More and more people are taking up hobbies that allow them to get outside, get their heart rate up, and get some exercise without feeling like they're getting a "traditional workout."
A fitness-focused hobby can even be an easy first step in launching a healthy lifestyle.
There may be times when you want to try a newfitness hobby without committing to heavy, expensive equipment.
Many gyms and fitness centers offer these activities and more.
By trying a fitness activity in a controlled environment like this, you can explore many new hobbies to discover "what sticks" and what motivates you to keep going.
For young adults eager to try new sporting hobbies, there are many activities and sports offered at children's fitness camps, where specially trained staff members help children learn to exercise in a fun and original way.
Here are six of the best fitness hobbies:
- Climbing
- Swimming
- Running and jogging
- Mountain biking
- Yoga
- Hiking
In this article, we explore these six fitness-focused hobbies, along with ways to do them at home or on the go.
Escalation
Have you noticed the number of new climbing gyms opening all over the country?
America has fallen in love with rock climbing, and climbing gyms offer the hobby to everyone, not just those who live near mountains.
Indoors or outdoors, rock climbing is a great way to challenge yourself physically and mentally.
You can build endurance and improve your cardiovascular health through this hobby, and the exhaustion you feel from pushing yourself is rewarded by the pride you'll feel when you reach the top.
Most climbing gyms (and some outdoor courses) offer beginner courses and routes, so you'll find help even if you don't know where to start.
And if you don't have all the safety gear, don't worry; you can usually rent the equipment from these places.
You will find that your first climb may leave you exhausted, but with practice you will quickly build up the endurance and stamina to take on longer or more intense climbs.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best hobbies for fitness.
This is a great way to exercise your entire body, as you will be using every part of it to propel yourself through the water.
It's also a high-calorie burn. In fact, some Olympic athletes have to eat up to 12,000 calories a day to make up for all the calories burned during training and competition.
But you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy the benefits of swimming; most communities have at least one pool nearby for lap swimming or swimming lessons.
It's easy to get started - just find your nearest pool and ask about swimming lessons or freestyle swimming.
Swimming also provides clear goals that you can use to measure your success.
With a fitness tracker (or even just a notepad in your locker), you can track your laps or total time spent swimming, and strive to surpass that mark next time.
Swimming is also a great way to stay fit while traveling.
Many hotels, resorts and camps offer free swimming pools, for family relaxation or exercise.
Running and jogging
Running is arguably the easiest hobby to take up; the only barrier to overcome is a good pair of shoes and some space to run.
It's estimated that nearly 60 million people in the United States run or jog as a hobby, so if motivation is your biggest obstacle, ask around.
You probably already have a friend or family member who runs, and exercise is always easier with a partner.
Many people prefer to run outdoors, while others prefer the solitude of a treadmill or the privacy of an indoor track.
If you're interested in starting running, try a few different environments to see what type of runner you are.
Your geographic location can also help you determine the best place to run.
Cold, snowy environments can push runners indoors, while crowded city streets may mean you'll be running in a nearby park or track.
Running and jogging are great ways to build overall endurance and improve cardiovascular health.
Simply increasing your heart rate, even for a short period of time, will help put you on the path to better health.
Don't worry about setting records right now; it doesn't matter how many minutes it takes you to run a mile, what matters is that you do it.
Start today, and your times will naturally improve with practice and repetition.
Running is another great hobby to take on a trip.
Ask your hotel or resort staff about the best running trails nearby, so you can stay healthy while exploring a new area.
Mountain biking
It is true that mountain biking is a fitness hobby that is a little more difficult to implement.
You'll need the right equipment (including a mountain bike and safety gear) and good trails nearby.
However, mountain bikers will tell you that if you put your mind to it, the results are enormous, both in terms of exercise and scenery.
Mountain biking allows you to work a wide variety of muscle groups. It's not just about pedaling, but also maintaining balance and controlling the bike.
On the track, you'll have a much different training experience than you would sitting on a bike in a gym.
This fitness hobby will also keep your mind sharp, as you will need to stay alert to read the trails and negotiate the tight turns and obstacles along your route.
If you don't live near good mountain biking trails, you're in luck. If you're looking to try this hobby while traveling, many places with mountain biking trails have rental shops nearby.
These shops will allow you to rent a bike and safety equipment for the day (or longer), and will offer guided tours or maps of the best trails in the area.
Yoga
Looking at this list, this activity may seem absurd at first glance. Is yoga really considered a fitness hobby?
While yoga may not seem like a grueling exercise from afar, it's actually a fantastic full-body workout (see 5 Reasons Yoga Can Improve Your Health). (See 5 Reasons Yoga Can Improve Your Health.)
There are many types of yoga, from the more meditative styles of restorative yoga to the more intense workouts of Bikram or Vinyasa yoga.
Depending on the type of yoga you choose and the poses you perform, you can burn between 160 and 600 calories in an hour of class.
