, not to mention the time you spend moving around inside each store. You'll get a lot of the same physical benefits of hiking, although the typical outlet mall obviously won't be as strenuous. But at least you can distract yourself with all that bargain hunting you'll be doing.
Walking the Parkway
This involves getting in more footsteps once again, but whether you're staying in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, consider walking along the Parkway instead of driving or taking a trolley. This is a little easier to accomplish in downtown Gatlinburg, where there's a high density of shops, restaurants and attractions per block, but even in Pigeon Forge, a lot of cool places are easily reachable by foot power.
Active Attractions
There are lots of attractions in the Smokies where you can get exercise and have a whole lot of fun in the process. For example, you can burn a lot of calories snow skiing or snowboarding at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort. There are also trampoline parks in both Pigeon Forge and Sevierville where you can bounce your way toward fitness. Of course, when Dollywood theme park opens next month, you may not find any exercise-inducing attractions, but if you stay on your feet for an entire day at Dollywood, you're definitely going to work off some calories. And when summer comes around, don't forget about swimming at your lodging provider's pool or heading to one of the area water parks for some splashy exercise. (Admittedly, zip lining in Pigeon Forge, TN, with us may not shed pounds, but you gotta rest sometime, right?)
Nutrition Too
Getting in shape isn't just about burning calories. Good nutrition is the other half of the equation. If you're staying in an overnight rental, you'll have access to a full kitchen, which makes it a lot easier to shop for and keep healthier foods on hand. But yeah, you're still on vacation, so you're definitely going to be doing a lot of eating out, regardless. The good news there is that the Smokies have so many different restaurants to offer, it's not too much of a challenge to find a place that at least has some healthier alternatives on the menu. Sure, enjoy a big, greasy burger one night, but maybe enjoy some mountain trout the next night.
