What are some good hobbies/interests for someone in their mid thirties to pick up?
When someone asked me recently what I'm into I didn't have answers. Existential crisis aside, what are some good hobbies/interests for someone in their mid thirties to pick up?
Never too old to learn a musical instrument. You can pick up an acoustic guitar for cheap at a pawn shop.
Learning how to code is a good one that can be done either free or very cheaply and doesn't require a lot of computing power when starting out. All you need is a text editor and Google.
I picked up bass a few months ago (26/27 here)!
Play an instrument.
I had zero musical talent, I'm not coordinated, and I don't even listen to music much to be honest. Yet one day I decided to try playing guitar and totally fell in love, it's like a new part of my brain came online.
I'll never be playing Wembley stadium or whatever but just practicing is so rewarding. It's not about getting good, it's about getting better.
Mid 30s here and just started guitar a couple months ago. So many great resources online and you can practice pretty much anytime anywhere. Have had a blast and even got my 2 year old son into it. Been a lot of fun learning parts of some of my favorite songs.
I got a tiny FX processor (boss pocket mini) and it can hook up to any set of speakers or headphones. The ability to move from rock to blues to metal to funk has made practice even more fun.
Plus it's opened up the world of playing along to YouTube tracks, which has been an absolute blast!
Dude learning music is so fulfilling. I picked up the viola at 30. Am I good, no, not at all. However, it’s been super gratifying being able to hear gradual progress. I have improved enough that playing with other people is no longer a pipe dream. Learning music has given me so much happiness. I felt so anxious and stalled in my paid work because of the vagueness and lack of direction, so small achievable goals like learning a new piece has been really grounding. It’s also really peaceful to have something so completely selfish. My viola skills are not for anyone but me, so I always smile a little whenever I pick it up. I sincerely hope that the guitar brings you the same joy.
Man I really want to learn the piano but the community sometimes feels so gatekeepy. So many people will tell you if you don't start off with a dedicated piano teacher, you won't have the right foundational principles and you'll be forever shit. I just dont have the time to commit to a schedule and regular piano lessons.
Love your comment bout getting better, not good. Maybe I shold just dive in and see where it takes me.
Just do it!
I did a ton of research and got a cheap bit quality monoprice starter electric guitar.
There's definitely a ton of snobbery, same with any hobby. YouTube is a fantastic way to dip your toe in the water and you can always start lessons if you're enjoying it!
Same with the piano but when looking around for starter keyboards all they can tell you is everything is shit unless to throw out $500.
I don't even know if this is going to click with me. I can't spend that much on something that may end up gathering dust.
I feel you man. It has to be 88 weighted keys otherwise it's shit. 500 for the piano and $100 per lesson is what you're supposed to spend. Put me off it, I bought a Ukulele instead haha.
You can start with a midi controller keyboard for less than $200. It doesn’t have its own sound and you’ll need a laptop or ipad and software to actually play, but at least you won’t blow hundreds of dollars just to pick up a hobby. A full weighted keyboard will be a little more expensive though and can hit $300+.
Are you one of those people though?
I don't think so, but when you're told that it's a little intimidating to start.
If it helps, I never learned “formally” and play by ear pretty much all the time; and I’ve been playing in bands since college and have my music on streaming platforms. Obviously I’ll never be able to perform classical pieces or work as a sessionist because I can’t read sheet music, but I do make my own music. Go for it!
I actually did this but with the ukulele! I picked it up partially because it's small and really easy to pick up and put down when I'm bored at work, but also because it's relatively easy.
Disc golf. Most cities of moderate size have a course somewhere around and most are free to use. Can get started with 1 disc, about 10 to 12 dollars for a putter, all you'd need to start, or get a starter set of 3 discs for about 30 to 40 bucks at most sporting goods stores.
I've been addicted to disc golf for a decade, and while I'm still not very good, I still enjoy every single round so much.
There's so much benefit to squeeze out of the sport:
Disc golf changed my life, and I hope others find their way to it too
I learned a bit of woodworking recently. You can go totally stupid on it like I did and drop a thousand dollars on tools you'll only sometimes use, or you can grab a hammer and a saw and start making stuff the long way around. It's kind of a trade-off of convenience versus expense in that way, but I enjoy making stuff.
Came in handy this spring when my front stairs collapsed. I probably saved ten grand at least for being able to DIY that.