In addition to its physical benefits, yoga also has important mental benefits.
Yoga classes can help you focus on your breathing and awareness, improve concentration, and reduce anxiety and stress.
These reasons alone make it a fantastic hobby to consider in today's fast-paced world.
Yoga is a growing hobby—one study found that practice has increased by more than 50 percent in four years—and it's easier than ever to get started.
Look for gyms or yoga studios nearby; most offer beginner classes and let you try out the hobby before committing further.
Or if you want to try it while traveling, look for resorts and spas that offer yoga classes as part of their program.
All you need to start yoga is comfortable clothing, a foam mat, and a willingness to try something new.
Hiking
"There's no point in hurrying, because you're not actually going anywhere. No matter how far or long you walk, you're always in the same place: in the woods."
Hiking is one of the best fitness hobbies to connect with nature.
There are hundreds of trails under 5km across the country. Hiking allows you to set the difficulty of your workout by choosing the right trail and selecting the length and terrain you want to tackle.
It's easy to get started hiking!
All you need is a good pair of hiking boots and plenty of water. Almost anywhere you live is just a short drive from a hiking trail.
Many maintained trails (such as those in national and state parks) have clearly marked paths and maps available, so beginner hikers should start with these routes.
As you gain endurance and confidence on the trails, you can begin to tackle some of the more rugged paths nature has to offer.
Hiking is also an easy hobby to take on a trip. If you can fit your hiking boots in a suitcase, you can go hiking on vacation.
Some travelers even visit fitness centers specifically for their guided hikes and nearby trails, to improve their fitness level and experience beautiful scenery along the way.
Can fitness be a hobby?
This question is a debate you can have. Can fitness be a hobby or a mundane, obligatory task?
In this article, you will see that she will be all of these things at certain times in your life.
What is a hobby?
To know if fitness is a hobby, you need to define for yourself what fitness and hobbies are to you.
A hobby is generally defined as something you do in your free time that you enjoy.
I would like to add that it also involves some form of skill or personal development.
Sitting on the couch and watching TV is an activity you probably enjoy, but it doesn't make you a better person.
Fitness also means different things to different people. Depending on your age, gender, and any health conditions you may have, you might consider a long, brisk walk on Sunday with the family to be your weekly fitness.
Others might say that it doesn't fit their definition of fitness at all.
The first thing to think about when deciding whether fitness is a hobby, a chore, or a lifestyle for you is how you define these terms and how others define them.
The reason you are involved in your fitness determines whether it is a hobby.
From what my clients say and what I read, the question of whether fitness can be a hobby depends heavily on perception.
If fitness is something you do regularly, voluntarily, out of personal motivation and with pleasure, it is most likely a hobby.
If you're getting into fitness because you've been misdiagnosed or feel fat and unattractive, it's much more likely that starting your fitness program will be a chore.
To increase your chances of success, try to think more about the benefits you will get from getting in shape than about the time you will have to invest to get there.
How do I stay motivated for my fitness sessions?
What can also help you see fitness as a hobby and less of an obligation is seeing the privilege in the fact that you can still move freely.
If you have all your fingers, hands, legs, and brain functioning in a way that would be considered "normal," you are already better off than many others.
Another approach I've learned is to shift your mindset from training to recharging your batteries.
Your gym sessions should challenge you and allow you to leave with a sense of accomplishment. If you leave the gym feeling dejected, overwhelmed and exhausted, it will become a chore.
A workout should give you more than it takes away. Save the madness for testing, racing and competitions if you want to do it.
Training with a specific goal and viewing fitness as a workout will also help you stay on track.
Training towards a clear goal will make progress meaningful and trackable.
You'll be much more likely to make fitness your hobby if you have fun and meaningful goals to achieve.
Time management based on your fitness
One of the biggest questions I get asked is how I manage to do it all: write a blog, travel the world, have two kids, and work out five times a week.
Once these pillars of my life became meaningful, high-priority, and worthwhile goals to pursue, I became more savvy about achieving them.
I sleep more than before because it makes me more productive. I learned to use journals and Evernote to be more productive when I travel. I optimized my gym time to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time by using supersets.
You can also do these things and become a little more creative if you think positively about the goals you want to achieve. That's where creativity lies.
Conclusion
Most things start out as a chore or obligation before they turn into a hobby. Especially when it’s an activity that requires a lot of skill. Consider this list of hobbies
- The dance
- Nature photography
- Youth training
- Woodworking
- Kitchen
- Gardening
- Animals
- Volunteering
- Travels
All of these activities are the most frustrating when you first start out. You invest a lot of time with little or no results.
Once you stick with it, it gets easier and the results increase along with it.
My fitness journey began when my wife threatened to leave me because I had become uninteresting.
Since then, I have taken shape and, in the not so distant future, I might even turn the chore that had become a hobby into a source of income.
And you? Where are you in your fitness journey? Let me know in the comments.
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