Sometimes we get stuck in a rut. Life seems to be going in circles, and each day is just a little too like the last. Don’t stagnate! It’s time that you got out and found yourself a fulfilling new hobby. However, it’s easier said than done.
While you may not be able to picture yourself sitting out in a fishing boat, there are a ton of fantastic, and less-than-conventional, hobbies for men. Perhaps your main objective is to find something that makes starting new friendships easy, or you think you could benefit from a little more physical activity.
Keep in mind, there isn’t truly such a thing as “male hobbies”. If crotchet sounds like great fun, go for it! This list simply aims to highlight some hobbies that most men might lean towards. There are a ton of thrilling hobbies for men, which some might think are typically for women!
The Best Hobbies for Men of all Ages
When deciding which hobby to pick up, it’s best to look deep within yourself and discover what deeper purpose this hobby is serving. Are you lonely and trying to make friends, do you wish you had a better body, or do you simply need more fun in your life?
In doing so, you’ll be far more likely to help repair the “sense of missing” you may be feeling, and work towards a deeper goal. You might not be feeling any such thing at all, and just want to have some fun! In any case, we’ll recommend some fun examples that best cater to different goals and people.
These hobbies are fantastic for men of all ages and are easy to take up. All you need is a little initiative, and to make time for yourself. Don’t worry about whether you’d be good at it or not, as long as it sounds fun! Plus, you’ll be able to talk about your interesting hobby on your next coffee date!
The social hobby: amateur theatre
Theatre, is a fantastic option for introverts, as it allows you to express some emotion and energy under the guise of a character. This can allow people to feel safer about expressing themselves, as it doesn’t directly reflect on who they are as a person, but rather their portrayal of a character.
Amateur Theatre is a relaxed hobby and is generally an environment that is quite conducive to making new friends. It’s easy to start too, as after all, it’s for amateurs! If sports aren’t really your scene, the theatre stage can be your field to shine on.
You’re bound to find an amateur theatre club in any medium and large-sized town, and many small towns have at-home group gatherings too. A quick search online is bound to turn up results.
The physical hobby: rock climbing
Rock climbing gyms are a fun and relaxed alternative environment to traditional weight lifting gyms. They help you to develop a deep, functional strength, which can allow you to move your body with greater freedom through space. This can greatly develop one's sense of personal freedom too.
Almost all major cities, and mid-sized towns, have a rock climbing gym of some capacity. In fact, these gyms are springing up everywhere. What was once a niche hobby, rock climbing has exploded into quite a popular pastime!
If you work a desk job or feel intimidated by the prospect of joining a regular gym, rock climbing could be a fantastic option for you. It’s totally safe, makes a great hobby for men, and is fun for first-time dates too!
The mental hobby: learning a language
This one is a fantastic two-for-one! You can exercise your mind, delay the onset of dementia, and turn it into a fun social experience as well. Language schools exist everywhere, with the option to learn common languages such as Spanish and French existing essentially everywhere.
Language schools are a fun environment where everybody has the same goal and interest, which can make picking up new friends really easy. Plus, learning a language can increase your mental aptitude in many ways, such as developing your problem-solving skills.
You could always learn off of an app too, but speaking is one of the fastest ways to learn a language, and there will be greater emphasis on this when around real people! Speaking a foreign language is bound to impress girls you meet too.
You could even learn a language through dating, there is bound to be a common second language (or first language) in the area you live in. Why not start learning it through the women in your area? Tons of dating apps let you meet others who speak a specific language. It could be a fun experience, and you might just change your entire life.
Fun Hobbies For Men Who Love to Meet New People
If you’re especially keen on the social benefits a new hobby can offer, there are plenty of fantastic and fulfilling choices to consider. Many of the best hobbies for men are social because human interaction is extremely important, not only for our mental health but our physical health too.
Social Isolation greatly increases the risk of premature death from all causes, rivaling even smoking and obesity. It also increases the risk of dementia by as much as 50%. Clearly social interaction is incredibly important in our daily lives, or we risk massive health complications. Being online is one of the easiest ways to fall into the trap of social isolation.
Thankfully, the internet is also one of our greatest assets for finding friends in the real world. You may even be introduced to fun new hobbies while on a date! Here are some fun and social hobbies that almost anyone can enjoy.
Art classes for the creative men
If you enjoy a peaceful and relaxed environment, without too much exertion, art classes could be a wonderful way to meet other creative individuals and make friends. Art classes have quite a low barrier for entry, making it easy to pick up or drop. You don’t need any expensive equipment as the class will likely provide it, and you don’t need to have any talent for art so long as it’s fun!
This is probably one of the more enjoyable and fun hobbies for men who aren’t the sporty type, as you’ll likely be sitting for the duration of the class. There also aren’t really any true rules, the only limit is your imagination, you can be as stylistic as you want. The classes really are just a hub for meeting others and getting some input.
Art is an outlet to express yourself and has been shown to help people with depression, anxiety, and stress. You’ll also be able to hang up your masterpieces at home, like a wonderful memory of your experience, and could make one of many great talking points with your date when you bring them home.