I second woodworking. You can absolutely spend a shitton of money on tools, but you really don't have to. Start with a cordless drill and a circular saw. Then a plunge router. Then a table saw. If you're looking to build furniture, get a planer, then a jointer eventually. Bandsaws are nice, but a jigsaw is a better beginner purchase for curves.
Get stuff used off FB marketplace, craigslist, OfferUp, or auctions. Estate sales are fantastic for used tools, I got a shaper with about $2k worth of tooling for $40. Most of my tools are from marketplace or auctions. New, they'd easily be over 10 grand, but I've spent maybe $2.5k total over five years of slowly accumulating stuff.
Resist the pressure to build stuff to sell. Everyone around you will push you to monetize your hobby, but you don't have to. It's ok to spend money to help you do something you enjoy. (If you want to sell things, great, but don't do it just because people say you should. It really sucks the fun out of it)
For the shaper, did you get that at auction? Are these like eBay auctions you're taking about?
Yes, got it at an auction. Not ebay auctions (although I guess you can, but then you're on the hook for shipping), search for auctions or estate sales in your area. Typically, my area has a couple a month across a few sites.
I'm also a mid-30s dude and I can honestly say cooking and baking has probably been the best skill I have. I bake stuff for my coworkers every now and then and it's always a good time. And cooking a nice meal from scratch for a girl always impresses.
It's a good time to pick up a martial art or yoga. The strength and flexibility training will help stave off age very effectively, and they're good at helping deal with stress too.
Gardening is always a safe "goto"
I agree with many here about finding some sort of exercise, it's especially beneficial as we age. Cooking is another great one that was mentioned, and it goes hand in hand with staying healthy along with exercising.
One I didn't see mentioned was Lego. Fair warning, it can get very expensive, but I found it very relaxing to build something with my hands. Plus, you can just turn off your brain for a bit and it feels great to admire a build after you've completed it.
I started building sets for things I was interested in, like Star Wars, and would watch the movies while building or put on an audiobook.
There are great lego alternatives which have much more reasonable pricing like bluebrixx and CaDa.
Indeed, I own several of these sets, and it still gets expensive haha.
Weight lifting. As your body ages retaining muscle mass gets harder, and more important. Develop the habit now so you’re not trying to pick up weight lifting in your 60s when the doctors tell you to start.
This one so much. I started lifting 3-4 years ago. It made the single largest improvement to my overall life quality of anything else I've ever done. The benefits are massive, impossible to overstate them.
Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?
Both, but I live in a state where the summers are hot and the winters are cold and snowy. Finding something to do outdoors consistently had been difficult.
Go rock climbing! It’s a great workout and the people around are the most chill people ever!
I second this, it even got a little addictive for me at one point.
Probably some of these mentioned already:
Rock climbing. Hit up a gym or hire a guide if outdoor climbing sounds interesting
If you’re looking for a physical activity, consider indoor rowing. I picked it up at 35. It was getting harder to find regular exercise that didn’t kill my joints. This one fits the bill. Gives me a great workout without leaving aches and pains.
I've tried my hands at home brewing and lock picking. Not great at either, but I've learned a lot and had fun. You can get started in either for under $100. And if you enjoy them you can sink much much more into them!
"Maker" stuff is fun. I picked up woodworking/furniture making, 3d printing, and electronics.
If you have time and enjoy being active / outside - running.
If you prefer learning and/or experiencing something other than your daily life - reading.
Both can be tailored to your own availability/interest (fast or long running, solo or group, non-fiction or fiction, specific interests or genre.
Motorcycling. You’re old enough to not do the stupid shit that gets young riders killed.
Take the MSF’s beginner course (or your country’s equivalent), spend more on your helmet, jacket and gloves than you do your first bike, and have fun. Spend as much on your helmet as you think your brain is worth.
Remember, you’ll drop your bike, so start with a cheap used one. After a year (or less) with it you’ll have a better idea of what kind of riding you like, and that will inform your choice of second bike.
You’ll drop that one too, by the way. Don’t sweat it. Maybe buy spare brake and clutch levers.
Find a local moto community. Maybe get an intro to the Denizens of Doom. Heck, even a Facebook group can do the trick. You’ll meet new people and make new friends, while learning from people who’ve been riding for decades.
