You don’t have to leave your house to engage in sports. In fact, there are many sports you can practice at home with limited space. Practicing sports at home could be a fun way to stay fit, a way of bonding with family or simply a way of challenging yourself. Below are just some of the sports you can practice at home.
Soccer
Soccer is a great game for playing with kids in your backyard. You can buy a goal net and take it in turns to shoot and defend. You can also practice skills like dribbling using cones. When it comes to games with multiple players, you may want to head to the park or join a club. However, for basic practice, most backyards are perfectly suitable.
Table tennis
Table tennis is ideal for playing outdoors or indoors at home – providing you have enough space for a tennis table. A tennis table could double up as a dining table. Alternatively, you could look into collapsible options. When choosing tennis rackets, start with something cheap. As you get better, you can consider more professional blades such as this Butterfly Viscaria blade, as well as more durable rubbers.
Pool/snooker
You could consider purchasing a pool or snooker table for your home. Like a tennis table, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve got enough space (like a tennis table, it could double up as a dining table). This may not be a physically active sport, but it can still make a great competitive sport for playing at home solo, with family or with friends (they’re ideal for home bars and man caves).
Basketball
A lot of people set up basketball hoops in their yard. These can be fixed to a wall or freestanding on a post. Having a hoop in your yard could allow you to practice your shooting skills. You can play by yourself or play with others. Basketball hoops can even be placed indoors, although you probably want to avoid them in a terraced property or apartment.
Darts
Darts is another sport that can be played at home. A dartboard can be hung indoors or outdoors – in either case, you’ll need enough space to throw from and you’ll need to provide enough clearance either side of the dartboard (you don’t want to place it near a TV or window). Darts isn’t ideal for those craving a physically exertive home sport; however, it can be fun as a competitive sport for playing with family and friends.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting doesn’t take up too much space and is something you can practice indoors or outdoors. It could be a great sport to take up if you want to tone up or improve your strength. You could challenge yourself to lift heavier and heavier weights – just make sure you’ve got someone to act as a spotter if you’re doing deadlifts. You can buy weights online – look out for used gear and discounted new gear.
Running
You can also practice running at home by buying a treadmill. Treadmills can take up quite a bit of space but owning one could allow you to practice running from the comfort of your own. If it’s too hot or too cold outside, you can still get your run in (and you can catch up on your favorite TV shows while doing it). You’ll find lots of used treadmills in practically brand-new condition for sale online – they’re often much cheaper than new ones.
Cycling
Cycling at home is also a possibility with a stationary bike. Like a treadmill, this can prevent you from having to practice outdoors in bad weather. A number of virtual cycling apps such as these ones listed at Cycle Guard could give you the sensation of going on a scenic bike ride while at home (you can even take part in virtual races). You can also take part in online spin classes hosted live by personal trainers. Alternatively, you can cycle and watch TV.
Boxing/martial arts
Boxing and martial arts are great physically active sports that you can practice at home. You could practice using a punch bag or sparring pads, helping to stay fit while improving your power and accuracy. A punch bag could be hung from a ceiling indoors or placed outdoors (although you’ll probably want to take it down or buy a rain cover if you’re using it outdoors to protect it from weather damage).
Yoga
Yoga can be practiced almost anywhere. It’s a great sport for building core strength and flexibility, as well as a great way of relaxing and reducing stress. A yoga mat is worth purchasing, but even this isn’t necessary. You may even be able to take classes online from your home.
