Sport & Activity

Don't bust a gut in the Gym - just be Active

For some of us, going to the Gym generates those happy endorphins, for others it is a chore. For some, dancing or gardening rocks their boat. Even pushing the vaccuum cleaner can be beneficial to our health as a form of exercise and creating a sense of self-worth.....much more so than some people believe.

Fed up of all those run of the mill things that people do: football, netball, cycling, gym. It’s good to leave our comfort zones every once in a while. Here are some activities that you’ll probably enjoy if given a chance. Put them on your bucket list and try as many as you can at least once!

A

Aerobics, archery, aquatics, automobile racing

Archery -  Pick up a bow and arrow, and channel your inner link as you strive to hit the center of each target.  Choose from:  Traditional archery, 3D archery, target archery, or field archery.  In general, you’ll mostly have to spend on a bow, arrows, targets, and tournament fees (if you decide to compete).
Check out Archery GB.

B

Badminton, biking, boxing, beekeeping, basketball, baseball, bocce ball, bowling, body building, bull fighting, boomerang, bobsleigh, biathlon, billiards

Beekeeping - You get to care for a whole colony of bees. They will reward you with deliciously fresh honey. Wear appropriate beekeeping protection and get advise from the British Bee Keepers Association before you begin

C

Croquet, cricket, cross country skiing, curling, cycling, canoeing

Cross Country Skiing - More popular and accessible than previously, this sport enhances connectivity with the countryside.
Check out Ski Club of Great Britain

 

D

Darts, deep sea diving, downhill skiing, dancing, diving, dog training, dog sledding, decathlon 

Diving - is a skill that stimulates the mind and relaxes the body. The underwater world is accessible to most people, whether it be an ocean, a lake or even a practice session in a swimming pool. Clubs exist across the world and taking a basic course is essential for safety purposes. 

Check out BSAC, PADI, NAUI, SAA for a Club near you

E

Equestrian activities and eventing, escape rooms 

Escape Room antics - An escape room is basically a live-action adventure puzzle.  You start off stuck in a room and you have anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to figure out how to escape. Each escape room has its own theme—ranging from dungeon cells to haunted houses to mysterious mansions. 

Check out  Escape Room Enthusiasts on Facebook

F

Football, fishing, fencing, forageing, figure skating, forgework, foosball

Foraging - Don’t you just love free food?  With foraging, you can find your own food that grows in the great outdoors. To start, all you need is a bag to collect your food and a good book or guide to know what to look for—the last thing you want is to munch on something poisonous. 

Check out Active Health to learn more

G

Golf, gardening, gymnastics 

Golf - If there ever was an outdoor activity that pits you against yourself, it is golf. Walking miles in the fresh air and hitting a ball towards an intended target is not always as easy as it sounds. Play as a social sport, compete, or simply challenge yourself to improve your Handicap Index. It is a sport for all who have the time.

Check out England Golf

H

Hockey, hiking, hot air ballooning, hunting, horseback riding, horseshoes, handball, hang gliding, hula hoop 

Hiking - Anyone who's experienced the triumph of summiting a mountain knows that hiking is an incredible workout, particularly beneficial for the brain to support cognitive health.

Check out Ramblers, Long Distance Walkers or British Walking

I

Ice skating, inline skating

Inline skating (Rollerblading) -  provides anaerobic benefits, such as muscle strengthening and toning. Lower body muscles, core muscles, and upper body muscles receive an effective workout. From long leg strides, maintaining posture, and swinging the arms, the entire body receives muscular benefit.
Check out UK Inline Skating Association

J

Jogging, juggling, jive, jump roping, judo 

Jive – Modern Jive/Ceroc has many health benefits.  Research has shown it keeps your brain in shape and was the only physical activity of a selection measured, to be associated with a lower risk of dementia. 

Check out Ceroc UK or Jive UK for local classes. You don't even need to take a partner.

K

Kiting, karate, knee boarding, kayaking, kite surfing 

Kite Surfing – When kitesurfing you have a board on your feet and are connected to your kite by a harness which attaches to your waist.  This sport develops core and upper body strength and gives cardiovascular benefits and reduces stress Check out Kitesurfing UK or British Kitesports

L

Lacrosse, luge

Luge - is a gravity based sport, in general, it's beneficial to be somewhat taller and heavier. The extra weight helps propel the sled.

Check out: Skyline Luge,  or Streetline Luge to find out about local events. The Physical benefits of Luge are that it develops balance, coordination and core strength.

M

Mountain biking, mountaineering and climbing, metal detecting, motorcycle racing

Metal Detecting - another one of those hit or miss hobbies for fun, not always yielding results right away. The thrill of metal detecting comes with not knowing what you’re going to find: gold, old coins, jewellery, an old bottle top and more.  

