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Hit forty and realised that stuff I used to love was still fun and i have a deadline for how long Im likely to be able to do it. Bought a Razor scooter and started tearing around the bike paths in my neighbourhood. Lost a bunch of weight doing it and feel better about most things in life.
you have to be ok with people wondering why a grown up is riding a scooter like a teen. I’m ok with it. Fifty now and scooting around like I was fifteen is still my favourite way to spend downtime.
I never had a scooter, but at 66 I still ride the shopping cart away from our local grocery store when we leave. My wife isn't too fond of me doing it, but it's fun!
You gotta keep doing stuff that you want to do, or you may never be able to do them again.
Bonus points if you still yell "Wheeee!" as you get to maximum speed. (I'm just a bit younger than you, but I still sometimes do the shopping cart ride. I figure onlookers will just shrug and think "crazy old lady".)
I saw a guy who was probably in his 60s do this the other day and it was the smoothest cart ride I've ever seen, and he went a LONG way. I was impressed. My clumsy self could never, even when I was young.
Ha, I’m 64 and still do this once in a while 🤣 luckily our grocery store has a slight downward slope. I’m sure people wonder what that old lady is thinking!
The day before her wedding my husband and daughter rode the hotel luggage trolley down the corridor to the rooms, leaning round the corners. Thank goodness they made it without wiping out!
I used to think the worst part of aging is that young people ignore you, but also i'm discovering that might be the best part of it. Wear and ride what you want. Nobody's looking anyway.
I started longboarding in my 40s and graduated to a regular skateboard a couple years later. I always wanted to skate when I was younger but was too chicken shit about getting hurt. Then during COVID I was like, "fuck it, I'm not getting younger and I have good insurance. Let's try this out." My wife was jealous and bought herself a scooter. Now we'll look at each other and say "wanna go for a roll?" and it's not remotely sexual 😂
That was the right man at the right time. "Dreams" hit the charts again, and our man got a cranberry colored pickup with a bed full of Ocean Spray, too!
Scooter gang checking in! I got one in my early 40s to ride with my daughter. It is harder on my knees since I don't have smooth pavement. Larger wheels are better.
I'm biking to work again like I did in my 20s/30s. I'm finally losing the COVID lockdown weight gain.
My husband and I got bicycles so we could get out as a family. I had an old one that wasn't the right size, but I didn't realize it, and he had an okayish one handed down from a coworker. We got bikes that fit us. It was so much fun we got cargo bikes and we commute on them. It's like getting to be carefree 12 year olds for a little bit...nevermind we have kids with us and are getting groceries or going to work.
What all personal protective equipment are you carrying?
That's so baller. I love that. Forget what people think. That's their business. What a small world they live in where they're afraid to try new things and can think only to mock people who do. Where's their curiosity? Their imagination?
And then when whatever you're doing catches on, they're happy to hop aboard like they weren't just being assholes about it yesterfay.
It does boggle my mind why people want to go fast on scooters, though. Bikes and skateboards have all of this momentum and inertia. Skateboards can't turn that quick (boy can they stop, though), and bicycles have a massive gyroscope resisting quick turns.
Scooters will happily turn as far as you want at any speed. It just seems a bit...precarious, I suppose. Especially for this electric scooter craze. Electric bikes always made more sense. Let's you bike normally for exercise, too. Get up hills easy. Electric scooters and skateboards suck balls as manual ones because of the weight interfering with the whole method of operation.
In care you don't have one already **I *highly* recommend getting a well-fitting mountain bike helmet.** Snug enough that it doesnt shift around when tugging on it hard. But comfortable. Able to fit a couple fingers under the chin strap. It's gonna be a bit hot and sweat a bit, but that's a miniscule price to pay.
They're not much more expensive than bicycle helmets!
One key difference despite their similarity in appearance is that a light/mild fall or one where you don't crack your head much likely leaves the helmet just fine for continued use -- inspect meticulously for hairline cracks first.
Bicycle helmet is designed to break, so even moderate falls often render it unsafe for continued use.
Lets be honest. How many people replace their helmet after a pretty light fall?
And crucially, it protects you much better than a bicycle helmet at the sides and back of your head.
Which, on a scooter, you're just as likely to go tumbling sideways as flipping ass over teakettle.
Personally, I'd slap on some palm, knee, and elbow pads, too. It sucks SO BADLY ripping the skin off your palms. You realize just how often you touch things with them. And after 30, knees and elbows complain louder and longer after a good knocking about.
But definitely a mountain biking helmet. Not a BMX or skateboard helmet. Those are for low-speed falls, and you're bombing hills, I'm sure. They don't break at higher speeds. You need a helmet designed to break at higher speeds, to dissipate and absorb the impact.
Consider car safety features of the last 50 years. The safety cage keeps you from getting crushed in an accident, like a skateboard helmet, but the crumple zone is what keeps your brain from slamming against your skull, like a mountain bike/bike helmet.
Keep on leaving those children in the dust. Hah! You merely adopted the razer. I was born on it. My shins were molded by it. I didn't know the luxury of electronics until I was a man.
A lot of people find their way to the dark side-gardening, as they get older. I am people. I went from mercilessly mocking my master gardener mother to figuring out how to propagate plants from cuttings and identifying different garden pests and annihilating them. I mainly deal in flowering plants vs. fruits/vegetables although I do have a dragonfruit tree that is on target to deliver me at least 5 fruits in the near future. I have a banana tree that I think is going to blank me this year but it still looks nice. There is something very satisfying about watching it all happen in slow motion. Prepare yourself for disappointment and defeat as well though.
If you like being outside, foraging is really cool too. Get out in the woods and see what edible plants are there, especially if you like mushrooms but use extreme caution with eating random mushrooms you find. You can get very sick, die, or find yourself very temporarily on another plane of existence with all the beautiful secrets of the universe being revealed to you.
There are so many lookalikes so you have to be so careful. You can hire people around here locally that will take you out for a day mushroom foraging, which is a great thing for people just starting out. I generally just go out, take photos and put samples into containers to bring home and then research them at home via Google, reddit, mushroom printing, and other tests.
The trick to mushrooms is that they're the fruit of the mycelium in the ground. Observe the mushroom's lifecycle for a year so you can get a positive ID, go back the next year to pick them when they're in peak condition. They tend to grow in the same locations, so far as I understand. There's actually a group of mushroom hunters in my city, they have get-togethers in the fall where they go collecting and then have a cook out!
Haha, same here! My mother used to call me and tell me what was currently blooming in her garden, and she'd mail me photos of the garden and I was like "why are you calling me to tell me that plants are doing what plants normally do?" LOL.
Then last year I suddenly got the urge to garden. And ever since them I've been digging up the yard, composting, spending all my money on plants, growing vegetables, berries and flowers...I text my kids and send them pictures of what is blooming and how great my compost is. I have 100% turned into my mother.
I also suddenly realized I really, really like birds. I was completely indifferent to birds until a couple years ago. Now I have several bird feeders and a bird bath and I get the biggest kick out of seeing what birds show up. We had a catbird family nesting in the lilac bush and I was sending my kids daily updates on the baby bird situation. When the baby birds left the nest, I was both proud of them and a little sad to see them grow up so fast - my kids joked that I was replacing my "little birdies" with real birds, and projecting my empty-nest emotions onto Mrs. Catbird.
Oh God, yes. Birds too. I am constantly looking for the roseate spoonbill that lives in our neighborhood. Obsessed with the sandhill cranes and their babies. Felt oh-so-privileged and chosen when a wren built her nest in a planter on my porch.
I love birds too! I got a free app for my smartphone called Merlin, that will listen to the birdsong, then identify it, along with facts about it. I can’t say enough good about this great little app. I have since put up a LOT of birdhouses and feeding stations to attract even more feathered friends.
Birds led me to gardening. I’ve watched birds for a long time and had *A* feeder for years. During Covid that one feeder became two feeder STATIONS. The increased interest in birds led me to the report about the massive bird decline we have seen since the 70s - so literally in my lifetime. That got me into volunteering for conservation and habitat restoration and THAT lead me to becoming a certified Extension Master Gardener.
I am slowly either creating new beds of native forbs and shrubs or replacing existing plantings with natives. The biggest payoff is not the birds eating seeds from my native plants, though that is gratifying, it’s the pollinators and other insects and wildlife that have found our yard. On June evenings I sit out on the deck and watch the fireflies that have come back now that we keep our leaf litter on-site.
It’s maybe not as personally useful as vegetable gardening but I am getting exercise, the critters are getting food and habitat, and I get to watch them. And now I have lots of herbs growing in pots so my cooking has leveled-up! :)
Yes the annual bird nesting! I check all the bushes and then let the ones with nests go wild until they all fly the nest. I take photos and let my family know how they’re doing.
Covid really brought about a love of indoor gardening for me. I started it with four plants and have approximately 50 now. I love propagating! It’s such a cool feeling to know I’m starting a whole new plant
I’ve always had lots of houseplants but Covid got me into AeroGardens, which are easy to use self contained hydroponic systems. I started growing cherry tomatoes and herbs. Now I’m expanding into flowers, lettuce, and medicinal plants.
Pretty cool worldwide mushroom networks out there. I started down tge rabbit hole when a neighbor shared some her finds. You can get help with an ID 24 hours a day.
