Other Hobbies - Outside of Gym or Working Out

[adunn1992]

So I am curious now that I have some extra time on my hands in my post-grad school. What hobbies do you all partake in outside the gym or outdoors-related activities? I am open to anything after I get off my full-time job.

[Guest]

 I played the piano 🎹 from the age of 5 to 10 years old until I wanted to do nothing but surf and skateboard ( I'm a product of coastal Southern California ) and during the pandemic I bought a piano and now if I'm not seeing folks or at the gym, I play and practice the piano daily, multiple times a day. I even found a wonderful very accomplished piano 🎹 teacher that I see every Thursday. I don't expect to turn into Vladimir Horowitz lol but playing the piano does calm me  and give me lots of joy. 🤩 I try to use my free time ( something I've never taken for granted ) to learn as much as I possibly can... music, another language.... I'm always amazed when someone says they're bored.... not with so much information at our fingertips

*  I do love Bertrand Russell  famously saying , " the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time " 😜

Edited September 24, 2023 by Vin_Marco

[Rudynate]

9 minutes ago, Vin_Marco said:

 I played the piano 🎹 from the age of 5 to 10 years old until I wanted to do nothing but surf and skateboard ( I'm a product of coastal Southern California ) and during the pandemic I bought a piano and now if I'm not seeing folks or at the gym, I play and practice the piano daily, multiple times a day. I even found a wonderful very accomplished piano 🎹 teacher that I see every Thursday. I don't expect to turn into Vladimir Horowitz lol but playing the piano does calm me  and give me lots of joy. 🤩 I try to use my free time ( something I've never taken for granted ) to learn as much as I possibly can... music, another language.... I'm always amazed when someone says they're bored.... not with so much information at our fingertips 🤓

I also work at the piano.  My skill level is probably late intermediate or early advanced.  A few years ago, I tried an experiment.  One of my favorite pieces is the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata - a virtuoso piece.  I thought, "Why couldn't I acquire the required skills as I'm learning the piece?"   So I started on it, worked on it for a few years.  I finally got it to the point where people who don't know music thought it was amazing, but people who know music would say "not bad."  I haven't given up on it though, I just realized you have to have a teacher for a piece of that difficulty.   I just found a simple transcript of the Overture to Bach's Cantata #29 (the Ratswahl Cantata). So I'm ready to take that on.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Rudynate said:

I also work at the piano.  My skill level is probably late intermediate or early advanced.  A few years ago, I tried an experiment.  One of my favorite pieces is the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata - a virtuoso piece.  I thought, "Why couldn't I acquire the required skills as I'm learning the piece?"   So I started on it, worked on it for a few years.  I finally got it to the point where people who don't know music thought it was amazing, but people who know music would say "not bad."  I haven't given up on it though, I just realized you have to have a teacher for a piece of that difficulty.   I just found a simple transcript of the Overture to Bach's Cantata #29 (the Ratswahl Cantata). So I'm ready to take that on.

That's wonderful! Good for you!!! I'm as determined with it as I am my physical fitness, possibly even more. I've never had the ability to do anything "a little bit"

😜

[adunn1992]

13 minutes ago, Vin_Marco said:

 I played the piano 🎹 from the age of 5 to 10 years old until I wanted to do nothing but surf and skateboard ( I'm a product of coastal Southern California ) and during the pandemic I bought a piano and now if I'm not seeing folks or at the gym, I play and practice the piano daily, multiple times a day. I even found a wonderful very accomplished piano 🎹 teacher that I see every Thursday. I don't expect to turn into Vladimir Horowitz lol but playing the piano does calm me  and give me lots of joy. 🤩 I try to use my free time ( something I've never taken for granted ) to learn as much as I possibly can... music, another language.... I'm always amazed when someone says they're bored.... not with so much information at our fingertips 🤓

I actually thought about getting back into music. I used to usually sing in community groups all the way up till I graduated college. Music does have a therapeutic sense to it. 

[Rudynate]

25 minutes ago, Vin_Marco said:

That's wonderful! Good for you!!! I'm as determined with it as I am my physical fitness, possibly even more. I've never had the ability to do anything "a little bit"

😜

we could learn a duet

[ICTJOCK]

I am definitely a multi faceted person.   Fitness ranks,  but beyond,  I'm certainly into landscaping of all kinds.   I designed my landscaping with my new home,  including the landscape pond I have off my patio,  gardening,   growing flowers of all kinds.   I taught horsemanship starting in 9th grade and through the end of graduate school,  showed horses,  so very much into horses,  rodeo and anything horse driven.   Astronomy,  travel, art. I'm a huge Civil War fan and a history buff and much of that comes from my Dad.  Spent a lot of time plotting and decorating my home,   it goes on.    

