You’re not over the hill yet, but joining the local MMA club doesn’t seem your speed; not a problem! There are still great hobbies for men over 50 to start this year. Check out this list of hobbies for men over 50.
It’s hard for anyone to try new things, so why not take the pressure off by convincing a friend to start a new hobby with you? Decide how much free time you have and make it your goal this year to start a new hobby.
What Kinds of Hobbies Are Men Over 50 Doing?
Let’s face it, as we age, we all lose a little of our get-up-and-go; it’s natural and nothing to be concerned with. The key is finding a new hobby that interests and excites you but won’t leave you worse off the next day.
Low-impact hobbies that promote well being
When you’re choosing a new hobby to start, there are a few considerations to take in mind.
Are you looking for indoor hobbies or outdoor hobbies? Creative hobbies or social hobbies? If you spend most of your day stuck at a desk or office, a hobby that will get you up and outside and raise your heart rate a little will do you good.
You also need to think about your current fitness level, don’t jump into a new vigorous hobby like playing soccer if you haven’t done any cardio work for years. Warm up before each practice session if you are doing something stimulating.
A Pastime you can continue after retirement.
Among the hobby ideas for men over 50 below are many hobbies that anyone would be able to continue after retirement and into old age
An Activity that matches your personality
People are drawn to different hobbies because of their personality types; if you’re very introverted, you may want to find an activity you can do alone or with a small group of people.
If you’re an introverted extrovert, you may be more equipped to deal with different hobbies but to get the most enjoyment out of them, limit the number of days a week you do group activities.
Extroverted people with high energy levels are likely to find a new favorite hobby in a pastime they can do with others, like team sports.
1. Fishing
I don’t understand fishing personally, but it’s one of the favorite hobbies among men over 50.
It may not be my cup of tea, but I know so many people love fishing that I had to include it on the list. Fishing doesn’t have to be a lazy day sitting around at the edge of a lake, although it can be if that’s what you’re into. Fishing can also be fast-paced and exciting or a real challenge.
- Bait Fishing
- Ice fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Spear Fishing
2. Golf
When you think about hobbies for men over 50, golf is the first the that comes to mind. It’s one second of strenuous activity and then 15 minutes of walking leisurely and chatting with your friends. If you’ve never played and worry that you’re not good enough to play with your more experienced buddies, play! It’s not really about golf; it’s a social hobby.
3. Tennis
Few hobbies are as popular as tennis, and there’s a reason so many people play, especially in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. It’s the perfect mix between short bursts of strenuous exercise and short breaks. Playing doubles can be an even less demanding and fun way to spend an afternoon with your friends or meet some new ones. A weekly scheduled doubles match is an easy way to make sure you get regular exercise.
4. Yoga
Hear me out! It may not sound like the perfect hobby for a guy in his 50s, but yoga is what you need! Yoga combines relaxation with strength training and stretching. You know that feeling you get after a total body yawn and stretch? Well, times that by 100, and that’s how you’ll feel after a good yoga session.
Yoga can help with arthritis, relieve back pain, and help you lose weight, as any moderate exercise will. It’s also great if you suffer from bad posture.
5. Dance
My Dad retired young; one of the things that kept him happy and healthy in retirement was a dancing club. He’d never been interested in dancing while working, but his passion for it took off overnight. It’s been over a decade since he started swing dancing now, and he’s become an instructor and is thinking about opening his own studio. You don’t have to learn to swing dance; you might choose:
- Line Dancing
- Swing
- Jive
- Ballroom
- Samba
6. Drawing
Deep down, everyone had that desire to be able to draw. I think it stems from childhood, from getting positive reinforcement from our parents after scribbling anything out with some crayons. For many, the idea that you’d be able to draw someone and others would recognize them seems impossible. You often hear, “I’m just not artistically talented.”
The ability to draw is like any other; it just takes time and effort. So find a class and give it a go, so when you retire, you already have a decade of drawing experience or more.
7. Painting
Like drawing, painting is something anyone can do well; you just need instruction and practice. So let the idea that one day, one of your paintings will be hanging on the wall at home push you to get better. Who knows, you may even be able to turn your painting hobby into a profitable side hustle.
8. Wine Tasting
Is wine tasting considered a hobby? I guess if you do it regularly enough! Seriously though, if you’ve always been interested in wine, now is the perfect time to start learning. Wine tasting events are always a lot of fun, and socializing is easy with all the wine flowing. Wine tasting also opens up new possibilities for vacations touring wine-producing regions in France, Italy, or California.
9. Woodwork
If you’ve always liked the idea of building some furniture for the house or a picture frame, start doing some carpentry. Rather than learning the basic joints or how to use each tool, jump straight in with a project and learn along the way! Why not build yourself a humidor or a pinball machine?
You don’t need to invest in expensive power tools either; look for a local woodwork club and enroll. You’ll get to use their tools and have experts you can ask for advice too.
10. Bowling
We’ve all played bowling before, but if it’s something you enjoy, why not make it a regular activity? Ask some friends or family members if they want to meet you at the alley once a week. You can keep scores over the year and buy a trophy for whoever scores highest or hits the most strikes in one game.
11. Learn a New Language
One of the biggest things stopping people from learning a new language is the idea that they’ll never achieve perfection. Nobody attains perfection, though, even in their native language. It’s not about perfection or even fluency; it’s just about having fun. That’s what a hobby should be.
As an adult, I’ve learned three new languages, and each time it gets easier, I worry less about speaking perfectly.
