Introduction
When you’re young, you may not think about sitting down all that much but as age starts creeping in you’ll start to feel aches and pains if you’re sitting down all day.
This is why it’s important to have a hobby that doesn’t involve sitting as they can be incredibly bad for your posture, activity levels, and overall function.
Even when you’re young, it’s important to start with hobbies that promote being active or at least something that can help you to avoid sitting around all day otherwise it can lead to those future consequences that we mentioned above.
Sitting activities can be productive, or what we would commonly associate with sitting (i.e. reading), but most of them can be done standing if you’re smart enough to implement certain health measures such as standing desks.
We’ll offer a combination of hobbies today that are generally though of as non-sitting hobbies and some twists on specific hobbies that people may consider as sitting options.
This means you get some fresh inspiration but also a few ways to reinvent how you go about some specific activities that could benefit from standing.
Generally, if you’re looking for something more active to be up and around on your feet then you’re quite likely to have an office-based job or something that renders you immobile for long periods of time.
To reiterate, this can be especially damaging as the human body is not designed for large portions of time being spent in a sedentary position.
You may have even experienced this when lying in bed for too long which is a good indicator that humans are designed to be standing upright.
With all of that said, let’s take a look at some hobbies that don’t involve sitting that can help you get up and around or to be more active.
Stand Tall: 15 Hobbies That Don’t Involve Sitting All Day
1. Swimming
There’s a reason why we suggested swimming first and it’s because it’s one of the most body-friendly forms of exercise you can do.
Swimming relieves the body of those constant pressures that are felt throughout the day due to gravity pushing down on us that can wreak havoc on our joints over time.
And yes, you would be right in the fact that it’s not a standing hobby but if you think about the position you’re in when you’re swimming it’s actually an upright position.
This helps you to stretch your body out and to get some much needed activity but without all the pressure that usually comes from standard forms of exercise.
Another great thing about swimming is that it’s very non-discriminatory as even people with missing limbs can take to the water without much trouble.
If you’re looking to avoid sitting all day then swimming can be an amazing hobby to gently fashion your body into an amazingly functional and strong tool for you to use.
Just don’t forget your swimming goggles or some decent streamlined swimming kit.
2. Hiking
Another hobby that helps to avoid sitting too long is hiking which can be done at almost any time of the day and almost anywhere you want.
We suggested hiking over running specifically because it offers safer gains for people who may have posture problems from sitting too long or spending many of their hours in an office.
Hiking gently helps your body get used to being upright and active whilst also being great for developing strong leg muscles that support the rest of your body.
It can also be a great way to socialize as you can go hiking to tourist spots to meet people or perhaps as an excuse for you and your partner to have a day out somewhere to see some incredible vistas.
Hiking is generally a safe activity but it’s easy to injure yourself on uneven terrain which is why you should always invest in a good pair of hiking boots to protect your ankles and feet.
3. Cleaning
Cleaning is another hobby to get you up on your feet whilst also allowing you to be productive at the same time to get your home in order.
A light session of spring cleaning can easily turn into a few hours of fruitful activity which really helps to burn some serious calories without even realising.
In fact, if you were to clean your home for even a couple of hours you could easily burn in excess of 800 calories which really helps you to stay lean.
Add in some music on your smartphone or stereo system and you’re bound to become a whirlwind of productivity for the day.
Also, health and safety 101: Always remember if you need to pick anything up off the ground to use your legs rather than bending over from the hip as it’s safer for your back.
4. Stretching
Stretching is a hobby that is massively underrated but can help to improve your posture and to reduce pain felt around the body.
Stretching can help improve flexibility, mobility, and can even deliver more blood to your muscles which is especially important after a workout.
Having a stretching routine that hits all of the important parts of your body can be a task to come up with for yourself, but thankfully there’s some great videos on YouTube like the one below to help you get started:
It’s also worth mentioning that some positions require sitting but it is beneficial for the overall function of your body which is why you should dedicate some time towards it.
5. Video Gaming (With a twist)
If you’re an avid gamer, like many of us at Hobbyask, then it’s worth mentioning that you can now do it with a decent standing desk to get you upright rather than having you sat down all day.
We know that fun activities often involve being placed in front of a screen which is why it’s better to work with the issue rather than against it.
Most standing desks are adjustable meaning you can raise them and lower them depending on when you most need them or if your back starts to hurt.
Standing desks can be a hefty investment initially but they will last a very long time and will help keep your body in a better place overall which is why we think it’s worth taking the plunge.
6. Dancing
Dancing is an amazing activity that doesn’t involve sitting and can be a great way to have a laugh with lots of people.
It’s perhaps one of the most “feel-good” hobbies that we know and is a great way to express pent-up emotions with a variety of different dance moves.
It’s also fairly non-discriminatory meaning regardless of your age or disposition there will definitely be a certain style of dance that you can perform.
In fact, you don’t even have to attend specific dance classes but instead can opt for dancing around your home to your favorite music on YouTube or to a guided dance session.