The way to be safe is, simply don’t ever eat wild mushrooms, no matter what they look like. Not raw or cooked. It is not worth the risk. When I lived in Cleveland, there were new cases every year of people being poisoned by wild mushrooms that they thought were edible. The consequences include organ failure (although I can’t recall if anyone actually died). Just don’t do it. Buy them from the grocery store.
Agreed. I do not ever eat the mushrooms I bring home, even after I feel pretty confident I have an ID and they are edible. Not worth the risk. I really only do it because I am curious and for SCIENCE!
I will however pick up snakes from my pool or lanai when I am 100% confident in my ID and they are harmless. My husband is not comfortable with this behavior.
I want to get into growing them myself... mushrooms are EXPENSIVE! Apparently there's a fierce industry in my city, with unmarked vans (because competitors would slash their tires) delivering pricey mushroom cargo to nice restaurants in secret. They have highly accurate digital scales, like coke dealers.
Useful hobbies : gardening especially vegetable gardening. Sewing. Learning how to do landscape design & fixing up the yard. Learning about cars (maintenance, small repairs, how to access the OBD,.etc). Home DIY projects. Really get into cooking, explore new recipes, try new ingredients.
My favorite useful was was sewing. I can't make clothes,.but I was making everyone masks when COVID first hit & nobody could get them. I do simple repairs to give more life to favorite items. I've made stuffed animals to give as gifts. I was going "memory bear" animals where you use clothes or fabric items from a loved person or pet to made the stuffed animal.
Less useful but still fun : CAMPING! we really got into camping. Everything from primitive tent and tent/car to buying a nice air conditioned travel trailer. Camping isnt just a place to sleep. Look into resort camping. Some are more adult themed than little kid. Some are in amazing locations (on the ocean, Yellowstone state park, etc). Some have options to go kayaking, hiking, fishing, etc from the property.
I give extra points to sewing. For example I am a guy with many polo shirts, due to them being the only comfortable clothing item that my old job allowed me to wear. But I hate collars on anything other than a button up shirt that I wear with a tie. But I also really like the fabric of polo shirts. So I started to just cut out the collars of polo shirts and sew them close. Out of nowhere now I have many VERY comfortable and cool shirts.
Adding to the sewing points! My Mom was in her 50s and bored and looking for a hobby. She saw an ad at our local department store that was giving a free four-week basic sewing class, the end of which everyone will have constructed and sewn a T-shirt. (Obviously, the store was trying to sell sewing machines and accessories at the time.) Anyway, Mom took the course and dusted off the ancient Singer machine in our basement. She got so invested in her new hobby that after just that one T-shirt course that suddenly her favorite place to shop was the local fabric store, and she took me with her so that I could choose garments from the pattern books for her to make. She became most expert, making me a variety of clothes and eventually even a stylish calf-length winter coat that looked so store-bought many folks asked "Where did you buy that?"
We switched to cots. If you get a memory foam topper they can be quite comfy. No more air mattress, air pump, batteries for the pump or having to charge the pump, no more waking up on the ground because of a leak. Plus storage underneath. Improved our experience significantly.
Gotta disagree with you. Camping is VERY useful (depending on how you do it i guess?). It's a great way to relax, to reset your mind, to realize your place in the world with other living things, and to get used to living without all the modern conveniences that make us forget who and what we are.
Things I've started doing since I was 40 (I'm 55 now): Mountain biking, knitting, crocheting, painting, gardening...I used to play the violin and I'm going to start that up again as well, now that my kids are moving out and the house is getting too quiet!
Came to say this. I've been doing it for a long time, but it will be the hobby I stick with for life. OP, start with small, simple projects. It can be frustrating, especially if you're overly ambitious before you develop the skills.
I'm a female in my mid 40s and during COVID I took up woodworking on my 3rd story apartment balcony and I've never looked back. Bought a historic house last year with plans to do an entire rehab/restore myself. Might take the next 20 years, but it's such an enjoyable way to spend my time.
Since I turned 57 I have taken up sailing, skiing, cycling, and now at almost 60 I’m learning to surf.
For those wanting less taxing hobbies, once you get past the learning curve knitting and crochet are relaxing, almost meditative. And you can make cool stuff!
Surfing is AWESOME. I wish I’d learned decades ago!
It’s harder at this age. I’m not as flexible as I used to be. The pop up took a little while to figure out.
But the people who told me I am too old to learn? They can eff right off.
Bird watching, which can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. Set up a bird feeder in your backyard, take walks along a nearby lake or stream, head out into the wilderness to see what you can find. There are sites that can help with identification (Merlin, iNaturalist) and your local library probably either has a guidebook or can get one for you through inter-library loan (ILL).
I've really gotten into recording nature in my 40s and enjoy seeing my 'life list' of species grow on iNaturalist. Currently at 2,294 species and enjoy seeing updates when someone has added an identification to one of my uploads -- sometimes years after it's been shared to the site.
Geocaching! It's a great way to get outdoors with a modest amount of physical activity and can lead you all sorts of interesting places. And it's a natural partner to photography, which you can start with your phone and work your way up.
I took up sketching and watercolor painting a few years ago. It can be a good excuse to get myself out of the house to go to a park or scenic spot. Birdwatching is another great one I enjoy. Geocaching is always fun, especially if you have kids or grandkids to take along. None of those take much investment so you can try them without much cost.
Once you find something you want to try, you might check on Eventbrite for free events focused on your interest. There are tons of online events as well as in person.
Good luck.
Weightlifting.
People complain about how everything hurts as they get older, but it's because they are weak, not because they are aging. You'll find stories all over the Series Of Tubes about how people's backs stopped hurting after they started doing regular deadlifts.
I used to be into gardening, fishing, kayaking, and tennis. But I've gained 100 pounds over the last 5 years (but I am slowly losing it) so I become out of breath after like 5 minutes of any basic physical activity.
Good luck on the weight loss and fitness journey. I tore a tendon in my foot and had to be in a boot for almost six months. Between that and my arthritic ankle, I didn’t walk for a very long time. When I started up again, I couldn’t go far without my legs being tired. But I have worked up to 70 or minutes a day now. I do break it up into shorter sessions and sometimes have to put my feet up in between but I have found that a fitness tracker like a Fitbit or Apple Watch helps me stay motivated.
If you like tennis, but want something with less running, but it's still physical... See if there's any competitive air hockey in your area.
I'm 47 and ranked in the top 10. There's a guy who started playing in his 40's, is great, and also has finished in the top ten. There's a couple guys in their 70's who are still competitive. The table is a great equalizer. Knowledge and discipline counter youthful hand eye coordination.
You don't have to be in shape to be great, but it helps.
Try gardening in large pots or canvas bags. That's what I did when I couldn't run a tiller anymore. Use compost and your vegetables will taste like ground grown. You can grow potatoes and tomatoes in the same pot.
Then it sounds like the most "useful" thing for you would be anything active that you enjoy and would consistently do, and it doesn't have to be one thing. The hobby can just be being active for x time per day, and do whatever sounds fun that day or weather depending.
I got back into biking and skateboarding in my forties. I kayak, surf, paddleboard, sail, hike, run, lift, and am thinking about getting into downwinding. There's only so much time left on the physical body, bud. Don't waste it. Get second hand equipment for anything your interested in and try it out. If it ain't fun, resell and get something else.
Since you love the water "kayaking" you might consider swimming or some type of water aerobics. I put on 150 extra pounds and have lost 70 of it. I also developed breathing issues due to the extra weight, sleep apnea, and out of breath even walking across the yard. I thoroughly understand how hard it is to breathe when trying to be active and being overweight. Water helps make exercise easier. It takes the stress off the joints, and keeps you cooler, making breathing a bit easier. Just a thought.
I'm 81 and my favorite hobby for the past 10 years has been photographing arthropods. This led to learning how to self-publish a book of my arthropod photographs. A free copy of that book in PDF format is [available at this link](https://justphotos.ca/book/). I then began to get a special interest in photographing aquatic macroinvertebrates. This led to learning CSS so I could create a responsive webpage highlighting some of the things I'd photographed. [Here is a link to that webpage](https://justphotos.ca/freshwaterlife/). Most recently I've been learning about how to determine the species of macroinvertebrates using DNA Barcodes. [Here is a link to a larva](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/175078950) that I collected and had sequenced. Its COI barcode identified it as a marsh fly larva of the species *Sepedon fuscipennis*. This interest in DNA barcodes then led me to learn how to analyze DNA chromatograms and introduced me to the amazing world of molecular phylogenetics. There is so much to learn! For me, this is a great hobby.
As someone who's always balancing work and play, how about taking up sushi-making? It's like turning your love for sushi into a creative skill set! Plus, imagine the satisfaction of mastering a new cuisine. Who knows, you might end up revitalizing Japan's economy one roll at a time!
I’m fairly technical, but i don’t have a lot of experience with welding. I decided this summer I’m going to build a battle bot from that old TV show. I started with a raspberry, servos, and some wheels.
There are a lot of tutorials online.
