Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: New Hobby
My doctor said I need two new hobbies that will get me out of the house. I haven't a clue what to do and actually don't want to get out of the house anyway. But does anyone have any suggestions, so at least I can say I have thought about it.
Joined: Jan 02, 2012 Age: 28 Posts: 2621 Location: Hants, UK
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:50 pm Post subject:
*Walk dog
*Go to library
*Sit in park doing something you like
*Take up some basic courses in something, nothing too demanding
*Attend an interest group
*Join a pub team for a game you're good at (snooker, pool, darts, bridge, cards, quiz)
*Try out some sporty activities like running, gym, or group ones like badminton, squash.
*If you have money to burn, look at renting a very cheap commercial space, garage or something to practice something like art, music, do some sort of trading business, get some alone time etc.
*Travel (this could even be getting a day pass for the bus and sitting on the bus for a whole route until you get back to where you started)
*Trainspot or animal watch
*Get a reasonable camera and see how you fare with photography somewhere neutral such as parks, by the sea, a place with cool looking buildings
*Go to the arcade and play video games!
There's some ideas _________________ "A man is but the product of his thoughts - what he thinks, he becomes." - Mahatma Gandhi
Joined: Apr 15, 2012 Age: 23 Posts: 1350 Location: My own version of reality
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:51 pm Post subject: Re: New Hobby
markun wrote:
My doctor said I need two new hobbies that will get me out of the house. I haven't a clue what to do and actually don't want to get out of the house anyway. But does anyone have any suggestions, so at least I can say I have thought about it.
Give us an idea of what you like so that we can have something to try to work with. For example if you like dogs a lot then perhaps volunteering at the humane society.
I have been into basketball lately, plan to go to the gym for about 3-4 hours tomorrow and shoot hoops (am bringing lunch) _________________ Trolls exist! They steal your socks, but only the left ones. I wonder what is up with that?
Last edited by Delphiki on Sun May 20, 2012 1:35 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Mar 20, 2012 Age: 53 Posts: 487 Location: Deep South USA
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 10:16 pm Post subject:
If you're into history and photography, figure out exactly where local historic events occurred and photograph them as they are now. This may well include trips to the library and local historic society.
Joined: Mar 20, 2012 Age: 53 Posts: 487 Location: Deep South USA
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 10:17 pm Post subject: Re: New Hobby
markun wrote:
My doctor said I need two new hobbies that will get me out of the house. I haven't a clue what to do and actually don't want to get out of the house anyway. But does anyone have any suggestions, so at least I can say I have thought about it.
you don't have any interests listed in your profile. A list of your current interests would give us a good starting point for brainstorming.
Well, since it's just seemingly random things that'll get suggested...
Weightlifting!
Olympic style lifting is loads of fun for me. I don't have any really impressive lifts yet, but it's so so fun for some reason. You're putting a heavy barbell over your head really quickly. You feel pretty awesome when you do it. There's also powerlifting, too. Powerlifting is benchpress, squat, and deadlift, 3 lifts, more max strength oriented while Olympic lifting takes more balance/dexterity/reflexes and the like. One warning about OL lifting, though, I'm insane and tried the lifts myself with zero coaching, but generally that's not the recommended thing to do, and OL coaching is a bit expensive in my experience, and a lot of gyms don't have bumper plates so you can't do the lifts properly. Also it helps to have weightlifting shoes, too, which are $100ish, whereas powerlifting tends to be cheaper and instruction is easier to get, you can do it in most gyms, and then cheap crappy shoes like Converse or the like are best for powerlifting.
Ice skating!
Figure Skating Speed Skating
I do figure, it sorta happened on accident. I decided to go ice skating, and used hockey skates, after not going ice skating since I was a kid, and I saw the figure skaters on the ice and was like "wow...." and then "I wanna be as fast as them and do those cool turns and stuff." And then one day I ended up buying figure skates, and yeah. I've tried speed skating, though, and it's great fun, it's a bit less OCD of a hobby than figure skating. Both are a bit of a "rich man's sport" but if they'll let you use speed skates on public ice (99% of the time figure skates are fine on public ice,) public ice tends to run like $5 a session, but some places offer discount passes, like my rink if you join their affiliated gym next door, you pay $30 a month for the entire gym you can use, and get the public ice time.