Karate classes for energized men
Karate is a fun and beneficial activity in many ways. Not only will you learn how to defend yourself and develop your physical health, but there’s also evidence that karate and other martial arts promote positive psychological changes in those who participate in them.
Karate is arguably one of the best hobbies for men and women alike, its great array of benefits could convince people from all sorts of walks of life to take up. Those who enjoy meditation and dance can enjoy karate for the serenity many of its participants enjoy. While those who enjoy MMA and other rough activities can enjoy karate for other obvious reasons.
Karate dojos are everywhere at this point. Many young kids enjoy taking up the sport for good reason, it’s just plain good fun! Karate can boost your confidence, relieve stress, help you lose weight, and much more.
Salsa dancing for passionate men
If you really want to sweep women off their feet, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more literal way to do that than through salsa dancing. It’s the hobby of the passionate, and the romantic, and is wonderful for your physical health! It’s great cardio that will increase your respiration and blood circulation over time.
Salsa dance first emerged in Cuba, and has a ton of interesting history behind it. For men interested in history, you’d be able to spout as much of it as you like while entertaining your date with a dance she’ll never forget. The salsa is also quite common in the world of dance, meaning you’ll have no issues finding a class for it, and you’re bound to meet plenty of female dance partners too.
One of the most obvious benefits of salsa dance is the fantastic confidence boost it will give you. Salsa can teach you to love your body, and inspires fun in those around you. Why not give it a try? I’m sure many of the lovely women on these dating apps would volunteer as dance partners! Now it really sounds like one of the best hobbies for men, doesn't it?
Hobbies for Men Over 50
As men start to reach the silver years in their life, their bodies might not be able to keep up quite the way they once did. No matter! There is still a myriad of fun activities out there waiting for you. You might even find that some classes are specifically for the “elderly.”
For seniors older than 65, old age homes offer tons of fun activities for their residents, which I’m sure you’d be able to join in on. This can be convenient for those with limited mobility at older ages. For those still within the 50-65 range, and even older if you’re up to it, there are still plenty of fun hobbies for men over 50!
We’d recommend taking up a physical hobby if you can only manage one. That way you’ll be able to resist some of the physical issues old age can present later on down the line, reduce the risks of falling, and enjoy being active till a later age than would have been possible otherwise!
Weight lifting
Out of all the hobbies for men over 50, if you can only take up one, we’d insist that it be weightlifting or another physical activity. The number of health benefits that weightlifting offers to elderly men and women could take up an entire article itself.
Weightlifting allows the elderly to reduce their blood pressure, resist diabetes, reduce fragility through increased bone density, decrease physical discomfort, combat cancer, and so much more besides the obvious muscle-building effect.
If you’re single in your elderly years, weightlifting will also have a profound effect on your dating and sex life. The amount of energy and stamina that weightlifting can help you to gain will make dates with you far more enjoyable than with the other old men who can barely move about! There are plenty of great dating apps for those over 50, you could find a weight-lifting partner, and so much more.
Indoor gardening
Here’s one you probably didn’t see coming. Gardening can be taken up by absolutely anyone, even those who prefer to stay indoors, and don’t have an outdoor yard! Terrariums can make growing succulents and other plants a fun and rewarding indoor activity.
You’ll be able to create small gardens, which are only limited by the amount of creativity you possess. Look up “Scaping Terrarium” on google and go to images. You’ll be amazed by the deep complexity and realism that can be achieved. You could grow out an “entire forest” in just the corner of your living room.
This is a fantastic hobby for those that want to embrace serenity and mindfulness, as you’ll absolutely need to focus and live in the moment to thrive with indoor gardening. This is a hobby that will really set you apart from others, it’s pretty niche but fascinating.
Archery and shooting
This one is a bit of a two-for-one. The archery and shooting ranges can be a great hobby for men, as the young man at heart will be all too thrilled to fire potentially dangerous projectiles at objects. Joking aside, both sports can be relaxing, and develop your mental fortitude, as it takes time to develop accuracy and skill in both.
Both sports can greatly develop your hand-eye coordination, posture, memory, and focus. It’s also a fun social and competitive environment where you can compare scores and aim to do better than last time in an easy-to-calculate way, as opposed to something like bodybuilding. Simply observe the number of points you got and compare it to the last time.
If you live in the USA, you’ll have no problems finding a shooting range. The instructors will help you learn everything you need and keep a watchful eye over you to keep you safe. In Europe, archery is likely to be easier to come across, as gun regulations are far stricter. Archery also has a long history within Europe, making it something of a cultural experience too.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you have fun and work towards a goal that makes sense for you. If you want to get stronger, go for a physical hobby. If you want to make friends, lean towards something more social.
Your hobby could even be something quite peculiar, there isn’t much of a limit to what you can consider a hobby as long as it’s something you enjoy. At the end of the day, the best hobbies for men are the ones that give them the most satisfaction. Speaking of which, why not take a date along next time, your hobby could become even more fulfilling!
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