If you survive your first year (you will), you’ll also have become a far better car driver. Riding without a safety cage around you does wonders for situational awareness and risk awareness.
Last note: the car drivers are trying to kill you. They may not realize this, but you should. You’re invisible to them. Ride with a healthy dose of paranoia. But smile. You’re having fun.
I'm absolutely interested in getting a motorcycle and have been for a while. I want one pretty much only to cruise around town or other small trips. My wife has absolutely shut that down lol.
Well, that sucks. But I’m not going to tell you to pick a hobby over the woman you love. There are plenty of other things you can do that won’t scare the pants off her. :)
I have kids so her worries aren't illogical. Whatcha gonna do
Different people have different risk tolerances. I have two kids. My spouse cares that I wear proper protective gear (and so do I!) but otherwise doesn't try to restrict me. That said I have rather less time with kids than I did before we had 'em. :)
Pick up an instrument. Start writing. Gardening. I'm just naming what I like to do. My s.o. does leather work and gardening.
Music is my most fulfilling thing. Bit I love writing so much. Gardening just keeps me busy and I work out while I do it usually. The gardening I just started in my 30s.
I'm sort of still figuring out how to be a real person, yknow.
Running. You can do it everywhere, and almost every time.
Depends on whether you'd prefer outdoorsy or indoorsy, and also what things you already are into to balance things out a little, maybe? But have not seen gardening mentioned yet, whether you attack an allotment, or plant some discarded salads/spring onions on a window sill. Always rewarding to munch on something home-grown!
I recommend trying some new sports. Check out community centre drop ins or beginner leagues. It is a great way to get some exercise and meet people.
I just started playing volleyball in my late 30s. I never played a lot of sports as a kid, and being short, this was a weird choice. I was really intimidated at first because it has a fairly high skill point of entry, so I just started passing to myself and serving a wall in a park during covid to get some exercise. Eventually I found a drop in at a local community centre and despite being the worst one there by far, the community was really welcoming and I kept at it. I've made a bunch of new friends in the community and l absolutely love sports now.
I love volleyball. And hackey sack. I'm in my 30s. I started shooting hoops a little bit too. I've always been athletic, but got out of the groove, and while my knees don't like it, it's super worthwhile, especially if it's team oriented.
Do you have any creative outlets in your life? Doesn't have to be for anyone but yourself.
Photography is a good one. There's so many directions to take with it. It's easy to share with other people digitally these days, and has never been more accessible since practically everyone has a pretty good camera on their phone. You can do landscapes, animals, macro nature, miniature scenes, food, old signs, buildings, all sorts of specialties within those and more.
You wanna get poor? Cause photography will inevitably lead you to a point where you start justifying spending thousands of dollars for a piece of glass to make a difference in your photos nobody but yourself will notice. I heard.
Sure, if you’re into analog photography or developing prints with chemicals or something. Digital photos with your phone isn’t going to cost anything.
Edit: I guess I read this wrong; you mean glass to set up a scene? Or a special lens?
Film photography can still be pretty cheap compared to digital. Any prime 50mm-ish from the last 70 years will be at least decent to great, any manual camera from the last 50 years is will be good if working. A lot of East-Asian and Eastern European bodies and lenses from the 70'-90'don't hold much value but a lot are very competent workhorses. A lot of (especially Japanese) "basic" lenses like the SMC Taks, most Canons and Nikons have gotten very expensive tho because nowadays people can easily adapt them to any MILC for that "vintage" look.
Go black and white, buy a bottle of Rodinal (or any clone) and a film tank. They will both last forever.
Good b&w film like Ilford FP4+ is getting expensive tho, but you can still burn through 50 rolls before reaching the price of a decent, entry level cropped frame DSLR or MILC. Double or triple that if you want a full frame digital camera.
Plus, a full manual setup is an amazing learning tool, and having only 36 shots per roll force you to stop and think before shooting anything.
Only potential problem is that scanning negatives can be tricky without buying a film scanner.
Sounds like fun! Overall though it has to cost more than using your phone and not having to buy film, paper or chemicals, I'd think. Not that there's anything wrong with spending a bit of money on an interest.
Gunpla or Plamo! It's a somewhat easy hobby to get into and there's plenty of cool kits out there if you're into Mecha or anything really.
https://gundamit.com/products/?&Narrow=4+1 has general Chinese knock off just to give you an idea what is out there besides Gundam.