Of course, you can always play hockey, hockey a lot of times attracts a bit more of a "bro" crowd of people, though. Adult hockey leagues cost like $300-400 for I think 12 games (if you don't make playoffs) and then you'll need about $100ish equipment plus skates to start off. If you got the equipment and just wanna play without committing to a team, there's sticktime and the like, where you pay $10-20 a session, and just need gear, and you either play pickup games with whoever shows up, or there's sessions where you can just shoot around without playing "against" people. Hockey, you don't gotta worry about your fitness level at first, either, I've seen plenty of 300lb dudes playing Tier 4 (beginnerish league) games (erm, I don't know if you're 300lbs, in shape, or not, I'm just saying don't worry about being too out of shape.) Hockey is a bit more of a social sport, though, so keep that in mind.
Of course also, if you got no ice in your area, there's also the inline or quad skate equivalents of these sports. You'd do yourself good if you just got a decent pair of inlines and found a trail/street without traffic and just did some inline skating on it, too.
I said all these as these are things I do currently, so I can speak direct experience about them.
Two other good physical hobbies I've done are cycling and hiking. Both of those are good, you can do them alone, and they don't take terribly high amounts of money to do and they'll contribute to a good physical condition.
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I like getting out of my house. My house has too many people in it who annoy me. _________________ Too kawaii to live...
Too sugoi to die!
Joined: Apr 24, 2011 Posts: 1983 Location: Twilight Zone
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:07 pm Post subject: Hobbies
Do a search for hobbies online, and then check out the ones that sound interesting.
I suggest that you make one of them gardening. You can eat the food you grow, which will lower your grocery bills. Also, you can freeze, can, dry, and even sell excess crops at a curbside stand, or farmer's market. If you don't have a yard, you can still grow food in pots on a patio, balcony, or even by a window inside. It is a healthy hobbie, as it provides exercise and healthy food.
Is this getting out of the house a "You need to get out of the house and meet new people." Or is it "You need to get out of the house so you do not die of cardiovascular disease at age 35"? _________________ Too kawaii to live...
Too sugoi to die!
Joined: Jul 07, 2011 Posts: 177 Location: out of the loop
Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 1:34 am Post subject:
I'm finally taking up the hobby of skateboarding (nothing extreme, just along the sidewalk, probably to the park). It looks like a fun way to get out and get some exercise and fresh air, as well as not be very expensive (found this skateboard for $40 which seems it will be okay from what I have been reading online this evening about skateboards: link ). Then you can combine this with photography and/or reading at the farther-off distance that this (well, any) skateboard allows you to go more quickly. Of course, this idea depends on the kind of area you are in, if you have parks separated from your place by reasonably well-maintained sidewalks (as I do). _________________ Beware of geeks bearing gifts.
I walk ten miles a week as I walk to work and it is a mile each way so the doctor was happy with my fitness. I also exercise in my room but I don't leave the house except to go to work and buy food so she said I need to do something to get out and see people to reduce my anxiety but I think it will just increase my anxiety.
In the past I've gone to evening classes but I always drop out because I find it exhausting and too difficult from a social point of view.
I can't do sports I'm uncoordinated and find places like gyms very stressful.
My main interest is zoos and animals but I don't often go to the zoo as I find the crowds too stressful and I don't like leaving the house if I can avoid it.
My main interest is zoos and animals but I don't often go to the zoo as I find the crowds too stressful and I don't like leaving the house if I can avoid it.
I have a feeling that this is exactly the kind of thing your doctor is trying to help you to overcome
Joined: Mar 20, 2012 Age: 53 Posts: 487 Location: Deep South USA
Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 9:09 pm Post subject:
markun wrote:
I walk ten miles a week as I walk to work and it is a mile each way so the doctor was happy with my fitness. I also exercise in my room but I don't leave the house except to go to work and buy food so she said I need to do something to get out and see people to reduce my anxiety but I think it will just increase my anxiety.
In the past I've gone to evening classes but I always drop out because I find it exhausting and too difficult from a social point of view.
I can't do sports I'm uncoordinated and find places like gyms very stressful.
My main interest is zoos and animals but I don't often go to the zoo as I find the crowds too stressful and I don't like leaving the house if I can avoid it.
start by trying to target a day/time when there won't be as many people there. Trying to get good pictures of the animals would also help keep your focus off any other humans that might be in the area as well. (I like photography. can you tell? )
If your interests include domestic critters, try local no-kill rescues -- they always need people to help socialize and train cats and dogs. Dogs especially benefit from manners obedience lessons -- makes them much more adoptable.
Start with a modest goal, and try to return home before you are too tired, so you can build on success.
