Growing up, you might have neglected a few fairly important health concerns. This is definitely normal, but if you are trying to live a healthy life, you probably want to revise some of your old habits. Most people have struggled with the health issues at some point in their lives, but what happens if you don’t find the existing generic solutions engaging enough? Here are some more entertaining ways to break unhealthy habits by forming healthy ones instead.
Try an Off-Beat Sport
Those extra few pounds from the holidays are still comfortably cushioning your hips despite trying a number of different exercise regimes. Many people will blame their inability to regularly exercise on a lack of time, the fact that running is boring, or perhaps more accurately, the fact that exercise is uncomfortable. This is true. Of course, once you are used to regular exercise it stops being uncomfortable and becomes a great source of endorphins. So, how do you make the beginning phases not suck?
One idea is to start playing a game or sport that you enjoy and understand but aren’t the best at. You will likely start slow, acclimating to the sport. Then, as your skills sharpen, you will get more into it. Here are some examples of off-beat sports you can gradually turn into hobbies.
Table Tennis
While over 10 million players compete in sanctioned table tennis tournaments every year, you probably only played a few games throughout your childhood in friends’ basements. Though novice games aren’t too intense, as you improve you will find yourself breaking a sweat. Someone who weighs 150 pounds can burn 272 calories per hour playing ping pong. On top of coordination improvement and mental agility gains, table tennis is a fun way to get fit.
Fishing
If you are one of the 95% of Americans living within an hour’s drive of a lake, river, creek, or otherwise navigable body of water, consider giving fishing a go. Much like table tennis, fishing is pretty relaxing when you first start. In fact, it is relaxing most of the time, leading people to believe that it doesn’t keep you fit. This is far from the truth. Fishing requires muscular endurance, strength, mental fortitude, and depending on how active of an angler you are, fishing can burn 200 calories per hour. That’s not to mention how healthy and delicious fish can be.
If you plan on staying out fishing all day, remember to wear sunscreen. It’s estimated that 9,500 people are diagnosed with melanoma every day. Starting a new healthy hobby should never lead to a new unhealthy habit.
Aside from quirky sports, you could also try learning how to cook. Diet is immensely important for your overall health, and studies show that those who cook their own meals generally eat fewer calories than those who don’t cook. Beyond that, cooking is an art form that picks up where exercise leaves off. A healthy body requires healthy food alongside daily exercise.
So, if you keep stumbling after a few times on the treadmill, try a different approach. Start slow and find a sport you like. As you become more passionate about it, you will be able to find the time and energy to incorporate it into your life. After you do that apply the same principle to cooking. The most important part is to never give up on acquiring an active and healthy hobby you love.