19 Action-Packed Hobbies You Should Definitely Try
Due to the rise of the internet, a lot of people’s only hobby is gaming. Spending all of your time on video games might be fun, but it’s not good for your health in the long term. People who spend endless hours sitting down live sedentary lives, and various scientific studies have shown that sedentary lifestyles are associated with early death.
If you want to change things and find a hobby that’s not in any way shape or form related to technology, then this post’s got you covered. Here are 19 action-packed activities you can try out and potentially make your hobby.
Gelballing
Gelballing is a competitive combat sport, which involves CQB-style shootouts usually in controlled indoor environments. Gelballing has become very popular over the last few years, much more so than paintballing and airsoft, two sports which will be covered in greater detail next. You can buy gel blasters online and then attend an indoor (or outdoor) gelballing center. It’s very common for people to arrange their gelballing matches in the woods, also. You will probably be able to find a community of gelballers in your area if you begin using forums and chatrooms.
Airsofting
Airsofting is another competitive combat sport, except it can be a lot more violent than gelballing, mainly because the projectiles fired are made from plastic, and therefore, hurt a lot more. Airsofting is a sport that’s typically played by people who take combat sports very seriously and have an interest in the military. It’s not suited to casual players. Gelballing is a much more suitable option for people who don’t want to get hurt (although gel balls can still hurt a lot if you aren’t wearing protective gear). Airsofting, like gelballing, is typically held in indoor (and also outdoor) venues.
Paintballing
Paintballing is one of this list’s most popular sports, but also one of the most painful. Unlike gel balls, which are not as painful, paintballs can be extremely painful. As with the two other previously mentioned sports, paintballing is typically played indoors and outdoors, in venues. It is not allowed in many cities and towns to play paintball outdoors. The same is also true for airsofting and gelballing, although because these two are not as popular as paintballing, most cities and townships don’t have specific rules mentioning them, unlike paintball. Paintballing is a lot of fun but isn’t quite as fun as gelballing.
Kayaking
Moving away from combat sports, kayaking is something that you should check out. The reason that kayaking’s so fun is because once you are on a kayak, you can go more or less anywhere. With that said, while you are possible to traverse river systems far and wide, you should always be conscious of rapids, and dangerous parts of local rivers. Take some time to work out the routes that you are going to travel so that you can avoid hurting yourself or getting caught in a fast-moving body of water, which could capsize you.
Sailing
Sailing is just as fun as kayaking, although a little more expensive. If you are going to take sailing up as a hobby, you should be aware that you are going to need to own your boat. Purchasing a boat can be very, very expensive. Rowing on the other hand is a sport you can take up that isn’t that expensive but can only typically be performed on wide river systems and big lakes. You can’t take a rowing boat onto a fast-moving rapid. Rowing and sailing are very fun, but very different activities.
Fishing
Fishing is a sport that you can take up if you have a boat, although you don’t have to have a boat, because you can fish beside a lake, river, or on a pier. Fishing is a lot more fun when you have a sea-going boat because you can take your boat out to sea and catch larger fish, like sharks. Despite how fun sea fishing is, a lot of people find in-land fishing to be just as fun. If you are not interested in sea fishing and would rather take up in-land fishing, then there are different styles for you to consider, from fly fishing to pole fishing.
Rock Climbing
A lot of people avoid rock climbing because they think that they need to free-climb vertical faces, but that’s so far from the truth it’s unreal. You don’t have to even climb outdoors if you don’t want to. There are lots of indoor rock climbing centers that you can attend. Many of these centers have padding on the floor in case you fall, in addition to hooks so that you can connect yourself to a line, just in case you did fall. Rock climbing is an activity that’s very fun and very good for you because it helps to build upper body strength.
Cycling
Cycling is a lot of fun. It’s also really good for your health. If you live in a large town or city, then it’s very likely that there are cycle paths that you can use. If you don’t then you can cycle on rural roads quite safely, as long as you wear a high-viz jacket and protective equipment. Make sure that you ride safely, too. A lot of cyclists behave very irresponsibly and act as if they own the road. If you are going to cycle, then do so in a way that does not impact other people sharing the road with you.
Motorbiking
If you are interested in motorbikes, then why not buy one? A motorbike is a vehicle that’s not just an easy and efficient way of getting around, it’s also extremely fun. Anyone who has ever ridden motorbikes will be able to attest to this. As with bicycles, you need to make sure that you ride safely. Unfortunately, motorbikes can be very dangerous if they aren’t ridden properly. A lot of people die every year from riding motorcycles in dangerous ways; motorbikes are arguably the most dangerous vehicles on the road.
Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is an activity that can be a lot of fun, although you will probably need to be supervised if you are new to it because it can be dangerous at times. It’s also worth noting that even if you are experienced, you will need a boat and your own scuba diving equipment if you are going to go out on your own, which does make it a somewhat expensive hobby. If cost is not an issue, then scuba diving is an activity that you’ll enjoy and that can be very action-packed.
Swimming
Swimming, like scuba diving, is a lot of fun. Unlike scuba diving, however, swimming isn’t an activity that’s inherently expensive (unless you decide to join a very expensive fitness club or spa to access their swimming pool). In fact, you can swim for free if you have access to large bodies of water, with clean swimming water. If you live near to the ocean, then you can go swimming there. Joining a spa or gym with a pool shouldn’t cost that much money, provided that you don’t try to join an elite one.
Parkour
Parkour is an activity that’s illegal in some places because certain city councils think that it causes damage. If you want to take up parkour, then you need to make sure that it’s not illegal where you live. You should also go to great lengths to avoid damaging any of the buildings that you are performing it on. Parkour is also known as free running. If you aren’t familiar with it, then it’s a form of urban climbing and body contortion. It is a very fun activity, though it can be dangerous at times.
Martial Arts
Martial arts can be a very fun hobby. You don’t have to join a club to learn martial arts, but it is strongly recommended. Some people teach themselves at home, but in martial arts body, placement and movement are very important. If you don’t learn the proper techniques and tactics, then you won’t be able to effectively complete moves. Because of this, it’s good to attend a proper martial arts studio and join a club, so you can learn under the supervision of an expert. It’s also worth noting that if you go to a proper studio, you will benefit from the other people present and could even make friends.
Mudlarking
Mudlarking involves searching the mud beside large rivers for antiques, artifacts, and hidden gems. In most places, mudlarking is completely legal. However, if you start actively digging and moving around dirt, then it does become illegal. Mudlarking is only legal if you pick things off of the surface. Thankfully, you can find some very interesting treasures on the surface of the ground around large rivers, especially ones next to big cities. In London, mudlarking is a very popular activity, because of the city’s ancient history. Lots of very interesting things have been found mudlarking by the Thames, the river that runs through London.
Hunting
Hunting is a very fun activity. If you live in Europe, then unfortunately it might not be legal. You should research your country’s specific hunting laws. If you live in the United States, however, then you can hunt. There are certain periods of the year when hunting is not allowed, however, so make sure that you don’t fall afoul of these laws, otherwise, you can get into a lot of trouble. Hunting out of season can result in you getting fined or arrested.
Carpentry
Carpentry is a very enjoyable hobby. It’s not especially action-packed, but it can help you to earn a little bit of money on the side. If you are going to take up carpentry, then you should take some time to do your research and even attend a few classes. Carpentry can be very difficult to learn and it can be an expensive hobby since wood prices are rising all over the world. If you don’t take classes, then you could end up wasting supplies and failing when you are trying to make things out of wood. Try to buy cheap woods when you are first starting and want to practice.
Metal Work
Metalworking can be fun, and also lucrative, too. If you are going to take up metal working (i.e., making knives, etc), then you need to make sure that you take it very seriously and invest in protective equipment. The reason for this is that not wearing protective equipment could result in you getting burned, electrocuted, or injured. When metalworking, make sure that you are working in a place that’s safety-proofed and where you are the only person there. You shouldn’t be metal working in a room with your family watching television, for example. It’s best done inside your home’s garage or outhouse.
Whittling
Whittling is an activity that’s not very action-packed but it can be fun. Whittling is a type of carpentry, except where carpentry typically involves making furniture out of wood, whittling involves making small objects out of wood. You could make figurines, toys, or signs. Whittling can also be a good way of making money since you can sell your creations on the internet. Most people keep the things that they have whittled though since most of the things people make whittling are very personal to them and they have put a lot of time and effort into making them.
Exercising
If none of the hobbies in this post so far have stood out to you, then maybe you should try something simpler and easy to maintain, like exercising for example. If you live a very sedentary lifestyle and want to start getting active, then regular exercise will help you to improve your health and get fit. There are many types of exercise that you can do, though most agree callisthenic exercises are some of the most effective because they help you to build your bodily strength in ways other exercises can’t.
Everybody needs a hobby. If you don’t have one, then the various suggestions put forward by this post might be worth considering. Before buying equipment for a hobby, make sure that you take the time to try it out or watch somebody else perform it so that you can be sure that you like it. Many of the hobbies suggested here cost a lot of money to get started with, so taking time to do your research and watch will help you to make sure that the hobby is indeed for you and that you won’t be wasting your money on supplies for it.