7. Jump Rope
We’ve talked about jump rope extensively and it’s also been included in some of our other listicle style hobby articles due to how effective it is as a workout.
It’s one of the cheapest exercises you can do, all you need is a decent pair of jump ropes to get started.
Believe it or not, the motion of jumping works the entire body from the foot muscles all the way up to the uppermost portion of your torso.
This means you are burning a serious amount of calories during this activity whilst also training your muscles to become functional, and so they can perform explosively.
Jumping is about as on-the-nose as it gets when it comes to not sitting around all day which is why it gets a solid mention here.
8. Climbing
Climbing is another powerful activity that involves the functional movement of the human body to help you scale different obstacles such as climbing walls, mountains, buildings and basically anything else you can put your hands on.
We recommend joining a proper climbing institution before attempting to scale anything outdoors as it can be a deadly sport.
Climbing gyms feature handy fixtures such as climbing walls that can simulate some of the challenges you’re likely to experience when climbing mountains.
You’re also likely to find things to strengthen your grip and to improve your conditioning to make you a better climber.
Lastly, joining a climbing group is a great way to socialize and make some friends which is why we think this one’s a no-brainer.
9. Visiting Friends & Family
Visiting your friends or family is a good way to get out of the house and active when there’s little to do.
Most people wouldn’t consider it a hobby per se, however, when you’re with your friends or family you’ll be much more likely to indirectly do hobbies to entertain yourselves.
It also maintains important bonds which can be great to unwind when you’re stressed from a tough week at work or just need a little bit of mate time.
10. Cookery
Cookery is one of the least sedentary activities you can do as it will have you whipping up a storm in the kitchen whilst flying around trying to keep your dishes from burning.
It’s a good way to get creative and to prevent yourself from sitting too long.
You can be as inventive as you want and you can try many different cuisines from all across the world such as Italian, Asian, Turkish and many others.
It’s also a family-friendly activity meaning you can get them involved and off their butts so they can make some healthy snacks or a scrumptious pudding (we know which one we prefer).
11. Woodworking
Woodworking is something we’ve given plenty of attention to regarding the costs to get started and whether it’s still a popular hobby.
With that said, it’s a great way to flex your creative side whilst also keeping you up on your feet and active for most of the day.
In fact, some woodworking projects can take many weeks to complete meaning you’ll always have plenty to do rather than sitting on your laurels.
Some people fear that woodworking might be too complicated for them but you can actually get started with simpler forms of this hobby such as wood carving.
Believe it or not, once you understand the basic tools for woodworking it can be fairly simple to apply them to your projects for efficiency.
12. Gardening
Gardening is a very hands-on hobby that requires care and attention year round meaning you’ll never have a moment without something to do.
This means you can become doubly as productive to avoid sitting around all day whilst creating something beautiful to pass the time.
Some people worry about not having enough space for gardening but you can get creative with small ledges around the periphery of your house, or alternatively, can even bring your plants indoors to create an indoor garden.
If you’re a total novice then we don’t recommend starting with a huge project to boot, instead, try herb growing indoors with a hydroponics starter kit instead.
13. Travelling
Traveling is an amazing hobby that can be done for relatively little cost, or as extravagant as you want it to be to make it the best experience possible.
When you’re traveling, you’ll be stopping to see the sights which may involve quite a lot of walking which is indirectly a very good way to get you off your bum.
You may even end up on some beautiful coastlines that provide exciting activities like wind-surfing, volleyball, snorkeling, and other great seaside sports or pastimes.
Whatever you do, traveling is one of the best ways to get you up and into the world to see the sights and to create some awesome memories.
14. Amateur Photography
If you have a penchant for capturing the moment or to immortalize beautiful moments in time then it may be worth considering taking up photography as a hobby.
Photography requires lots of effort and persistence to capture a special moment that could not be accomplished without a great deal of resilience to wait out the perfect shot.
In fact, photography is similar to hiking just with the ability to add some passion for what you’re witnessing to capture the sights.
Lastly, photography can have a big initial investment but cameras generally last for many decades which is why it’s worth getting a proper DSLR camera rather than slowly working your way up.
15. Birding
If you love wildlife then you’ll love the activity of birding which is sure to keep you on your feet for most of the day.
Birding is the activity of watching birds which is fun because it’s not always easy to spot them.
Some birds are rarer than others meaning it will be a huge surprise if you manage to spot one of them.
It also involves listening to bird calls which you’ll become familiar with the more you’re outdoors surrounded by the birdsong.
If you are considering birding as a hobby then it’s worth getting a decent pair of binoculars to help you observe them from a distance as they can become skittish.
Conclusion
With such a large list of hobbies, we won’t be able to forgive you if you stay in your seat for much longer so make sure to get up and go at it with one of them.
Sitting is not good for the human body for too long which is why we prefer activities that have you upright or at least moving around.
It doesn’t even have to be something off the list but hopefully we’ve given you some inspiration to something that suits your style.
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You can also browse our ultimate list of hobbies for hobbies similar to the ones mentioned and more.
