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Make the new year your year. From feeling fit to finding more family time, here are six local New Year’s resolutions to consider.
💡 Learn something new
- Be a tourist in your own city to experience it with fresh appreciation. Try one of these 11 can’t-miss tours of Lakeland, from kayaks to swans to architecture.
- Looking for new career opportunities in 2024? Learn about Lakeland’s 15 largest companies, including Publix, Amazon, GEICO, and Lakeland Regional Health.
- For those wanting to connect with their spirituality this year, get to know Lakeland’s diverse religious communities.
LAL is home to historic churches like The King’s Church (730 S. Florida Ave.).
Photo by @gracecityfl
💪 Try a new workout
- Get some zen in. Try one of these eight yoga studios around Swan City, which offer classes for beginners, hot yoga, and more fitness classes.
- Check out 16 local gyms to find your new favorite way to sweat in 2024.
- Take a walk. Pro tip: Use this interactive map of Lakeland’s walking and biking trails to find your perfect path.
- Need some support to reveal the healthiest you this year? Lakeland Regional Health’s Institute for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Medicine can help.
- “Some of the little changes that we do with bariatric surgery help patients get back energy so they can spend more time with their family and children, and less time in the hospital since their diabetes, blood pressure, and other weight-related diseases have improved,” says Dr. Sanjiv Gray, Bariatric Surgeon at Lakeland Regional Health.
- Interested? See the results for yourself with testimonies from LRH bariatric surgery patients Hayley (pictured below) and Alan.
📚 Read more books
- Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card. Luckily, Lakeland has not one but three public library locations where you can take advantage of all the benefits libraries have to offer.
- Shop for new books at one of these local bookstores (many of which also offer coffee + treats).
- Bonus points: Read a book by a local author.
Readers of all ages can get a library card — just have an adult present for those 15 and younger.
Photo by @wendydl
🥗 Eat well
- Try something new this year, like these vegetarian and vegan eats around Lakeland. Never tried boba? Hit up one of these local boba shops.
- Visit one of the newly opened food and drink spots around our city, including Fresh Kitchen (we recommend the cauliflower potato mash and the salmon) and Sushi Masa (featuring a large sashimi menu).
- Keep your eyes peeled for the opening of Peach House in early 2024, which will feature nomadic plates inspired in part by Mediterranean flavors.
Cob & Pen’s seasonal Three Bean Stew was a hit — check out their new seasonal dishes.
Photo by @thelkldvegan
👨👩👧👦 Spend more quality time with family
- Make it a family resolution to check off all of these local kid-friendly activities, complete with art classes, animal encounters, and outdoor fun.
- Explore one of Lakeland’s museums you haven’t visited yet, including the state-of-the-art, 47,800-sqft Florida Children’s Museum, which opened at Bonnet Springs Park in November of 2022. The museum features indoor and outdoor multi-sensory exhibits, including a 100-ft Blinky the Alligator playground.
- Check out the newly-opened Kelly Recreation Complex e-library, featuring library materials, a seating area, and Activity Room.
🌳 Explore the great outdoors
- How many of Lakeland’s 38 lakes have you really visited? Here’s your quintessential guide to Lakeland’s lakes to explore in 2024.
- Plan a family picnic, date night stroll, or solo remote work session at one of our city’s many parks. This comprehensive guide to Lakeland’s parks showcases which parks feature splash pads, playgrounds, WiFi, walking trails, and even dog-friendly areas.
- Take a family stroll on the 2.5-mile Lakeland Regional Health Circulator at Bonnet Springs Park.
- Mark your calendar for the openings of these recreation centers coming to Lakeland in 2024.
💆♀️ Practice more self-care
- Book a facial, massage, or treatment at one of these local wellness spots.
- Invest in your skin with medical-grade skincare from Viva Vitality or organic products from Rafa Natural, and consider seeing a dermatologist.
- Entertainment is self-care, too. Plan a night to disconnect, relax, and enjoy the arts with our local arts and culture guide.
- When the inevitable stress does come, try these five simple ways to relieve stress.
Explore more health + wellness content.