Now’s the time too. Seems like it’s surging in popularity after the latest Gundam anime series which just finished.
I really like this idea both for it's practically (I live next to a large climbing gym) and for it's physical benefits. However, I'm pretty afraid of heights. So it'll depend on how willing I am to confront that fear.
If they have a bouldering section, that can be good way to get used to the movements without really getting high off the ground!
I was afraid of heights as well when I started climbing – to the point where I was scared of looking out of windows above a certain height. It's still something I have to deal with (especially when I go lead climbing), but it's gotten better the more I've climbed! It's usually pretty affordable to do an intro course or a day pass and try it out just once, that'll let you know whether you enjoy it enough to push through the fear.
Do you like beer? Is is legal to home brew in your country? If both are yes, brew beer.
It's easy, it's delicious, it gets cheap quickly especially compared to most microbreweries, you'll always have a brew to share with friends without having to run to the store.
Always brew with friends. You can drink beer and have fun on brew days. It's much easier when there are 2-3 people around to lift stuff. You can delegate responsibilities. Share the cost of ingredients and the resulting beer. You can even "associate" and buy the hardware together. Trust me, you will never run out of volunteers.
Go all grain from the start instead of going extract. Start with something simple with as few ingredients as possible like a stout or a pale ale to get the feel for it. Then brew more complicated but tried and true recipes. Then you can start and go crazy with your own recipes.
And if anything goes off plan, RDWHAHB. Relax, don't worry, have a home brew. It's hard to make a truly exceptional beer, but if you follow most basic principles it's even harder to fuck up so badly that you brew something truly undrinkable.
Meanwhile I'm trying to tell my ADHD brain to pick fewer hobbies so I can actually stop and enjoy one and stop buying things to start new ones.....
That said, hobby electronics and soldering is a fun one. Also if your city allows it (or if you live rural) you can get into a little bit of farming and get some chickens. Ill also suggest coffee roasting.
Pinball, unless you want a cheap one.
Adding to others: Mountain biking, camping, hiking, rc planes, model rocketry, travel, fishing
Or get into a niche intellectual or academic endeavor: finance, investing, philosophy, what is truth, of course light-heartedly (/s)
Cooking, Painting, Woodworking, learn an instrument, read more, write more.
Play a lifetime sport like golf or disc golf or softball.
Hike and learn more about nature.Fish, Forage, Hunt or just take up shooting in general.
Craft stuff. Knit, Crochet, Sew.
Build a computer or a virtual pinball machine and play all the amazing games made over the last 30 something years.
Run, Bike, Skate, Row, Swim, move!
I subconsciously separate hobbies into two categories, inside the comfort zone and outside the comfort zone. Do you want to fill your hours doing something you enjoy with people you like (or alone is good, too)? Or do you want to expand your horizons, meet new people (or learn to be content alone), and try something new?
That's a critical first question to answer, because any hobby can expand to fill the available time and budget.
And those are the next two questions, both important. Do you have long stretches of continuous time and an unlimited budget? Traveling is a great hobby that will also help you find new hobbies.
Do you have zero budget and unpredictable pockets of time? Crafting can be fun and an inexpensive creative outlet.
Think about what you like, who you like to be around, and when it makes sense to be doing it. Do you want to play Warhammer in a comic book shop with people who are way into it? Would you enjoy playing golf every weekend at the local club? Hobbies are a great way to challenge yourself and meet new people, or it's a great way to get all introspective and grow as a person in your spare time.
Guitar has been great for me the last few years!
Custom keyboards, hifi, vinyl, lightweight mice if you like collecting stuff and optimising setups and whatnot. I took up stenography lately too, some people can type upwards of 300 wpm with it.
Give golf a try. I am personally addicted. It's a nice activity that gets you outside.
I took up target shooting about a year ago, and have been in love with it ever since. I shoot 9mm open sight semi auto handgun and cowboy action shooting in .44-40 on an old Winchester model 94. It's a fantastic community and I've met some really great people through it.
How practical is it to do this without owning your own guns?
I can't speak for other countries, but in Australia where I live, I'd say not very. Hiring range guns plus ammo is easily $150+ each session, so owning my own firearms is the only practical way to afford the hobby. I also own a 12 gauge shotgun and a .223 Taipan pump action 'AR' style rifle to use on the property I own, which I'll also occasionally bring to the range with me.