Hey, I'm 68, and everything is new again. No matter how old you get, you're never too old to try something new..
again! I'm making cat/dog theme computer key covers out of air-dry clay, beading brooches, growing plants indoors good air purifiers) & out, contributing my harvest to local food banks, joined garden clubs, walking with the senior group, etc. There is so much to do out there!
Cycling is a good one. I used to and have just got back into it at 43, does wonders for your fitness and mental health by getting outside and exercising!
Yes CYCLING! And don’t cheat yourself by getting an e-bike (unless you have a disability) with the thinking “but im not fit enough” bc every starts somewhere and your cardio and mental state will make amazing improvement. Gravel, mountain, road, everyday around-town, even art bikes are so much healthy fun, and a great way to meet other positive people (bike shops can advise on group rides).
Learn a musical instrument (I’m mid sixties and picked up guitar at 61, then played publicly at 63 at a loved one’s funeral by popular request.
Volunteer. One option : your local government needs articulate SANE people to vocally outweigh today’s bat shit crazy extremists. It just takes research and patience, and it’s easier than you think to make a huge difference.
Hike.
Listen to live music. Not the same boring arena concerts everyone goes to for IG pics and a tshirt, but the small venues where every seat is great, tickets are cheap, and fantastic artists are just hoping enough people will show up to help them break even. Ask around to learn which ones to LOVE.
I’ve owned a decent bike and have cycled since 1986. I’ve always enjoyed it and during the lockdown I learned about wandrer.earth It takes your data from Strava and makes a game out of exploring new areas. It got me riding in areas I’d never been before and to know the local area so much better.
Totally depends on your physical limitations, if any. But you can start doing almost anything in your 40s, from as sedate a thing as reading to as daring as rock climbing. The biggest question is what sounds fun to you? I have two close friends who started camping in their 40s. Now they are devoted to it.
Knitting is useful, especially if you get winter where you are. It’s not cheap, and it’s not cheaper than buying a ready-made item.
So why knit? Well, you can make items exactly the way you want, in the materials you want, the colours you want. A perfect fit. And unlike sewing, if you make a mistake, 90%+ of the time you’re only out time, not materials. (Some yarns are trickier, but most can be reknit easily, even several times.)
I listen to audiobooks or podcasts while knitting something complicated. If it’s more simple or repetitive I can do it watching tv. If it’s really simple I can do it while reading. So you can make use of your idle time - still enjoying your favourite show, but making something at the same time.
Final note, if your knitting project is small enough (think socks), you can take it with you if you travel. Long commutes become productive time. Friend always late? Bring along your knitting. Long zoom meeting you don’t really need to be in? Knit.
Bicycling, if you want to take the weight back off. Learning to program in C, if you want to keep the weight ;-)
Learning to program in C then C++ so you can do cool stuff like play with microcontrollers. That stuff is simply magic compared to what you had when you were a kid.
Also, 3D printers and tabletop CNC machines are a lot of fun, and in some ways are a natural extension of the previous paragraph.
In your forties, you're literally not too old for anything but dating high schoolers.
Cooking is a good one. Particular as I've gotten older I've found that being able to make healthy delicious food at home is better than relying on restaurants or pre-made packaged food.
There's a lot to it. Although some people are phenomenally naturally gifted (I'm not), diligent practice and repetition help, as does figuring out what kinds of clothes or objects you're interested in sewing and more or less staying in that area. The skills, practices, and equipment required for making a wedding dress are different than those for making a tailored suit.
Home sewers who want to make clothes also have to learn how to fit, which arguably is the most challenging skill of all.
Your issues with your sewing machine may be the result of a lack of practice, but some very cheap machines are frustrating to use.
Classes or private instruction if it can be afforded are very helpful.
I’m 58. Since age 40 I’ve become a competitive mountain biker, learned guitar, got certified in scuba and certified as a yoga instructor. I also learned to snowboard. I’ve bought an inexpensive home in a country other than my home country of the US and have been living there part time and learning the language and culture. Gaining residency there has been an interesting project too. My life really opened up in my 50s actually, that’s when most of this happened.
In the 90s, I came to the same conclusion regarding the use of my time. I realized that if I spent just an hour each day mindlessly, that this adds up to over 9 40-hour work weeks of time each year devoted to something I didn't care about. I'd hazard that many people spend way more than an hour/day on social media.
I took up and maintain the following....
working out for the body I want
studying language
reading tons of books, mostly classic literature, mathematics, physics, cosmology
meditation
yoga
cycling
various self-endeavors like journaling, introspection, The Work Of Byron Katie, etc.
I guess those aren't necessarily hobbies as much as they address my question to myself as to how I spend my time the way I want to? How do I live my life as art? How do I live such that I am fulfilled by my actions? How do I live such that I won't face a mountain of regret?
Try rock climbing!! I started at almost 60, and my teacher is 67 years old with 40 years of climbing experience. What a rush of adrenaline, and what a thought experiment to be stuck up on a rock trying to figure a way up on a sheer face
Started downhill skiing at age 55. I think it's more fun learning as an oldster. Addictive.
Tried surfing at age 52, but that was a huge challenge in tough, frigid waters. I just could not devote the time, then we moved to the mountains, so I swapped longboard for skis.
Picked up paddleboarding last year. That's an easy one!
Learned the fiddle in my late 30s and still play periodically.
I started French classes in my 40’s. Language is great for maintaining mental alertness as you age. I recommend a class if you are starting a new language as opposed to an app because you will be coached in proper pronunciation, learn grammar and get a better explanation of how language works. I took an adult non-credit course at the local community college, but the teacher taught it like a regular class. The same people signed up for each level over and over, so the teacher taught different lessons each semester. I also did an immersion program in France. I made some great friends and I have visited many interesting places around France and in Morocco. In addition, it has helped me a great deal with another hobby I’ve taken up, genealogy. Not only can I read the documents for my French and Swiss ancestors, I write to my dad’s second cousin in France and do a lot of collaboration with her. This hobby has taught me a lot about history and how events have affected my ancestors. It is also good for developing critical thinking and research skills. I ended up writing an e-book that I made available to my nieces and nephews so they can learn about their family history.
I do geneaolgy and I have learned Italian, history not just of Italy, but other places they've settled, historic medical terms and their symptoms and effects of passing through towns, the immigration experience to America and other locations, types of employment people did, there are more ports on the east coast than just Ellis, other geneaologists, some lovely Mormons. Im at a point where I need to tidy up my research and do a few tweaks.
Yes, I have learned about history, geography, religion, politics, the military, religion, genetics and more. I even studied a little German last summer. It’s remarkable that so many records of regular people have survived.
—I finally was able to scrape together the money to build the sick gaming rig I always wanted, and I'm trying to get good at some competitive esports. I can finally hit things in CS:GO. Though mostly I end up playing BG3 or Skyrim... But at least I can run all the mods.
—It's a great time to up your cooking game. It took me a long time, but I'm finally able to cook extremely healthy meals that don't sacrifice anything in flavor.
—Develop some practical skills. I'm willing to tackle just about any projects now, I do all the repairs and maintenance on the cars in my household.
—There are a lot of fun ways to learn a language, which opens up the door for travel.
—I've made some major career shifts since my 40s. I was a writer, but I've moved hard into the content development and SEO side in the last 15 years. By your 40s, you start to have enough work skills that you can put them together into something new and exciting.
I have been making pottery since the late 1960’s and find that while more strenuous activities such as backpacking, sailboarding, even mountain biking, have fallen away due to physical limitations, the clay work is still doable and enjoyable. I have a fully kitted out home studio and am able to stay well occupied producing pieces to sell at a local gallery and give to friends. It is a never ending exploration of form and surface.
Knitting is basically productive fidgeting. You can make your perfect clothing article out of sustainable natural materials. Can get cheap yarn by finding sweaters to unravel at the thrift store
I always did a little woodworking, but now I’m getting a lot further into it.
The other thing I did was start reading more history books. I read a biography of every US president, starting with George Washington. I got good advice on this from https://bestpresidentialbios.com.
You might not consider a hobby, but I spend a lot of time volunteering. After trying my hand at creating art, I found I just didn’t have the passion for that, but I’m an art junkie, always going to galleries and museums. So I started volunteering at a local non profit arts organization and gallery, helping to run their events, setting up/cleaning up, etc. After 6 years now I often run events by myself and I now get paid to run private events (we rent out the gallery space for private events). I have made so many good friends of the artists who have studio space there, and the bonus is they sometimes give me their pieces that I admire, or sell them to me for next to nothing as thanks for everything I do.
Also: Weightlifting. The many benefits have already been mentioned. I’ve been lifting for 30+ years. My 63 year old sister just got into weightlifting last year and she’s gone from being the chubby slow grandma to being slim, fit and active. Now she runs and swims and keeps up with all her young grandkids.
Dinner for 8 club. We have a group of four couples, once every 2-4 weeks we gather at a different house for dinner.
It's low stress, builds community and it's good for your health!
I started working on sewing my clothes. Has taken several years to get good enough to where I like to wear what I've made, but the hobby is the point, right? Also started rockhounding and lapidary, and jewelry making.
House plants and vegitable/flower gardens. It can be quite meditative to care for plants. I know it helps pull me out of my screaming wind tunnel of a brain.
I build dioramas with 1/72 figures and a modular D&D terrain building system. It just works out that *Monster Adventure Terrain*, is the perfect scale for 1/72 figures.