Edited September 24, 2023 by ICTJOCK

[Rudynate]

3 minutes ago, ICTJOCK said:

   I taught horsemanship starting in 9th grade and through the end of graduate school,  showed horses,  so very much into horses,  rodeo and anything horse driven.     

That is totally sexy.  

[ICTJOCK]

8 minutes ago, Rudynate said:

That is totally sexy.  

Thanks Chris,  I loved teaching horsemanship.

[+ Charlie]

I decided in my late 40s that I wanted to learn to play the piano, and I took lessons for a couple of years with a teacher from the Curtis Institute in Philly. However, I realized that I would probably never learn how to play well enough to play the classical music I enjoyed listening to, so when I was going to Europe to work for a year, I had an excuse to stop the lessons. When I got back to Philly, I thought about starting again, but for practical reasons I had to get rid of my piano, so that was the end of my musical ambitions.

When I retired, someone persuaded me to start learning how to play tennis, and I got hooked. Now tennis is my only serious hobby.

[adunn1992]

1 hour ago, Vin_Marco said:

That's wonderful! Good for you!!! I'm as determined with it as I am my physical fitness, possibly even more. I've never had the ability to do anything "a little bit"

😜

I can tell my friend. 😁😉 Your stories throughout the time I have known you have always kept me on my toes about what you will do next and accomplish.  

[adunn1992]

34 minutes ago, ICTJOCK said:

I am definitely a multi faceted person.   Fitness ranks,  but beyond,  I'm certainly into landscaping of all kinds.   I designed my landscaping with my new home,  including the landscape pond I have off my patio,  gardening,   growing flowers of all kinds.   I taught horsemanship starting in 9th grade and through the end of graduate school,  showed horses,  so very much into horses,  rodeo and anything horse driven.   Astronomy,  travel, art. I'm a huge Civil War fan and a history buff and much of that comes from my Dad.  Spent a lot of time plotting and decorating my home,   it goes on.    

Grew up around horses due to being on a farm as a kid. Definitely appreciate the sportsmanship behind it, I have a friend who rides every weekend. Fun hobby

[ICTJOCK]

8 minutes ago, adunn1992 said:

Grew up around horses due to being on a farm as a kid. Definitely appreciate the sportsmanship behind it, I have a friend who rides every weekend. Fun hobby

Love this!

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, adunn1992 said:

I can tell my friend. 😁😉 Your stories throughout the time I have known you have always kept me on my toes about what you will do next and accomplish.  

Thank you 🙏🏽  🫂 

 

[dbar123]

Several years ago I retired and moved across the country. Much of my time is spent exploring the new environment but I also supplement the free time with biking, wrestling and dining with fellow retirees that I’ve met in town

[youngboldone]

For me, it's making scrapbooks of my travels and/or reading.  I love just sitting for hours reading a good novel, or a play (I have close to 800 in my collection), or my New Yorker magazine.  

[Guest]

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has always provided many benefits aside from the obvious self defense strangulation and joint lock/manipulation techniques.Its methodical, cerebral, and you learn not to rely on brute strength. It's a martial art than can turn the less imposing person into a force to reckon with. Respect and humility. Lifting weights is something I just do, there had to always be something more to hold my interest. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Vin_Marco

[adunn1992]

22 minutes ago, youngboldone said:

For me, it's making scrapbooks of my travels and/or reading.  

Definitely open to any great reads. fiction, non-fiction, and biographies I'll take any recommendations

[adunn1992]

11 minutes ago, Vin_Marco said:

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has always provided many benefits aside from the obvious self defense strangulation and joint lock/manipulation techniques.Its methodical, cerebral, and you learn not to rely on brute strength. It's a martial art than can turn the less imposing person into a force to reckon with. Respect and humility. Lifting weights is something I just do, there had to always be something more to hold my interest. 

An important skill to have is self-defense. Plus those types of physical arts allow for people who practice them to have a strong mind and body connection.

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, adunn1992 said:

An important skill to have is self-defense. Plus those types of physical arts allow for people who practice them to have a strong mind and body connection.

It's as methodical as a game of chess and  is a self-defense martial art form that is used by individuals to protect themselves from an enemy or opponent who is larger, stronger and mightier. 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Rudynate said:

I also work at the piano....

I play the organ regularly. 😁

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Unicorn

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I workout.

I fly.

I do laundry.

I pack.

I repeat.

[youngboldone]

5 hours ago, adunn1992 said:

Definitely open to any great reads. fiction, non-fiction, and biographies I'll take any recommendations

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr;   Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides;  The Heart's Invisible Furies - John Boyne;  A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara;  The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri;  The Overstory - Richard Power

[adunn1992]

17 minutes ago, youngboldone said:

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr;   Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides;  The Heart's Invisible Furies - John Boyne;  A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara;  The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri;  The Overstory - Richard Power

Thanks for the recommendations @youngboldone

[MikeBiDude]

1 hour ago, youngboldone said:

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

+1