Many wish to both get fit and actually enjoy it, and in fact it’s not so difficult to do this. There are many hobbies that get you outside, raise your heart rate, or are simply a good addition to a healthier lifestyle. To help out with ideas for all kinds of hobby seekers, here are a few low-cost, fitness hobbies to get you started.

The common thing between these two is that they’re a common hobby (so there are many easy tutorials to follow on YouTube to get you started), and they can be done indoors, whatever the weather. But they are quite different in style and emphasis, so perhaps that is something to take note of if you’re thinking of strengthening your muscles.

Pilates was created by a German bodybuilder and boxer (an interesting individual – as well as developing pilates he also taught self-defense to Scotland Yard), who in the early part of the 20th century developed a system of exercises intended to strengthen the human mind and body. Yoga originated in India, many thousands of years ago (people argue when specifically), that uses breath, movement, and meditation.

Yoga has a more spiritual side to it than Pilates, as well as being likely to increase flexibility, while Pilates focuses mainly on relaxing tense muscles, as well as helping to tone them.

Since these are easy hobbies to try out, and the two are similar enough to have a lot of overlap in what kind of activities you do, why not try both and see which one suits you more.

Boxing is not an easy sport, in fact, it’s as much of a mental practice as a physical one, often compared to chess. But unlike perhaps karate or taekwondo, boxing has fewer techniques to master, since it focuses primarily on just punches and evasive maneuvres, while at the same time involving a regular intense cardio workout as part of its training and fitness regime. You can take time to focus on your uppercuts and hooks because there is not a large number of techniques you must master.

Moreover, since a sparring match will involve you and your opponent trying to knock each other out with fists, it’s often considered to be closer to emulating a self-defense scenario, and teaching you what to do if you land in one. Nothing is better for your sense of well being than knowing that, after several months of boxing lessons, you have gotten rid of that automatic reflex of pulling punches when swinging at your attacker and will actually be mentally prepared to land a hit if you’re ever in a situation where you have to.

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