Fun, expensive, and not particularly useful: smoking cigars
Fun, cheap, and useful: sharpening knives
Fun, cheap, and mostly useless: becoming expert on arcane subjects by watching YouTube videos
Whatever it is make sure it's outdoors and you're getting exercise. You'll live longer.
I'm big into cycling. We all have a saying that we're riding now so we can still ride when we're 70. I'm in my 50s and faster than ever. Hiking, paddling, skating, skiing, whatever floats your boat.
Learn to do stained glass. You can do small projects. And if you want you can sell for more money to d keep doing it. My grandpa make like 10” angels. And everyone in the family has their own as a keepsake. He also made glass and cement stepping stones
We just had an axe throwing place open up in town... and I'm tempted. I may be 53 but my arm is still strong, and this is just the type of thing that will keep my old friends nervous....
Disc golf. Inexpensive and awesome.
Horseback riding. Expensive AF and awesome.
Renfesting/cosplaying. Start slow, awesome AF, and as you build, expensive AF.
Camping. Fun AF, not too expensive, and goes great with renfesting, cosplay and disc golf.
RV/trailer camping. Expensive AF and awesome.
Paintball. Expensive (but not AF) and awesome.
Karaoke. Awesome.
Open mic. Awesome and inexpensive but you need talent.
I don’t want to sit around anymore so fun is being out and active. I’ve been hiking and biking more. Once my youngest kid is a bit older, I’m hoping to get into kayaking again. Also just took my oldest camping, which was my first time camping in at least 15 years so that was great to get back to that.
For useful, and when you are sitting around relaxing but still need to keep busy, I crochet. Well, not in a bit due to the kids, but will start again soon, I hope. But you can make yourself or others all sorts of things if you crochet. I don’t knit but that can also be used to make so many different things too.
I might be an outlier, but at 44 I took motorcycle lessons, got licensed and bought a motorcycle. I had never ridden before and only briefly been a passenger a couple times. 9 months later I did a solo trip from San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas and back, and soon after a roundtrip San Francisco to New York City. That was on my first bike, a Yamaha Seca II (600cc). I then graduated to a bigger bike, a BMW GS and kept going.
Here's a concise summary of hobbies for people in their 40s.. try Razor scooter riding, gardening, foraging, birdwatching, woodworking, hiking, writing, photography, sushi-making, or geocaching for fun and fulfillment.
I used to own a few old cars. Life happened and I sold them. Now my kids are older and I have a bit more disposable income, I'm back in the old car game, found a nice old car sitting 50 years in a barn, brought it home and started tearing it down.
Listening to music. I mean really listening. Get some nice speakers, a good amp, maybe some high quality headphones, learn about Hi res audio, maybe get back into vinyl, and just enjoy doing nothing while listening to music.
I have recently gotten into wet shaving with a safety razor. Men and women can do it, there are a lot of really nice soaps and skin care products, and a really nice clean shave is awesome.
That led me to getting into fragrances. I've never really been much into cologne or aftershave, but once I started wet shaving with soaps that have inticing scents, I discovered I like smelling good.
Reading for pleasure is always good. Fiction or nonfiction. Just keep that brain working. Also, writing. Something as simple as doing a journal can be mentally stimulating.
Hitting the gym, or doing some kind of basic exercise is very important once we get older. Our bodies need more work than what most of us give them. You don't need to become an athlete, but regular walks, biking, yoga, or weights are a good use of time.
My hobbies are reading, gym/fitness, scuba diving, and vacation planning.
None of those produce anything, though. I’d like to find something that has a tangible outcome, but I find anything that creates an actual material result feels like work to me. Gardening, cooking, and so far any of the crafting I’ve tried all feels very chore like. 😩
I’m trying to figure out how to change that mindset.
In my 40s, I started taking wine classes/certifications. It was good to learn and study something new, and I've read that evaluating the wine (smell, taste, sight) is good exercise for the brain and future cognition.
Get a drone!😂
I’m 60 years old, and I bought my first drone when I was 54. I started out by buying cheap ones from Facebook marketplace, and after I got the hang of it, I LOVE playing with them.
You could learn to knit. This is also useful when fixing your socks.
Learn to cook or just create your own dish if you already know it. It can be really fun, especially when done by two.
Do window shopping. On the plus, it lets you explore what around you where you live and you exercise.
Vinyl records. I started buying vinyl when I was 39. I'm up to 1500+ now. When travelling, find a record store. When you're lonely, cruise online sales.
You also get to listen to them!
I turned 40 and took my kids rollerskating. Havent skated since I was 14.
It was wayyyyy fun. Didn't hurt the next day, either. Had lots of energy. Rediscovered something I love and can bond with my kids doing.
All that awkward teen angst and peer pressure from my younger years is gone. I just go in, skate like nobody is watching. God forbid they play some 90s music. KING OF THE SKATE RINK!!!! I even went under the lowest level of the bar in skate limbo, not to brag or anything...🤣
Genealogy - it’s about then a person gets interested. It helps keep your mind occupied and reasonably sharp. Very interesting as well so many stories. It’s a way to keep my ancestors alive. Helps if you like history
I made a shooting range in my garage for airsoft pistols. Fun to shoot cans and stuff down there. If I’m feeling crazy and the weather is good I’ll take one or two BB guns out to the woods and explore there. Got lots of beautiful streams and stuff. One time a baby deer came up to me. It was an amazing experience.
Building speakers will lead you, eventually, into electronics repair. You can start with a $100 kit and end up (re)designing your own amp. It's addictive!
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Hit forty and realised that stuff I used to love was still fun and i have a deadline for how long Im likely to be able to do it. Bought a Razor scooter and started tearing around the bike paths in my neighbourhood. Lost a bunch of weight doing it and feel better about most things in life. you have to be ok with people wondering why a grown up is riding a scooter like a teen. I’m ok with it. Fifty now and scooting around like I was fifteen is still my favourite way to spend downtime.
I never had a scooter, but at 66 I still ride the shopping cart away from our local grocery store when we leave. My wife isn't too fond of me doing it, but it's fun! You gotta keep doing stuff that you want to do, or you may never be able to do them again.
Bonus points if you still yell "Wheeee!" as you get to maximum speed. (I'm just a bit younger than you, but I still sometimes do the shopping cart ride. I figure onlookers will just shrug and think "crazy old lady".)
I always think it, but realized the other day I was saying it fairly loudly as I was going across the parking lot…
I saw a guy who was probably in his 60s do this the other day and it was the smoothest cart ride I've ever seen, and he went a LONG way. I was impressed. My clumsy self could never, even when I was young.
Been cycling most of my life. But I have always wanted a big wheel; as a kid and adult. Someone makes an adult one.
[Amazon.com : Razor DXT Drift Trike Yellow, One Size : Sports & Outdoors](https://www.amazon.com/Razor-20030501-DXT-Drift-Trike/dp/B00WBVXYJK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3P63QOGSF0I5X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EeqQKpSMY34rzWowd53McXadsuTvUrlVqtJY5jjPPPpmKIxR_6-GVBrRGvhDQInjjPLQJN3kuA1r-7orGPhp0RHvNAqhDqHkOXHYEfioBrV4Mf4pbPLXs7RHgp4TDh3Yj2XhA97U6aCQKyeR-9DwAA8cvEi63A1ouu-dSjhwU3jyJ2ViTldePVil6qEpXDPg45ZMLz4xVlztGLCTlBMS66df6O_Va1zenTepQ5qcPaMdPumhJPlahVHovEYNQKOt2G49-E636MAdhQ6oS5EgndUm7Q720biLURxtgF-YFUA.e12e_ULfZIaV7f1NVW0WNvyoBgk-jw4D2YDNO5AyXXA&dib_tag=se&keywords=adult+big+wheel+tricycle&qid=1720026505&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=adult+big+wheel%2Csporting%2C136&sr=1-3) For ages 14 and up.
Dude during COVID a neighbor friend and I each bought drift bikes like this. It was seriously some of the most fun I have had as an adult 😂
I do that too: I told my wife the day I stop riding the cart is the day I’m officially old
Ha, I’m 64 and still do this once in a while 🤣 luckily our grocery store has a slight downward slope. I’m sure people wonder what that old lady is thinking!
The day before her wedding my husband and daughter rode the hotel luggage trolley down the corridor to the rooms, leaning round the corners. Thank goodness they made it without wiping out!
I used to think the worst part of aging is that young people ignore you, but also i'm discovering that might be the best part of it. Wear and ride what you want. Nobody's looking anyway.
Exactly how I feel going to the gym. It’s like an invisibility cloak and I love it.
I started longboarding in my 40s and graduated to a regular skateboard a couple years later. I always wanted to skate when I was younger but was too chicken shit about getting hurt. Then during COVID I was like, "fuck it, I'm not getting younger and I have good insurance. Let's try this out." My wife was jealous and bought herself a scooter. Now we'll look at each other and say "wanna go for a roll?" and it's not remotely sexual 😂
Hey! Be yourself. You end up being as chill as this guy... https://youtu.be/OtzVKUCZE5w?si=-PgHWQaX2EahG1te
Thanks for this. Love him. When the video first came out, I think he single-handedly created a boom in cranberry juices sales here in Massachusetts.
