If you’ve seen one too many escape room adverts (and still never been) and had more than your fair share of pop-up-mini-golf rounds, it’s time to find something new to throw your money and time (and self-improvement hopes) at.
Here’s a sneak peak of some of the hobbies I’ll be getting familiar with in my Pursuit of Hobbyness this year:
1. Social Darts
No longer requiring an OAP card and beer belly, darts hit the London social (and younger) scene in the second half of last year. Its minimal demands on physical abilities and kit make it a low-risk one to try. However, like peas and carrots, it’s very rarely found without alcohol, so most likely a February jaunt for those on dry January. If you want to get your eye-in in the meantime, print out a picture of your least favourite person and pick up a cheap set over here.
2. Free Jumping
Think of it as a jumping castle for adults (but also for kids). A massive hall where the entire floor and walls are made of trampolines. How to make this into a hobby? Jump regularly and learn the back flips and the cool run-up-walls stunt you’ve only seen in action films.
3. Adult Colouring In
No, this isn’t a naughty kind of colouring in book. Let’s call this the desk-top version of the Zen garden. It’s basically a creative loop-hole for the less creative types to take a screen-break and calm your raging tiger. Nope, still not naughty. Read more about this growing trend over here, and if you want to get yourself some books and pens, there are a few on special over here and there.
4. Psycle
Spinning just got pimped. Dubbed ‘clubbing on a bike’, this new cycle sensation is a similar setting to spin classes, complete with a punishing routine (spoiler – a bike is involved), but this time there’s a full body work-out with free weights pumped to a carefully selected soundtrack to look forward to.
5. Doonya
After Oprah featured this Bollywood/Zumba love-child on her show some time ago, it has slowly gathered momentum as an alternative dance-aerobic to get involved in. It’s rumoured to nail over 800 calories per class, which makes it a prime one for January if the gym’s too rammed with fellow Festive bingers.
6. Pod Casting
The more socially-refined YouTube, pod casts have largely spread due to the success of TED talks shared around the interweb. Creating content for a podcast is now doable from a mobile phone, so all you need is something interesting to gnatter on about.
7. Improvisational Acting
Another hobby gaining acclaim and creeping into the corporate sector is improv, which has joined pub quizzes and comedy nights on the ‘what’s on‘ lists in a few London pubs. As a massive Who’s Line Is It Anyway fan (US, not UK, version), I’m keen to try this as one of the best (and most entertaining ways) to improve confidence in a room and think on your feet.
8. Ice Skating
Before you roll your eyes, I’m not talking about the ‘Have-I-had-one-too-many-mulled-wines-at-Winter-Wonderland-to-scramble-bambi-legged-onto-the-ice’ kind of ice skating. I mean lessons. I mean letting go of the side walls longer than it takes to fling yourself across the corners. I mean *actually* propelling yourself forward without the need a penguin or that annoying friend who grew up in Canada.
9. Barre
You’d think after my previous tangos with Yoga (See Voga or Bikram/Hot Yoga), I’d have thrown in the sweat towel a long time ago. But, determined to pretzel myself into calmness, my next Yoga-based pursuit will be Barre – a ballet-inspired class mostly done against the barre – as in ballet, not bar as in ‘One more for the road please gov’nor’. Apparently the one-inch movements are one of the fastest ways to transform your body so what the hey?
10. Foraging
Two-types here and I haven’t decided which is more enticing. One is best in April and involves a trip to the woods for mushrooms and plants to use in home cooking (though best to get a guide or do some research to avoid poisoning yourself). The other type involves a metal-detector and some patience down on Brighton beach.
All other ideas and crazes welcome! Happy Hobbying.
The Pursuit of Hobbyness 