In today’s fast-paced world, it is difficult to find time for your health. Amidst the onslaught of work-life, family, social obligations, and being glued to your computer screen; you may have forgotten a simple truth: Our health matters. An unhealthy body often leads to an unhealthy mind.

Want to keep yourself in shape but don’t fancy running or joining the gym? You might be better off playing an unconventional sport. Unlike many traditional sports, we now also have a selection of unorthodox games on offer. Whether you are looking for a new sport or just want to get out of the gym, here are some unconventional sports that will keep you in shape.

• Table Tennis

This is a fantastic sport to improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen and tone muscles, improve reaction time and agility. Whether you’re on a team or playing alone, tennis is a great way to get out of the gym and have fun.

• Frisbee Golf

Frisbee golf is like regular golf except you use Frisbees instead of golf balls and clubs. You tee off at the base of a pole with your Frisbee and aim for the basket at the end. The goal is to get from start to finish using as few Frisbees as possible.

• Windsurfing

When it comes to staying fit, many people overlook water sports, but they can be just as effective as an exercise on land. Windsurfing requires upper body strength, agility, and balance. You’ll also get plenty of cardio when you’re sailing through the water!

• Figure Skating

In figure skating, there is a fine line between art and sport. This unique sport requires you to be graceful and strong at the same time. Figure skaters have some of the best-shaped legs in the world and their backs are usually sinewy and toned from years of practice. Figure skating involves moves that can be both aerobic or anaerobic depending on what kind of move is being executed. If you want a sport that requires serious attention to detail as well as physical strength, figure skating may be exactly what you’re looking for!

• Kickball

Few things are more fun than kickball with your friends on a sunny day. The rules are easy enough that anyone can play, so it makes for a great activity if you have young children as well. Grab some friends, divide into two teams and start playing!

• Dodgeball

If you’re looking for an ultimate test of skill, then dodgeball is an excellent way to challenge your reflexes and coordination. This is one of those sports that can get a bit intense, but it’s also the kind of game where anyone can join in on the action (and have a blast). 

Also called “dunk”. It is a practical sport in which 2 teams throw balls at each other. In this way, the objective of the sport is to hit a member of the opposing team with a ball, who will be eliminated. However, there is a variety in which hitting an opponent can return a member of your same team. In this sense, the game will be over when all the members of a group have been hit without the ball bouncing.

This sport is practiced on a rectangular court and balls of different sizes and weights can be used. Similarly, due to its characteristics, it is one of the unconventional sports that will put you in shape and improve your speed, concentration, cardiovascular health, and strength of your arms.

• Mountain biking

If you love being out in nature and exploring the world around you, mountain biking could be a perfect fit for you. While it’s certainly possible to do it alone — many riders love nothing more than going on long solo trips through the wilderness — it can also help you meet other like-minded individuals who want nothing more than to get out and ride with friends.

• Hiking

Go on a hike with friends or family to explore nature while working out. Hiking is a great cardiovascular exercise that will get your heart rate up while helping you tone your legs and glutes. Climbing requires a lot of upper body strength and will help improve your flexibility. It’s also great for your core, as you need to use it to stabilize your body while climbing. If you want an even more challenging hike, try carrying a backpack filled with water bottles or other objects that add weight to the hike but don’t weigh you down too much.

• Fencing

Fencing is a fast-action sport, providing you with a solid cardio workout. Lunges and footwork are two key components of the sport, which will dramatically increase your balance, agility, coordination, strength, and flexibility – particularly in your lower body. 

Additionally, the bursts of more intense activity between more relaxed periods allow for frequent recovery time, elevating your metabolism and fat-burning abilities. Fencing burns an astounding 446 calories per hour for anyone weighing 155 pounds.

• Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a great way to get a cardiovascular workout if you take short breaks between steps. It also builds strength in your arms, back, chest, shoulders, and fingers. With enough practice, you’ll increase your coordination while doing a mentally challenging workout that isn’t as monotonous as jogging on the treadmill.

• Roller Skiing

Roller skiing is a good option for burning calories while having fun. Roller skiing can train and improve:

• Muscular endurance
• Cardio
• Balance
• Core stability
• Flexibility
• Rhythm

It offers a great aerobic workout but is a low-impact sport unlike running.

• Skateboarding

Skateboarding is a great way to keep in shape because it’s fun and engaging. Skateboarding gives you a great workout, especially if you use the longboard skateboards. They’re less stable so they require more balance control.

When you start out skating, you might feel a little clumsy. But once you get in the groove, you’ll be able to do all sorts of fancy tricks. It’s an aerobic exercise, so it’s great for your cardiovascular system and heart health. Plus, longboarding can increase your muscle tone.

• Underwater hockey

Also known as octopus, underwater hockey is played at the bottom of a pool with two teams each trying to push a puck across their opponent’s goal line using a stick about the size of a broomstick. Each player wears snorkeling gear and holds their breath while on the bottom, swimming around to move the puck. Play is continuous, but players can only stay down for about a minute before needing to surface for air.

It will improve your endurance swimming skills, as it relies on you holding your breath underwater, it will improve your lung capacity and in time become beneficial for any endurance swim.

• Stand up Paddleboarding

The activity sees participants standing on a longboard while propelling themselves through the water using a paddle similar to that of a canoe.

• Ultimate

The game involves two teams of seven trying to pass a flying disc into the opposing side’s end zone. Like netball, players aren’t allowed to move when holding the disc, and a point is scored for each completed pass, with any dropped catches or interceptions resulting in a turnover.

Ultimate requires a good level of athleticism and dexterity. It will make you better at running. Ultimate will give your body a brilliant HIIT workout, while also boosting your leg power to make you faster out of the blocks when sprinting.