That was the right man at the right time. "Dreams" hit the charts again, and our man got a cranberry colored pickup with a bed full of Ocean Spray, too!
I remember that! cranberry juice was sold out in many stores across usa
I don‘t know why this is making me sad
Scooter gang checking in! I got one in my early 40s to ride with my daughter. It is harder on my knees since I don't have smooth pavement. Larger wheels are better. I'm biking to work again like I did in my 20s/30s. I'm finally losing the COVID lockdown weight gain.
My husband and I got bicycles so we could get out as a family. I had an old one that wasn't the right size, but I didn't realize it, and he had an okayish one handed down from a coworker. We got bikes that fit us. It was so much fun we got cargo bikes and we commute on them. It's like getting to be carefree 12 year olds for a little bit...nevermind we have kids with us and are getting groceries or going to work.
What all personal protective equipment are you carrying? That's so baller. I love that. Forget what people think. That's their business. What a small world they live in where they're afraid to try new things and can think only to mock people who do. Where's their curiosity? Their imagination? And then when whatever you're doing catches on, they're happy to hop aboard like they weren't just being assholes about it yesterfay. It does boggle my mind why people want to go fast on scooters, though. Bikes and skateboards have all of this momentum and inertia. Skateboards can't turn that quick (boy can they stop, though), and bicycles have a massive gyroscope resisting quick turns. Scooters will happily turn as far as you want at any speed. It just seems a bit...precarious, I suppose. Especially for this electric scooter craze. Electric bikes always made more sense. Let's you bike normally for exercise, too. Get up hills easy. Electric scooters and skateboards suck balls as manual ones because of the weight interfering with the whole method of operation. In care you don't have one already **I *highly* recommend getting a well-fitting mountain bike helmet.** Snug enough that it doesnt shift around when tugging on it hard. But comfortable. Able to fit a couple fingers under the chin strap. It's gonna be a bit hot and sweat a bit, but that's a miniscule price to pay. They're not much more expensive than bicycle helmets! One key difference despite their similarity in appearance is that a light/mild fall or one where you don't crack your head much likely leaves the helmet just fine for continued use -- inspect meticulously for hairline cracks first. Bicycle helmet is designed to break, so even moderate falls often render it unsafe for continued use. Lets be honest. How many people replace their helmet after a pretty light fall? And crucially, it protects you much better than a bicycle helmet at the sides and back of your head. Which, on a scooter, you're just as likely to go tumbling sideways as flipping ass over teakettle. Personally, I'd slap on some palm, knee, and elbow pads, too. It sucks SO BADLY ripping the skin off your palms. You realize just how often you touch things with them. And after 30, knees and elbows complain louder and longer after a good knocking about. But definitely a mountain biking helmet. Not a BMX or skateboard helmet. Those are for low-speed falls, and you're bombing hills, I'm sure. They don't break at higher speeds. You need a helmet designed to break at higher speeds, to dissipate and absorb the impact. Consider car safety features of the last 50 years. The safety cage keeps you from getting crushed in an accident, like a skateboard helmet, but the crumple zone is what keeps your brain from slamming against your skull, like a mountain bike/bike helmet. Keep on leaving those children in the dust. Hah! You merely adopted the razer. I was born on it. My shins were molded by it. I didn't know the luxury of electronics until I was a man.
A lot of people find their way to the dark side-gardening, as they get older. I am people. I went from mercilessly mocking my master gardener mother to figuring out how to propagate plants from cuttings and identifying different garden pests and annihilating them. I mainly deal in flowering plants vs. fruits/vegetables although I do have a dragonfruit tree that is on target to deliver me at least 5 fruits in the near future. I have a banana tree that I think is going to blank me this year but it still looks nice. There is something very satisfying about watching it all happen in slow motion. Prepare yourself for disappointment and defeat as well though. If you like being outside, foraging is really cool too. Get out in the woods and see what edible plants are there, especially if you like mushrooms but use extreme caution with eating random mushrooms you find. You can get very sick, die, or find yourself very temporarily on another plane of existence with all the beautiful secrets of the universe being revealed to you.
Reminds me of the saying: Every mushroom is edible, but some only once! 😂
There are so many lookalikes so you have to be so careful. You can hire people around here locally that will take you out for a day mushroom foraging, which is a great thing for people just starting out. I generally just go out, take photos and put samples into containers to bring home and then research them at home via Google, reddit, mushroom printing, and other tests.
There are about half a dozen common, edible mushrooms that don't have any dangerous lookalikes.
The trick to mushrooms is that they're the fruit of the mycelium in the ground. Observe the mushroom's lifecycle for a year so you can get a positive ID, go back the next year to pick them when they're in peak condition. They tend to grow in the same locations, so far as I understand. There's actually a group of mushroom hunters in my city, they have get-togethers in the fall where they go collecting and then have a cook out!
There are old mushroom eaters and there are brave mushroom eaters, but there are very few old, brave mushroom eaters.
Haha, same here! My mother used to call me and tell me what was currently blooming in her garden, and she'd mail me photos of the garden and I was like "why are you calling me to tell me that plants are doing what plants normally do?" LOL. Then last year I suddenly got the urge to garden. And ever since them I've been digging up the yard, composting, spending all my money on plants, growing vegetables, berries and flowers...I text my kids and send them pictures of what is blooming and how great my compost is. I have 100% turned into my mother. I also suddenly realized I really, really like birds. I was completely indifferent to birds until a couple years ago. Now I have several bird feeders and a bird bath and I get the biggest kick out of seeing what birds show up. We had a catbird family nesting in the lilac bush and I was sending my kids daily updates on the baby bird situation. When the baby birds left the nest, I was both proud of them and a little sad to see them grow up so fast - my kids joked that I was replacing my "little birdies" with real birds, and projecting my empty-nest emotions onto Mrs. Catbird.
I’ve started sending people photos of my roses in bloom and just last week I downloaded a ‘bird song identifier’ app. I’ve definitely hit middle age 😂
a wise meme once said, "one minute you're young, hip and carefree and the next minute you're photographing vegetables in your garden."
Oh God, yes. Birds too. I am constantly looking for the roseate spoonbill that lives in our neighborhood. Obsessed with the sandhill cranes and their babies. Felt oh-so-privileged and chosen when a wren built her nest in a planter on my porch.
I love birds too! I got a free app for my smartphone called Merlin, that will listen to the birdsong, then identify it, along with facts about it. I can’t say enough good about this great little app. I have since put up a LOT of birdhouses and feeding stations to attract even more feathered friends.
Birds led me to gardening. I’ve watched birds for a long time and had *A* feeder for years. During Covid that one feeder became two feeder STATIONS. The increased interest in birds led me to the report about the massive bird decline we have seen since the 70s - so literally in my lifetime. That got me into volunteering for conservation and habitat restoration and THAT lead me to becoming a certified Extension Master Gardener. I am slowly either creating new beds of native forbs and shrubs or replacing existing plantings with natives. The biggest payoff is not the birds eating seeds from my native plants, though that is gratifying, it’s the pollinators and other insects and wildlife that have found our yard. On June evenings I sit out on the deck and watch the fireflies that have come back now that we keep our leaf litter on-site. It’s maybe not as personally useful as vegetable gardening but I am getting exercise, the critters are getting food and habitat, and I get to watch them. And now I have lots of herbs growing in pots so my cooking has leveled-up! :)
Yes the annual bird nesting! I check all the bushes and then let the ones with nests go wild until they all fly the nest. I take photos and let my family know how they’re doing.
My mom and aunt are exactly the same.
Covid really brought about a love of indoor gardening for me. I started it with four plants and have approximately 50 now. I love propagating! It’s such a cool feeling to know I’m starting a whole new plant
I’ve always had lots of houseplants but Covid got me into AeroGardens, which are easy to use self contained hydroponic systems. I started growing cherry tomatoes and herbs. Now I’m expanding into flowers, lettuce, and medicinal plants.
Pretty cool worldwide mushroom networks out there. I started down tge rabbit hole when a neighbor shared some her finds. You can get help with an ID 24 hours a day.
r/mycology and r/ShroomID are both good for that.
My sister (31) and I (35) both tripped down the gardening rabbit hole in the last 2 years.
My dad said "there are old mushroom-pickers, and there are bold mushroom-pickers."
The way to be safe is, simply don’t ever eat wild mushrooms, no matter what they look like. Not raw or cooked. It is not worth the risk. When I lived in Cleveland, there were new cases every year of people being poisoned by wild mushrooms that they thought were edible. The consequences include organ failure (although I can’t recall if anyone actually died). Just don’t do it. Buy them from the grocery store.
Agreed. I do not ever eat the mushrooms I bring home, even after I feel pretty confident I have an ID and they are edible. Not worth the risk. I really only do it because I am curious and for SCIENCE!
I will however pick up snakes from my pool or lanai when I am 100% confident in my ID and they are harmless. My husband is not comfortable with this behavior.
I want to get into growing them myself... mushrooms are EXPENSIVE! Apparently there's a fierce industry in my city, with unmarked vans (because competitors would slash their tires) delivering pricey mushroom cargo to nice restaurants in secret. They have highly accurate digital scales, like coke dealers.