12. Tai Chi
You may think that doing Tai Chi in the park is only for retired guys with mobility issues, but it can be a serious workout if you do it right. For example, I traveled to China in my 20s to learn martial arts, and although it wasn’t the most intense style I learned, after an hour of Chen-style tai chi, I always felt like I’d had a workout.
Of course, there’s the Yang style, too, which is generally much softer, relaxing, and promotes a sense of well-being. So find a group practicing in your area and go learn!
13. Magic
Don’t think about cheesy magicians pulling rabbits out of hats (unless that’s what you’re into); think about being able to pull a coin out of your grandkid’s ear or making their card appear in your wallet.
It’s easy to start learning magic, you’ve undoubtedly got a deck of cards, and you can find excellent video magic courses online.
14. Juggling
Juggling is an impressive skill and an excellent exercise for your body and mind. Juggling has been shown to stave off neurological deterioration like dementia and Alzheimers and even increase grey matter in the brain. Learning the basic three-ball pattern won’t take long, and then you can graduate to juggling clubs and maybe even chainsaw!
15. Skiing
If you have a ski slope near you, skiing is a hobby anyone can start. It gives you access to a whole new kind of vacation too. Perhaps you may be booking a holiday to ski the Italian Alps next year!
16. Ping Pong
Ping pong (table tennis) is fast and furious but requires less energy than most other sports. You don’t need to worry about the weather or pay for an expensive tennis club. Setting up a table tennis table at home or garage for you to play with family and friends is relatively inexpensive, and most tables can fold away, so they don’t take up too much space.
17. Badminton
There’s a strange satisfaction you get when you hit a shuttlecock just right, and no matter how hard you hit it, you don’t need to worry about it going too far like a tennis ball. Doubles is great fun, keeps you physically active, and is usually slow enough to allow time for some banter between serves if you can convince a few friends to play.
Hang a line up in the garden, and as long as it’s not too windy, you have a badminton court.
18. Metal Detecting
I’m sure most days, you’ll find old soda cans from the 90s, but the excitement of what might be is a powerful draw to metal detecting. Sure, you need to first find a good metal detector for beginners. Once you’ve scouted out some good locations, metal detecting is like going for a stroll in the countryside.
19. Sculpting or Pottery
Ever since watching Patrick Swayzee in Ghost, you’ve wanted to learn to sculpt clay on a turntable. It probably won’t end up with you sitting behind Demi Moore, but you could play the scene out with your wife for fun!
20. Musical Instrument
You might think that to play an instrument well, like the piano or guitar, you have to start young, but playing well is just about practice time. Of course, if you start young, you have more years to practice, but two years of daily practice will make you a fantastic guitar player. You need to make it a habit.
21. Cycling
Cycling is a great workout, it keeps your heart healthy, and unlike running or jogging, it’s easy on your joints and has just the same cardiovascular health benefits. Of course, cycling is an excellent hobby for a few other reasons too.
- Cycling is carbon neutral.
- It saves money on gas
- You can travel much further than running
- If you get an electric bike, you can take a rest when you’re tired without stopping.
22. Collecting
Collecting baseball cards, stamps or coins may not be as cool as it once was, but it’s still a thrill when you come close to completing your collection. The time spent stamp-collecting, searching for that one limited edition stamp might seem wasted to others, but for those of us with the collecting bug, it’s time well spent.
23. Darts
Since I was a child, we had a dart board set up at home. I’m still not very good, but I enjoy meeting up with some friends at a bar or pub and playing a few rounds. Sure, you could get into dart leagues and local clubs, but just throwing a few with your buddies over a drink is fun too.
24. Gardening
The only plant I’ve managed to keep alive is an avocado tree my son and I grew from a seed. Even though I don’t have a green thumb, growing my own food has always been a dream of mine. It’s hard work and requires patience, but I’m sure there are few feelings as good as making a meal with ingredients you grew yourself.
25. Become a Mentor
A half-century is a lot of experience. You could do so much good by giving what you’ve learned back to someone who needs it. Volunteering and mentoring programs are set up across the country for people like you to mentor the younger generation. Why not check one out?
26. Photography
Photography has a rich history, and there is much to explore. Using film cameras, you can learn not only about exposure and composition, but you could even try building a dark room and developing your pictures. On the digital side, there is editing software like Lightroom, Darktable, Photoshop, and GIMP. Photography makes you see the world differently, and it will take you to places you would never go otherwise, searching for that perfect shot.
27. Cooking
We all cook, but few of us take the time to get good. It means learning the basics and maybe enrolling in a culinary class. But you can make it suit you too, why not learn to make Chinese food or Indian curries? Imagine impressing your friends the next time they come over with your samosas or just a homemade pizza.
28.Baking
To me, baking is far enough removed from cooking to have its own spot as one of the best hobbies for men in their 50s. Baking is much more varied and rich than it often gets credit for; it’s more than just baking cakes.
- Bread
- Cakes
- Cookies
- Crumpets
- Muffins
- Bagels
- etc
29. Blogging
Building a blog is a fun hobby if you love to write; if you don’t like writing, skip this one! A blog can become a nice source of income, although it may take some of the fun out of it. If you don’t care about making it profitable, or making money at all, write about things you’re passionate about. It is so satisfying, and seeing people respond to your writing makes it so much worth it.
30. Recreational Shooting
Shooting isn’t for everyone, but if it’s something you’ve enjoyed in the past or always wanted to do, what are you waiting for?
Other Hobbies You Might Consider
- Aerobics
- Weight Lifting
- Chess
- Sailing
- Knitting
- Zumba
- Ham-radio
- Pilates
- Surfing
- Crafting
- Geocaching
- Snowboarding
- Puzzles
- Video Games
