What do you do for fun? If you can’t think of anything, maybe it’s time you adopt a new hobby!
Hobbies do more than provide you with a pastime. They can improve your physical and mental health. They can engage your senses and your spirit, and bring you closer to the planet and the other people with whom you share it.
Here are just a few ways a good hobby can benefit your mental and physical wellbeing!
1. Hobbies Can Improve Your Heart Health
Some hobbies can increase your heart rate – and this benefits your cardiovascular health. You don’t have to take up jogging or biking unless you want to do so. Any hobby that gets you breathing more heavily than usual will improve your fitness.
Put on your favourite jams and dance around your living room. Contact your local parks and recreation department to enquire about adult sports leagues like volleyball and softball. During the winter months, take the family bowling or to an indoor batting cage.
2. Hobbies Can Make Flex Your Mental Muscles
Maybe dementia tends to run in your family, or perhaps you enjoy keeping your intellect sharp. If so, some hobbies can fire up your neurons.
If you enjoy social activities, you could join a chess or Scrabble club in your community. This would give you the chance to practice your skills with other players. You can also use word finder tools online to help you hone your word-finding abilities. Are you more of a solo wordsmith? You can find crossword puzzle books for only $1-$2 at many stores. Alternately, you could study a foreign language or take a course in computer science at your local library.
3. Hobbies Can Build Closer Relationships
Have you and your significant other drifted apart recently? Why not revive the spark in your relationship by taking up a couple’s hobby together?
If you want to warm things up between the sheets, why don’t you learn how to give a massage and take turns practicing on each other? Have you dreamed of a sensual sculpting session ever since you saw the movie Ghost? Sign up for a class at the local community college together. As long as you both find the activity enjoyable, the sky is the limit.
4. Hobbies Can Improve Your Diet
Do you have an inner Gordan Ramsay who loves nothing better than tuning into Food Network? Take yourself off the couch and away from the TV. Invest in an apron and a cookbook and get in the kitchen!
Spend a sunny Saturday biking to the farmers market or grocers for your ingredients. For busy workweeks, prepare and freeze foods on the weekend so that you can grab and go. Celebrate your new skills by cooking a gourmet, healthy meal for your family and close friends.
5. Hobbies Can Help Break Bad Habits
Do you bite your nails down to the quick? Perhaps you eat healthy meals most of the time, but you struggle to stop snacking. Why not adopt a hobby that keeps your hands occupied?
You might decide to play an instrument or take up needlepoint. Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of writing a novel, and you want to carve out 30 minutes daily to do so. Whatever you choose, pick something that keeps you from engaging in unhealthy habits while you practice.
6. Hobbies Can Help the Planet
Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of planting a garden. If you have a plot of land or even a balcony, why are you procrastinating? Head to your local garden centre and pick up some pots if you lack yard space. If you have the room, pick up a shovel and a hoe and prep your plot. Even if it’s too cold in your area to plant yet, you can begin getting ready for spring. You’ll enjoy fresh, organic produce while reducing your trips to the grocery.
Trees help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If you love getting your hands dirty, sign up to help with a tree planting in your neighbourhood. If you can’t find one, you can organise one with help from community sponsors.
7. Hobbies Can Improve Your Flexibility and Resilience
Do you have a ton of stress in your life from work and family obligations? Relax and unwind by signing up for a yoga class. You can explore dozens of styles – some studios offer chair-based yoga workouts for those with mobility challenges.
Meditation can improve your mental health and help you bounce back from frustrating events. If you’ve never tried meditation before, locate a practitioner near you. If you don’t have the budget for professional training, you can find free videos on YouTube to learn the practice.
Healthier Hobbies Make Your Life Richer
Hobbies do more than fill your spare time. They bring you joy and enrich your life. Find something that you love and improve your world in your spare time.
