Extra-curricular sports

Plumby Baby

My commute is a fairly moderate 20 mile round trip with lovely hills. While I consider myself 'bike fit' I didn't realise how unfit I was in the other muscle groups until I started playing 5 a side footy.

Played last night and now my lower back has about as much flex as a brass rod.

So what other sports do folk engage in off the bike?

thistle_

Running.

A few of us used to go bouldering after work, but haven't been for a while (people injured/not around).

mtb-idle

I avoid footy at all costs now. An hour five a side will ruin me for cycling for a week.

Ermmm....nope, cycling that's about it for me.

Does mountain biking count? I'm doing it less and less these days but i still enjoy a minimum week's lift-assisted MTB in the French alps once a year. That works different muscle groups.

shirley_basso

Tennis weekly, trampolining occasionally, windsurfing on a forecast, sailing, the odd run, lots of walking.

Doing just one sport can make you a bit one-dimensional and frankly, boring.

davis

Yoga (back injury, it's necessary!).

Press ups. Chin ups. Raising a 568g mass (which decreases over time) repeatedly.

davesnothere

I play 5-a-side, not every week but 2-3 times a month as work and family permits. After a couple of weeks off it does kill you, if going regularly not so bad.

I also do quite a bit of dinghy sailing through March to September

Plumby Baby

Yoga. That's something I'm interested in for core strength/suppleness. Thought I'd try one of those YouTube classes so I could fit it in around seeing my children etc but never took 'the plunge'.

Last night's footy was hard but the ride home afterwards was probably just as hard. I could bus it in just on Monday's for football but my inner hero will not let me do such a foolish thing.

timothyw

5 a side football here, after work most Fridays.

I think the spin home on the bike afterwards probably helps with the aches and pains you might otherwise get, although I have been playing for years which obviously helps.

I'm knackered on Saturday but I'm usually fine for the club run on Sunday.

asprilla

Swimming, cycling and running.

And pilates.

daniel_b

Precious little time for anything else really.

Spot of running here and there, but nothing consistent.

Used to play squash, but just don't have the time anymore.

Taking cycling a lot more seriously now, so would prefer to concentrate on that, train for it, and enter events etc, than spread myself too thinly for my schedule, and not do any one thing 'that' well.

Long_Time_Lurker

Skateboarding (when my knees allow it)
Snowboarding (when the wife/bank balance allows it).

Other than that, do e-sports count (I play more Playstation that the average 40 year old with a wife and child should)?

lostboysaint

Windsurf
Skateboard
Surf
Paddleboard
5-a-side football
Guest appearances on racing yachts.

veronese68

Asprilla wrote:

...pilates.

I really need to start doing this. I'm a severe glassback as I have a twisted spine which causes more problems. With advancing years I'm getting more inflexible and a physio said to do pilates rather than yoga which I was also considering.
Should try to ride my bike more.

elbowloh

Plumby Baby wrote:

My commute is a fairly moderate 20 mile round trip with lovely hills. While I consider myself 'bike fit' I didn't realise how unfit I was in the other muscle groups until I started playing 5 a side footy.

Played last night and now my lower back has about as much flex as a brass rod.

So what other sports do folk engage in off the bike?

I've played 6-a-side pretty much every Monday for the last 10 years. If have to stretch/warm up for a few mins before each game and a little stretch after. If i don't then like you my back and my knees ache the next day.

I'd like to get into either yoga or pilates also, but not got round to this yet.

rower63

My extra-curricular sport is cycling

itboffin

Drinking beer at a pro level, i use the cycling to train for drinking

asprilla

Veronese68 wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

...pilates.

I really need to start doing this. I'm a severe glassback as I have a twisted spine which causes more problems. With advancing years I'm getting more inflexible and a physio said to do pilates rather than yoga which I was also considering.
Should try to ride my bike more.

It's worth it. I've got scoliosis which causes me all a of issues. Pilates helps with core and flexibility which helps with cycling and I hope it helps head off future issues.

wolfsbane2k

Lots of plans to do swimming, but with an hour walking the dog every day and then 1 1/2 hours in the bike, plus a 2km(junior) park run every weekend..
No footy, rugby etc for me, all forbidden by doctor on account of knees.

rick_chasey

Don't have enough time for cycling as it is!

cjcp

Running, usually with the mutt.

msmancunia

Got quite into fell walking and mountaineering over the past couple of years, and currently having a few lessons on the local climbing wall as I'd like to go back to Nepal next year but need to upskill a bit. Work have just organised a weekly yoga class - I don't really enjoy it but it's made me realise how inflexible I've become. I don't want to turn into one of those old ladies who creak when they get out of bed or a chair.

Wheelspinner

Tennis for more than 50 years now. Retired squash player. Was a high mileage runner, but now only occasionally when joints and Achilles permit, walking, sometime swimmer but it bores me stupid. Played several seasons of basketball for social fun. Tried Pilates and found it not that useful. Done some yoga and enjoyed it - will go back to that soon. Formerly a serious golfer, and will be again soon if my neck agrees. Looking to take up kayaking (in calm water!).

Unless you're going to make a living at it, I can't see the point of sticking to one sport only. Dull dull dull.

kingdav

I used to play 5-a-side weekly in a league but as I and my mates got older the team fragmented more and more commitments got in the way for all of us, it morphed into an irregular jumpers-for-goalposts and eventually dwindled to nothing. I really appreciate getting home in time to read to the kids at the moment.

I love cycling and 2 hours roughly a day for commuting is bliss as it doesn't take any time out.

At a previous company I used to be able to pilates and yoga classes at the office, I don't seem to be very good at being disciplined enough about core strength to do exercises at home so would really like to get one or the other back into my routine, I'm way more susceptible to aches and strains than I was when I was doing regular directed stretches.

UndercoverElephant

Another yoga one here, twice a week at lunchtime. Great for those of us who sit at a desk all day.

Thigh_burn

Strength & conditioning - mainly kettlebells.

I've been a bit lapsed when it comes to bouldering, but love it.

Probably should start pilates / yoga.

veronese68

Asprilla wrote:

Pilates helps with core and flexibility which helps with cycling and I hope it helps head off future issues.

Exactly why I really need to do it. Going to be much older in a few months and really need to do something about it.

prhymeate

I try to enjoy running and go a couple of times a week. It hurts. Need to go to pilates. There is actually a runners and cyclists pilates class just down the road from me but I keep making excuses not to go.

wolfsbane2k

Would love to do a yoga/pilates session at lunch time, but nothing nearby that runs such an group, and having to cycle somewhere and back would make it unpalatably long lunch.
Evenings are busy enough as it is.

I used to use Wii Sports for their Yoga stuff with the balance board, but not done that for ages. Might take that back up!

poptart242

Cycling only is probably pretty bad for bone density in later years, so:

Running (also easier when working away)
Weights (classes and freeweights)
Skiing (best sport ever, you get to drink!)
Football (rarely, it ruins the cycling as mentioned above)
Yoga/Hill walking/Horse riding/Cricket (not *real* sports but still enjoyable)

thistle_

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Would love to do a yoga/pilates session at lunch time, but nothing nearby that runs such an group

I think it's the same here, the gyms are on the other side of town so 10-15 min cycle when you include the faff of getting in/out the car park and through the traffic.

There's an empty half floor of office space above us, and the door isn't locked. Maybe we could get someone in to run a lunchtime session.

prawny

I've recently got into playstation, plus I'm a long time drinker of things with a % on.

I'm not a club type of person these days so I like pastimes I can do on my own at home. I'm thinking of starting smoking, my get the gum first and work my way up