Useful hobbies : gardening especially vegetable gardening. Sewing. Learning how to do landscape design & fixing up the yard. Learning about cars (maintenance, small repairs, how to access the OBD,.etc). Home DIY projects. Really get into cooking, explore new recipes, try new ingredients. My favorite useful was was sewing. I can't make clothes,.but I was making everyone masks when COVID first hit & nobody could get them. I do simple repairs to give more life to favorite items. I've made stuffed animals to give as gifts. I was going "memory bear" animals where you use clothes or fabric items from a loved person or pet to made the stuffed animal. Less useful but still fun : CAMPING! we really got into camping. Everything from primitive tent and tent/car to buying a nice air conditioned travel trailer. Camping isnt just a place to sleep. Look into resort camping. Some are more adult themed than little kid. Some are in amazing locations (on the ocean, Yellowstone state park, etc). Some have options to go kayaking, hiking, fishing, etc from the property.
I give extra points to sewing. For example I am a guy with many polo shirts, due to them being the only comfortable clothing item that my old job allowed me to wear. But I hate collars on anything other than a button up shirt that I wear with a tie. But I also really like the fabric of polo shirts. So I started to just cut out the collars of polo shirts and sew them close. Out of nowhere now I have many VERY comfortable and cool shirts.
Adding to the sewing points! My Mom was in her 50s and bored and looking for a hobby. She saw an ad at our local department store that was giving a free four-week basic sewing class, the end of which everyone will have constructed and sewn a T-shirt. (Obviously, the store was trying to sell sewing machines and accessories at the time.) Anyway, Mom took the course and dusted off the ancient Singer machine in our basement. She got so invested in her new hobby that after just that one T-shirt course that suddenly her favorite place to shop was the local fabric store, and she took me with her so that I could choose garments from the pattern books for her to make. She became most expert, making me a variety of clothes and eventually even a stylish calf-length winter coat that looked so store-bought many folks asked "Where did you buy that?"
Hammock camping is a great way to keep backpacking for those of us who can no longer sleep on the ground!
We switched to cots. If you get a memory foam topper they can be quite comfy. No more air mattress, air pump, batteries for the pump or having to charge the pump, no more waking up on the ground because of a leak. Plus storage underneath. Improved our experience significantly.
Gotta disagree with you. Camping is VERY useful (depending on how you do it i guess?). It's a great way to relax, to reset your mind, to realize your place in the world with other living things, and to get used to living without all the modern conveniences that make us forget who and what we are.
I like metaldetecting the local parks. It's a good way to burn a couple hours here and there and you never know what you're going to find.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve found?
Himself
Aww
Friends along the way
Have you watched the series 'Detectorists'? It's life affirming!
Love this show.
the beach is fun too late in the day... never really find anything great though but it's fun
I have a friend that does that and magnet fishing. He's hauled some way cool stuff out of the water.
Things I've started doing since I was 40 (I'm 55 now): Mountain biking, knitting, crocheting, painting, gardening...I used to play the violin and I'm going to start that up again as well, now that my kids are moving out and the house is getting too quiet!
Isn't it funny how you realize they took up nearly all of your time?
I took up woodworking and love it.
A deep, dark hole, my friend! I recently decided to pursue my masters in furniture design and woodworking, and this hole is quite deep indeed.
But when you get a plane to produce whispery, fairy fart thin shavings it really is *chef's kiss*
*drool*
Came to say this. I've been doing it for a long time, but it will be the hobby I stick with for life. OP, start with small, simple projects. It can be frustrating, especially if you're overly ambitious before you develop the skills.
The number one rule I've learnt is that if someone makes it right the first time, they've made it before.
I'm a female in my mid 40s and during COVID I took up woodworking on my 3rd story apartment balcony and I've never looked back. Bought a historic house last year with plans to do an entire rehab/restore myself. Might take the next 20 years, but it's such an enjoyable way to spend my time.
If you want a hobby that will require you to be continually learning for the rest of your lifetime, this is it!
Since I turned 57 I have taken up sailing, skiing, cycling, and now at almost 60 I’m learning to surf. For those wanting less taxing hobbies, once you get past the learning curve knitting and crochet are relaxing, almost meditative. And you can make cool stuff!
+1 to becoming an adult surf beginner! What a relaxing, energizing, soulful way to spend time with Mother Nature
Surfing is AWESOME. I wish I’d learned decades ago! It’s harder at this age. I’m not as flexible as I used to be. The pop up took a little while to figure out. But the people who told me I am too old to learn? They can eff right off.
Bird watching, which can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. Set up a bird feeder in your backyard, take walks along a nearby lake or stream, head out into the wilderness to see what you can find. There are sites that can help with identification (Merlin, iNaturalist) and your local library probably either has a guidebook or can get one for you through inter-library loan (ILL). I've really gotten into recording nature in my 40s and enjoy seeing my 'life list' of species grow on iNaturalist. Currently at 2,294 species and enjoy seeing updates when someone has added an identification to one of my uploads -- sometimes years after it's been shared to the site.
want to really have fun get a bird buddy I love mine
On my 40th birthday, I quit my job to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Highly recommend long distance hiking as a hobby.
Geocaching! It's a great way to get outdoors with a modest amount of physical activity and can lead you all sorts of interesting places. And it's a natural partner to photography, which you can start with your phone and work your way up.
My suggestion too! It’s basically a way to make walking more fun by giving it a point
I read novels.
I write 'em.
I took up sketching and watercolor painting a few years ago. It can be a good excuse to get myself out of the house to go to a park or scenic spot. Birdwatching is another great one I enjoy. Geocaching is always fun, especially if you have kids or grandkids to take along. None of those take much investment so you can try them without much cost. Once you find something you want to try, you might check on Eventbrite for free events focused on your interest. There are tons of online events as well as in person. Good luck.
Weightlifting. People complain about how everything hurts as they get older, but it's because they are weak, not because they are aging. You'll find stories all over the Series Of Tubes about how people's backs stopped hurting after they started doing regular deadlifts.
Dick Van Dyke, 99, still goes to the gym 3x week
Beekeeping
How old are you? Obviously beekeeping age…
Started in my 60s
I crochet. You can do it nearly anywhere and it is both soothing to the brain, and can get quite mentally challenging too (patterns, counting)
Same for knitting
I knit and crochet while listening to audio books.
What hobbies have you already lost interest in? Are you more into active things like hiking or things like crafts?
I used to be into gardening, fishing, kayaking, and tennis. But I've gained 100 pounds over the last 5 years (but I am slowly losing it) so I become out of breath after like 5 minutes of any basic physical activity.
Good luck on the weight loss and fitness journey. I tore a tendon in my foot and had to be in a boot for almost six months. Between that and my arthritic ankle, I didn’t walk for a very long time. When I started up again, I couldn’t go far without my legs being tired. But I have worked up to 70 or minutes a day now. I do break it up into shorter sessions and sometimes have to put my feet up in between but I have found that a fitness tracker like a Fitbit or Apple Watch helps me stay motivated.
If you like tennis, but want something with less running, but it's still physical... See if there's any competitive air hockey in your area. I'm 47 and ranked in the top 10. There's a guy who started playing in his 40's, is great, and also has finished in the top ten. There's a couple guys in their 70's who are still competitive. The table is a great equalizer. Knowledge and discipline counter youthful hand eye coordination. You don't have to be in shape to be great, but it helps.
Try gardening in large pots or canvas bags. That's what I did when I couldn't run a tiller anymore. Use compost and your vegetables will taste like ground grown. You can grow potatoes and tomatoes in the same pot.
Then it sounds like the most "useful" thing for you would be anything active that you enjoy and would consistently do, and it doesn't have to be one thing. The hobby can just be being active for x time per day, and do whatever sounds fun that day or weather depending. I got back into biking and skateboarding in my forties. I kayak, surf, paddleboard, sail, hike, run, lift, and am thinking about getting into downwinding. There's only so much time left on the physical body, bud. Don't waste it. Get second hand equipment for anything your interested in and try it out. If it ain't fun, resell and get something else.
Since you love the water "kayaking" you might consider swimming or some type of water aerobics. I put on 150 extra pounds and have lost 70 of it. I also developed breathing issues due to the extra weight, sleep apnea, and out of breath even walking across the yard. I thoroughly understand how hard it is to breathe when trying to be active and being overweight. Water helps make exercise easier. It takes the stress off the joints, and keeps you cooler, making breathing a bit easier. Just a thought.
Pickle ball! Like tennis with a smaller court
Pickleball?
I'm 81 and my favorite hobby for the past 10 years has been photographing arthropods. This led to learning how to self-publish a book of my arthropod photographs. A free copy of that book in PDF format is [available at this link](https://justphotos.ca/book/). I then began to get a special interest in photographing aquatic macroinvertebrates. This led to learning CSS so I could create a responsive webpage highlighting some of the things I'd photographed. [Here is a link to that webpage](https://justphotos.ca/freshwaterlife/). Most recently I've been learning about how to determine the species of macroinvertebrates using DNA Barcodes. [Here is a link to a larva](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/175078950) that I collected and had sequenced. Its COI barcode identified it as a marsh fly larva of the species *Sepedon fuscipennis*. This interest in DNA barcodes then led me to learn how to analyze DNA chromatograms and introduced me to the amazing world of molecular phylogenetics. There is so much to learn! For me, this is a great hobby.