Competitively, I shoot a CZ Shadow 9mm, and while the upfront cost was high, the amount saved over time makes up for it, plus I can better compete knowing I'm more familiar with my own gun. Range guns are also generally quite battered (the Glock 19 I did my training on would jam literally every other round and was miserable to use.) There's also personal adjustments to sights and grip preferences that aren't possible with hired range guns. 9mm ammo costs roughly $25-$30 per box of 50, while the .44-40 is substantially more expensive at $75 per box for Magtech (hard to find the genuine Winchester brand .44 ammo here.)
If you're interested in picking up the sport, I'd go into a range and try out a few different guns to get a feel for it, then go through the process of acquiring your own, whether that be a safety course and training like here in Australia, or the much simpler process in the US (although I'd still recommend training, as it helps you become familiar with and respect your weapon.)
I hope that helped, even if my experience as an Aussie is likely to be far different from most of the world's.
I've gotten into restoring motorcycles, cycling, sim racing, exercise, and tons of cooking.
Really anything can be a hobby, but I’ll be a shill for my own hobbies real fast: playing guitar, hiking, writing, reptiles/snakes, tea, and tabletop games.
Programming. Literally code anything you want. Go nuts.
I do a lot of this in my line of work. I suppose I could do something completely different though. Making Lemmy apps seems to be in vogue.
making apps is hard(er) to start. it’s far easier to improve an existing app! hell, you can improve lemmy itself once you know how to code!
anything active. it'll help keep your body and mind healthy for the long run
I might as well toss out Amateur Radio Operator (aka Ham Radio). You can be as technical or non technical as you'd like. There is most likely a radio club near where you live so you can be social and learn about the hobby from others.
You can talk to people in town, across the country or around the world. You can work from your home or you can setup at a local park. There are contests where you try and make as many contacts as possible in a day, or sit around and chat about whatever you enjoy.
There are radio systems you connect to the internet if you dont have a desire to setup big antenna. If you don't like talking there are ways to hook up a computer and chat with people that way.
If you like to get outdoors there are clubs where you work from local parks, islands, mountains, boats and lighthouses and with a whole point system if you're competitive. With a simple handheld radio you can talk to people hundreds of miles away by bouncing your signal off of satellites.
Then there is the whole diy approach where you can build radios and antennas all from scratch or from kits of you're into the tech side. If you want to get into RC and drones you get a whole set of radio frequency that allows you more distance and functionally in that hobby if you use your Amateur Radio license along with it.
Seriously they're is a ton of stuff to try in the hobby.
Ya this seems like a neat one with a pretty devout following. How outgoing would you say you are. My immediate thought is that after getting all this set up I would be like... Sup? How's the weather?
NoOh if you're looking for a hobby where you act social while also being a complete introverted and not wanting to actually interact with people then this hobby works.
The minimum qualifying contact (when you're doing state to state or country to country) is your call sign and a signal report on how well you receive them. Then you can say bye and move on. Some people report their weather, and some people will talk for hours about whatever topic. It all just depends on your level of interaction. Heck there are digital modes where all you do is use your computer and it's basically all automated to make the minimal contact (more of a mode for collecting achievements cuz ham radio has those too).
Google Parks On The Air or POTA. Those are also short and sweet.
Me personally, I'm the the liveliest person in most rooms. But there are times when I power up radio and my computer and just work some states I haven't before and don't really want to "chat".
Okay, so you've got a load of ideas from other comments, but what I'm asking you is:
What does anything of that have to do with you being in your mid thirties?
I'm sorry, but I didn't get the memo about age or gender related hobbies.
You don't need to be an 83y old hag to crotchet tea warmers, you don't need to be Tyler Durden to pick up boxing.
Just do whatever you fucking want to do, okay? You're okay. And if anyone tells you you're not okay, kindly tell them to fuck off.
Edit: Also, do not compare yourself to others. Ever. It's a hobby, not a career, you're not gonna get paid, so don't bother. Nobody says you need to be good at it.
Edit 2: Remind me again why I’m being downvoted for saying this, lol? 🤡
The age is more about the things that are likely to be available to me. But you are correct that my age shouldn't inhibit my interest in a hobby, even if it's typically associated with a younger or older demographic.