Check out Detector net or National Council for Metal Detecting for clubs

N

Netball, nine pin bowling, nordic walking, nine ball, nordic skiing, nurturing animals and pets

Nine or Ten Pin Bowling - can help speed up your metabolism through consistent movement while playing the game. Bowlers use 134 muscles during a game. The repetitive swinging, flexing, bending and stretching also helps tone muscle groups in your arms, chest, back and legs.
Find a venue at Go Tenpin 

O

Openwater swimming, ocean rowing, orienteering, off-road boarding, obstacle course racing, outdoor handball 

Openwater swimming – develops better circulation.  When we become cold, blood rushes to our organs, making our hearts work a little bit harder, increasing happiness. Immersion in cold water has the effects of increasing metabolism, boosts the immune system and improves the skin.

Find venues at Swim England or learn more about the sport at  Open Water Swimming

P

Pool, para gliding, panning for gold, paint ball, paddle boarding, parachuting, pigeon racing, prize fighting, pole dancing

Panning for Gold - Fortunately, not all the gold has dried up in the world—you just have to pan in the right places: Pembrokeshire, Torquay, Dumfries, Helmsdale in the UK.  A gold trap pan is all you need to get started.

Start by visiting: Minegold

Q

Qianball, Quadrathlon, Quidditch, Quoits

Quidditch - in the real world (officially Muggles Quidditch) is played by seven people on each team. Findings suggest involvement enhances leadership skills, social gains, improves health and fitness, self-confidence and pride.
Check it out on Quidditch UK.

R

Rock climbing, racket ball, rugby, running, roller blading, rodeo riding, river rafting, roller skating, rowing, rounders, rogaining, rope jumping (skipping), roller hockey

Rogaining - an orienteering sport of long distance cross-country navigation, involving both route planning and navigation between checkpoints.
Start by visiting: British Orienteering

S

Squash, soccer, skateboarding, sky diving, shot put, stargazing, shuffle boarding, snow sledding, sprint running, snowshoeing, sumo wrestling, scuba diving, surfing, synchronized swimming, sailing, speed skating, swimming, speed skating

Stargazing - If you thought the stars were pretty, you’ll be blown away when you see how much is out there without light pollution getting in the way.   There are designated 'Dark Sky' areas across the UK.

Find a suitable venue from International Dark Sky Association or  Dark Sky Discovery.

T

Tennis, t-ball, Tai Chi, track and field, triathlon, Taekwondo, treasure hunting, table tennis, tandem bicycling

Treasure hunt a Geocach - All around the world, there are small containers (called “caches”) that are hidden away in various locations (hence “geo”). In Geocaching, you pick a cache from a master list of all available caches—and your goal is to find it by navigating to its GPS coordinates. Some geocaches are hidden along forest trails or natural landmarks, while others are stashed in the heart of a city. Anyone can hide a cache and add it to the master list. It’s a fun and free way to get active and start exploring the world.

U

Unicycling, underwater photography, ultralight aviation, uneven bars, underwater hockey (Octopush), urban golf, underwater wrestling (Aquathlon)

Under Water Photography - Amazing scenes and wonderful wild-life await us under the seas and oceans of the planet. Simply try snorkelling with a disposable waterproof camera and see what you can do. Before you know it, you will be signing up for Scuba Diving lessons and a course in Under Water photography. 

V

Volleyball, vault, velodrome cycling,

Volleyball — a game for two teams of six players, in which a large ball is hit by hand over a high net, the aim being to score points by making the ball reach the ground on the opponent's side of the court. See also Beach Volleyball. Similar sports and variations include Throwball, Newcomb Ball.

W

Water skiing, wind surfing, water gardening (hydroponics), wheelchair basketball, wakeboarding, salt water snorkelling, walking football, white water rafting, water tubing, wrestling, weight lifting, water polo

Water Gardening - Gardening helps us reconnect with nature.  Try building an indoor water garden. 

Visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/gardenanswer/playlists

X

Xare, xingyiquan

Xare — a racket sport, a form of Basque pelota, where players face each other across a net which is strung across the middle of an indoor court.

Xingyiquan — is one of the major "internal" styles of Chinese martial arts.

Y

Yoga, yachting and sailing, Yak polo, Yo-Yo, Yotsudama

Yachting and Sailing - From cruising a Yacht on the open ocean to competitively racing dinghys on an inland lake, the principles of sailing are the same. A small dinghy may cost a few hundred pounds, add a buoyancy aid and  appropriate weather proof sailing gear and anyone can participate.

By 2022, Cheshire locals have been learning to sail as well as competitively racing at Budworth on its inland water for over 75 years

Z

Zumba, Zui Quan, Zorb football

Zorb Football — a team sport that was derived from association football (soccer) in which players are encased in an inflated bubble called Zorb.

Positive Thinking

Focus on what you want – not on what you don’t want. Become more aware of what you spend most of your time focusing on.  Believe anything is possible. Believe in your own potential.  Extend those boundaries. One will never grow bigger than the boundaries we set.  Put it out there. Don’t be afraid to try. 

Some Activities are doubly good for our health.