Moving is good for your health, and even necessary – everyone knows that. But what if you hate running, doing squats, and doing crunches? We’ve collected active and exciting hobbies that even those who prefer to avoid the gym for a mile might enjoy.
Hiking
This is the name for one-day hiking trips along natural trails. Hiking can last from a couple of hours to a whole day. The intensity depends on the chosen route and ranges from an easy walk to intense cardio.
This active hobby is a great way to breathe fresh air, strengthen your legs and endurance at the same time. It is also an opportunity to switch off from gadgets for a few hours and be alone with nature – a bonus that will definitely not hurt in the modern world.
Geocaching
This is a quest using GPS. Some people hide “caches” – boxes with notes or small souvenirs – in various places, from city parks to forest paths. And others go looking for them. To find the treasure, you need to register on the geocaching enthusiasts’ website , navigate by coordinates, and sometimes solve riddles.
Geocaching gives motivation to walk more often and longer. After all, every cache found is a small victory. The ideal hobby for those who want to combine physical activity with a game and discover new corners of their hometown .
Horticulture
Gardening keeps you moving: digging, planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting. It’s a great cardio workout and a full-body workout.
This active hobby is suitable for those who want to keep fit without boring workouts and still get fruits and vegetables as a reward. Gardening to relax, relieve stress and recharge with natural energy, and also to feel the real benefit of your efforts.
By the way, if you don’t have your own dacha, no problem. You can tidy up the area next to the entrance and plant flowers there. But don’t forget to coordinate your plans with the management company.
Bowling
It’s a team game where you knock down pins with a heavy ball. It sounds simple, but in reality it turns into a full-fledged strength training. A whole set of muscles are worked: back, shoulders, arms, legs and even abs. An aimed throw requires concentration, coordination and confidence.
Bowling is a combination of physical activity and entertainment. It seems like you are moving and burning calories, but it feels like you are just having fun with friends.
SUP boarding and kayaking
It seems like you are relaxing in nature, but your body is working at full capacity: your arms, back, shoulders, body and even abs get a decent workout. And if you stand on the SUP, you also need to maintain balance – an excellent workout for developing balance and coordination of movements.
This active hobby is suitable for those who want to exercise unobtrusively and with a beautiful view. This is an activity for introverts and romantics: you can get away from the hustle and bustle, row on a lake or river. An ideal summer activity without the feeling that it is a sport at all.
Walking with children (or with a dog)
At first glance, it’s just a routine. In fact, it’s regular physical activity. Walking marches along neighboring streets and city parks, tagging, playing ball — all this is movement, and at a good pace. Active walks improve and , and also potential life expectancy.
If you have neither children nor a dog, it’s not a problem. Surely relatives and friends with children will be happy with your offer to sometimes take their child for a walk. And you can even earn some money walking other people’s dogs – look for people willing to delegate this daily task to others. To do this, you can post ads in home chats or on helper websites in your city.
Dancing
Movement to music can look like anything: from graceful tango in a club to fiery Zumba in the kitchen. The main thing is rhythm, energy and the fact that the whole body is moving. Dancing is great for the cardiovascular system, mood and you feel more confident. The main thing is to dance as if no one is watching.
Mushroom or berry picking
Ground Picture / shutterstock
To collect a decent harvest, you will have to walk more than one kilometer, squat and bend many times. So the body works, even though you are not in the gym.
Such a hobby is excitement, silence, meditation and pleasant tiredness in the legs. Plus fresh air, seasonal delicacies and the feeling that today you did not just walk, but got food, like in prehistoric times.
Cycling
You can ride a bike in any format – from a leisurely ride through the park to a brisk ride to the store or to run errands. As a result, you train your legs, your endurance and cardiovascular system, and at the same time clear your mind.
A bicycle is a means of transport and exercise equipment in one bottle. You can ride with your family, listen to music or just escape stress by pedaling. This is the case when fitness doesn’t look like fitness, but brings pure pleasure.
Roller skating
members of the roller skating club, skating helps keep muscles in good shape, improves coordination and the cardiovascular system – just like other physical activities. It also improves mood, reduces stress and helps you feel more confident.
Rollerblading is suitable for those who want to combine sports and fun. You can skate alone, with friends or with children – and enjoy it every time, without remembering that, in fact, it is a workout.
Cleaning and organizing space
For some, it is an unpleasant duty, but for others, it is a real sacred act. And for good reason, because cleaning is not only a way to tidy up, but also an effective workout. Climbing up on a stool, squatting with a bucket, swinging a mop, bending over to pick up a lost sock – all this involves the muscles of the legs, arms, back and body. And if you turn on energetic music, you will get real aerobics.
Suitable for those who want to combine business with pleasure: the house will shine and the body will be in good shape.