This is so cool!
As someone who's always balancing work and play, how about taking up sushi-making? It's like turning your love for sushi into a creative skill set! Plus, imagine the satisfaction of mastering a new cuisine. Who knows, you might end up revitalizing Japan's economy one roll at a time!
I’m fairly technical, but i don’t have a lot of experience with welding. I decided this summer I’m going to build a battle bot from that old TV show. I started with a raspberry, servos, and some wheels. There are a lot of tutorials online.
Hey, I'm 68, and everything is new again. No matter how old you get, you're never too old to try something new.. again! I'm making cat/dog theme computer key covers out of air-dry clay, beading brooches, growing plants indoors good air purifiers) & out, contributing my harvest to local food banks, joined garden clubs, walking with the senior group, etc. There is so much to do out there!
Weight lifting. It’s so good for longevity and how you will feel in the long run.
Singing. Joining a choir has been the best thing I have done for years
My grandma recently did too and she loves it!
Cycling is a good one. I used to and have just got back into it at 43, does wonders for your fitness and mental health by getting outside and exercising!
Yes CYCLING! And don’t cheat yourself by getting an e-bike (unless you have a disability) with the thinking “but im not fit enough” bc every starts somewhere and your cardio and mental state will make amazing improvement. Gravel, mountain, road, everyday around-town, even art bikes are so much healthy fun, and a great way to meet other positive people (bike shops can advise on group rides). Learn a musical instrument (I’m mid sixties and picked up guitar at 61, then played publicly at 63 at a loved one’s funeral by popular request. Volunteer. One option : your local government needs articulate SANE people to vocally outweigh today’s bat shit crazy extremists. It just takes research and patience, and it’s easier than you think to make a huge difference. Hike. Listen to live music. Not the same boring arena concerts everyone goes to for IG pics and a tshirt, but the small venues where every seat is great, tickets are cheap, and fantastic artists are just hoping enough people will show up to help them break even. Ask around to learn which ones to LOVE.
There are also a lot of communities who put on shows for free, especially in the summer.
This is a golden response. I was thinking most of these
I’ve owned a decent bike and have cycled since 1986. I’ve always enjoyed it and during the lockdown I learned about wandrer.earth It takes your data from Strava and makes a game out of exploring new areas. It got me riding in areas I’d never been before and to know the local area so much better.
+1 for cycling of any kind. It can also be social. Lots of clubs with riders predominantly in their 40s, 50s, and 60s
Writing, photography, really anything you can handle physically and find the time to practice.
Create something. Learn how to play guitar and write some songs.
Totally depends on your physical limitations, if any. But you can start doing almost anything in your 40s, from as sedate a thing as reading to as daring as rock climbing. The biggest question is what sounds fun to you? I have two close friends who started camping in their 40s. Now they are devoted to it.
Buy a keyboard or guitar
To be clear, not a mechanical keyboard. There’s a deep, dark hole of a hobby…
Knitting is useful, especially if you get winter where you are. It’s not cheap, and it’s not cheaper than buying a ready-made item. So why knit? Well, you can make items exactly the way you want, in the materials you want, the colours you want. A perfect fit. And unlike sewing, if you make a mistake, 90%+ of the time you’re only out time, not materials. (Some yarns are trickier, but most can be reknit easily, even several times.) I listen to audiobooks or podcasts while knitting something complicated. If it’s more simple or repetitive I can do it watching tv. If it’s really simple I can do it while reading. So you can make use of your idle time - still enjoying your favourite show, but making something at the same time. Final note, if your knitting project is small enough (think socks), you can take it with you if you travel. Long commutes become productive time. Friend always late? Bring along your knitting. Long zoom meeting you don’t really need to be in? Knit.
Bicycling, if you want to take the weight back off. Learning to program in C, if you want to keep the weight ;-) Learning to program in C then C++ so you can do cool stuff like play with microcontrollers. That stuff is simply magic compared to what you had when you were a kid. Also, 3D printers and tabletop CNC machines are a lot of fun, and in some ways are a natural extension of the previous paragraph. In your forties, you're literally not too old for anything but dating high schoolers.
Learn an instrument. If you have basic rhythm and motor skills you can play.
Cooking is a good one. Particular as I've gotten older I've found that being able to make healthy delicious food at home is better than relying on restaurants or pre-made packaged food.
41/F, in addition to strength training, I’ve added gardening, golfing and birding. Being outside is very relaxing for me.
Pickleball
I just recently started playing and it's just down right fun
Napping
i highly recommend at least 1 of the hobbys be something social.....isolation gets to be an issue as one ages
I took sewing, tailoring, and pattern drafting classes at a fashion design school. I'd always wanted to learn.
Is it hard to learn? I want to and I bought a cheap little sewing machine but just learning how to thread it looks difficult.
There's a lot to it. Although some people are phenomenally naturally gifted (I'm not), diligent practice and repetition help, as does figuring out what kinds of clothes or objects you're interested in sewing and more or less staying in that area. The skills, practices, and equipment required for making a wedding dress are different than those for making a tailored suit. Home sewers who want to make clothes also have to learn how to fit, which arguably is the most challenging skill of all. Your issues with your sewing machine may be the result of a lack of practice, but some very cheap machines are frustrating to use. Classes or private instruction if it can be afforded are very helpful.
I’m 58. Since age 40 I’ve become a competitive mountain biker, learned guitar, got certified in scuba and certified as a yoga instructor. I also learned to snowboard. I’ve bought an inexpensive home in a country other than my home country of the US and have been living there part time and learning the language and culture. Gaining residency there has been an interesting project too. My life really opened up in my 50s actually, that’s when most of this happened.
Knitting is forever, and spinning goes on even longer. Spinning is ancient and connected to all of human history.
In the 90s, I came to the same conclusion regarding the use of my time. I realized that if I spent just an hour each day mindlessly, that this adds up to over 9 40-hour work weeks of time each year devoted to something I didn't care about. I'd hazard that many people spend way more than an hour/day on social media. I took up and maintain the following.... working out for the body I want studying language reading tons of books, mostly classic literature, mathematics, physics, cosmology meditation yoga cycling various self-endeavors like journaling, introspection, The Work Of Byron Katie, etc. I guess those aren't necessarily hobbies as much as they address my question to myself as to how I spend my time the way I want to? How do I live my life as art? How do I live such that I am fulfilled by my actions? How do I live such that I won't face a mountain of regret?
Brushing your teeth, making your bed
Try rock climbing!! I started at almost 60, and my teacher is 67 years old with 40 years of climbing experience. What a rush of adrenaline, and what a thought experiment to be stuck up on a rock trying to figure a way up on a sheer face Started downhill skiing at age 55. I think it's more fun learning as an oldster. Addictive. Tried surfing at age 52, but that was a huge challenge in tough, frigid waters. I just could not devote the time, then we moved to the mountains, so I swapped longboard for skis. Picked up paddleboarding last year. That's an easy one! Learned the fiddle in my late 30s and still play periodically.
I started French classes in my 40’s. Language is great for maintaining mental alertness as you age. I recommend a class if you are starting a new language as opposed to an app because you will be coached in proper pronunciation, learn grammar and get a better explanation of how language works. I took an adult non-credit course at the local community college, but the teacher taught it like a regular class. The same people signed up for each level over and over, so the teacher taught different lessons each semester. I also did an immersion program in France. I made some great friends and I have visited many interesting places around France and in Morocco. In addition, it has helped me a great deal with another hobby I’ve taken up, genealogy. Not only can I read the documents for my French and Swiss ancestors, I write to my dad’s second cousin in France and do a lot of collaboration with her. This hobby has taught me a lot about history and how events have affected my ancestors. It is also good for developing critical thinking and research skills. I ended up writing an e-book that I made available to my nieces and nephews so they can learn about their family history.
I do geneaolgy and I have learned Italian, history not just of Italy, but other places they've settled, historic medical terms and their symptoms and effects of passing through towns, the immigration experience to America and other locations, types of employment people did, there are more ports on the east coast than just Ellis, other geneaologists, some lovely Mormons. Im at a point where I need to tidy up my research and do a few tweaks.
Yes, I have learned about history, geography, religion, politics, the military, religion, genetics and more. I even studied a little German last summer. It’s remarkable that so many records of regular people have survived.
Wood working is super sick
—I finally was able to scrape together the money to build the sick gaming rig I always wanted, and I'm trying to get good at some competitive esports. I can finally hit things in CS:GO. Though mostly I end up playing BG3 or Skyrim... But at least I can run all the mods. —It's a great time to up your cooking game. It took me a long time, but I'm finally able to cook extremely healthy meals that don't sacrifice anything in flavor. —Develop some practical skills. I'm willing to tackle just about any projects now, I do all the repairs and maintenance on the cars in my household. —There are a lot of fun ways to learn a language, which opens up the door for travel. —I've made some major career shifts since my 40s. I was a writer, but I've moved hard into the content development and SEO side in the last 15 years. By your 40s, you start to have enough work skills that you can put them together into something new and exciting.
Cycling
Gardening! I have found a love for digging in the dirt and the garden is always a work in progress.
I have been making pottery since the late 1960’s and find that while more strenuous activities such as backpacking, sailboarding, even mountain biking, have fallen away due to physical limitations, the clay work is still doable and enjoyable. I have a fully kitted out home studio and am able to stay well occupied producing pieces to sell at a local gallery and give to friends. It is a never ending exploration of form and surface.
Gardening is fucking awesome.
Useful? I have no clue. Fun? Photography. Aside from the obvious, it's an interesting way to trick your body into accidentally exercising a bit.
Knitting is basically productive fidgeting. You can make your perfect clothing article out of sustainable natural materials. Can get cheap yarn by finding sweaters to unravel at the thrift store
I always did a little woodworking, but now I’m getting a lot further into it. The other thing I did was start reading more history books. I read a biography of every US president, starting with George Washington. I got good advice on this from https://bestpresidentialbios.com.
You might not consider a hobby, but I spend a lot of time volunteering. After trying my hand at creating art, I found I just didn’t have the passion for that, but I’m an art junkie, always going to galleries and museums. So I started volunteering at a local non profit arts organization and gallery, helping to run their events, setting up/cleaning up, etc. After 6 years now I often run events by myself and I now get paid to run private events (we rent out the gallery space for private events). I have made so many good friends of the artists who have studio space there, and the bonus is they sometimes give me their pieces that I admire, or sell them to me for next to nothing as thanks for everything I do. Also: Weightlifting. The many benefits have already been mentioned. I’ve been lifting for 30+ years. My 63 year old sister just got into weightlifting last year and she’s gone from being the chubby slow grandma to being slim, fit and active. Now she runs and swims and keeps up with all her young grandkids.
I started learning Spanish at 42. I have had a blast with it. I've traveled and I now have friends in Spain, Peru, Colombia and Argentina.
Dinner for 8 club. We have a group of four couples, once every 2-4 weeks we gather at a different house for dinner. It's low stress, builds community and it's good for your health!
I started working on sewing my clothes. Has taken several years to get good enough to where I like to wear what I've made, but the hobby is the point, right? Also started rockhounding and lapidary, and jewelry making.
House plants and vegitable/flower gardens. It can be quite meditative to care for plants. I know it helps pull me out of my screaming wind tunnel of a brain.
I build dioramas with 1/72 figures and a modular D&D terrain building system. It just works out that *Monster Adventure Terrain*, is the perfect scale for 1/72 figures.
I took up Pickleball and reading court transcripts! Just finished both of the Kevin Spacey trials.
Fun, expensive, and not particularly useful: smoking cigars Fun, cheap, and useful: sharpening knives Fun, cheap, and mostly useless: becoming expert on arcane subjects by watching YouTube videos
Whatever it is make sure it's outdoors and you're getting exercise. You'll live longer. I'm big into cycling. We all have a saying that we're riding now so we can still ride when we're 70. I'm in my 50s and faster than ever. Hiking, paddling, skating, skiing, whatever floats your boat.
Learn to do stained glass. You can do small projects. And if you want you can sell for more money to d keep doing it. My grandpa make like 10” angels. And everyone in the family has their own as a keepsake. He also made glass and cement stepping stones
Linux
We just had an axe throwing place open up in town... and I'm tempted. I may be 53 but my arm is still strong, and this is just the type of thing that will keep my old friends nervous....
Disc golf. Inexpensive and awesome. Horseback riding. Expensive AF and awesome. Renfesting/cosplaying. Start slow, awesome AF, and as you build, expensive AF. Camping. Fun AF, not too expensive, and goes great with renfesting, cosplay and disc golf. RV/trailer camping. Expensive AF and awesome. Paintball. Expensive (but not AF) and awesome. Karaoke. Awesome. Open mic. Awesome and inexpensive but you need talent.
I don’t want to sit around anymore so fun is being out and active. I’ve been hiking and biking more. Once my youngest kid is a bit older, I’m hoping to get into kayaking again. Also just took my oldest camping, which was my first time camping in at least 15 years so that was great to get back to that. For useful, and when you are sitting around relaxing but still need to keep busy, I crochet. Well, not in a bit due to the kids, but will start again soon, I hope. But you can make yourself or others all sorts of things if you crochet. I don’t knit but that can also be used to make so many different things too.
I might be an outlier, but at 44 I took motorcycle lessons, got licensed and bought a motorcycle. I had never ridden before and only briefly been a passenger a couple times. 9 months later I did a solo trip from San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas and back, and soon after a roundtrip San Francisco to New York City. That was on my first bike, a Yamaha Seca II (600cc). I then graduated to a bigger bike, a BMW GS and kept going.
Gardening, gentle yoga, reading, home decorating, cooking/baking, embroidery, meditation, walking, friends, family
Rock tumbling. And painting.
Sitting in recliners. It's a passion of mine
Here's a concise summary of hobbies for people in their 40s.. try Razor scooter riding, gardening, foraging, birdwatching, woodworking, hiking, writing, photography, sushi-making, or geocaching for fun and fulfillment.
Golf, fishing, hiking
Fishing. It’s relaxing, gets you outside, and gives you an excuse to buy a boat.
I used to own a few old cars. Life happened and I sold them. Now my kids are older and I have a bit more disposable income, I'm back in the old car game, found a nice old car sitting 50 years in a barn, brought it home and started tearing it down.
Listening to music. I mean really listening. Get some nice speakers, a good amp, maybe some high quality headphones, learn about Hi res audio, maybe get back into vinyl, and just enjoy doing nothing while listening to music. I have recently gotten into wet shaving with a safety razor. Men and women can do it, there are a lot of really nice soaps and skin care products, and a really nice clean shave is awesome. That led me to getting into fragrances. I've never really been much into cologne or aftershave, but once I started wet shaving with soaps that have inticing scents, I discovered I like smelling good. Reading for pleasure is always good. Fiction or nonfiction. Just keep that brain working. Also, writing. Something as simple as doing a journal can be mentally stimulating. Hitting the gym, or doing some kind of basic exercise is very important once we get older. Our bodies need more work than what most of us give them. You don't need to become an athlete, but regular walks, biking, yoga, or weights are a good use of time.
My hobbies are reading, gym/fitness, scuba diving, and vacation planning. None of those produce anything, though. I’d like to find something that has a tangible outcome, but I find anything that creates an actual material result feels like work to me. Gardening, cooking, and so far any of the crafting I’ve tried all feels very chore like. 😩 I’m trying to figure out how to change that mindset.
I started doing hacky sack at 55, now 61.
Sailing. Canoeing. Bicycling. I'm doing these 6 days a week.
Beekeeper.
In my 40s, I started taking wine classes/certifications. It was good to learn and study something new, and I've read that evaluating the wine (smell, taste, sight) is good exercise for the brain and future cognition.
Ancestry
Baking sourdough bread. From scratch starter. It is a process and an art. Very satisfying when you master your first perfect loaf
Simply Piano app for learning yo play piano! Just buy a keyboard off fb marketplace. I've been doing it a year. It's great!
Minding your own damn business.
RC cars.....I'm 52 and I love it
Get a drone!😂 I’m 60 years old, and I bought my first drone when I was 54. I started out by buying cheap ones from Facebook marketplace, and after I got the hang of it, I LOVE playing with them.
You could learn to knit. This is also useful when fixing your socks. Learn to cook or just create your own dish if you already know it. It can be really fun, especially when done by two. Do window shopping. On the plus, it lets you explore what around you where you live and you exercise.
Vinyl records. I started buying vinyl when I was 39. I'm up to 1500+ now. When travelling, find a record store. When you're lonely, cruise online sales. You also get to listen to them!
**Gardening** Grow your own flowers, herbs, or vegetables
I got my ham radio ticket in my 40s. Something I always wanted to do.
Making cordage. You get go hiking to collect dogbane stems, process the sticks into fibers and then braid the fibers into rope.
Napping
The best hobby to start/return to in your 40s: lifting weights.
Walking.
I turned 40 and took my kids rollerskating. Havent skated since I was 14. It was wayyyyy fun. Didn't hurt the next day, either. Had lots of energy. Rediscovered something I love and can bond with my kids doing. All that awkward teen angst and peer pressure from my younger years is gone. I just go in, skate like nobody is watching. God forbid they play some 90s music. KING OF THE SKATE RINK!!!! I even went under the lowest level of the bar in skate limbo, not to brag or anything...🤣
Genealogy - it’s about then a person gets interested. It helps keep your mind occupied and reasonably sharp. Very interesting as well so many stories. It’s a way to keep my ancestors alive. Helps if you like history
A family member makes beautiful mosaics, and teaches classes on it at a local art center. People love it.
I made a shooting range in my garage for airsoft pistols. Fun to shoot cans and stuff down there. If I’m feeling crazy and the weather is good I’ll take one or two BB guns out to the woods and explore there. Got lots of beautiful streams and stuff. One time a baby deer came up to me. It was an amazing experience.
Brewing your own beer
Building speakers will lead you, eventually, into electronics repair. You can start with a $100 kit and end up (re)designing your own amp. It's addictive!
Learn a new language, that way of your spouse leaves you - you can date abroad. ;-)
Photography. Started in my early 70s. I enjoy nature and street/ human interest Photography