Do you have spring fever? And archery fever? Time to go shoot some things for fun...
Easter Egg Archery Hunt: Organize an Easter-themed archery hunt where participants shoot at colorful Easter eggs hidden throughout the area. Each egg can contain a small prize or candy, adding an extra element of fun to the archery practice.
Flower Target Shooting: Set up flower targets made from paper or cardboard with colorful floral designs. Participants can aim at these targets, and hitting specific flowers can earn them points or rewards.
Seasonal Animal Targets: Create targets shaped like springtime animals such as rabbits, birds, or butterflies. Shooting at these targets adds a seasonal touch to the archery practice and can make it more engaging and visually appealing.
Spring Archery Picnic: Pack a picnic basket with springtime snacks and refreshments and enjoy a picnic at the archery range. Set up targets nearby and take turns shooting while enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.
Nature Photography with Archery: Combine archery practice with nature photography by setting up targets in picturesque outdoor locations. Participants can take turns shooting while capturing photos of the spring landscape and wildlife.
Archery Nature Walk: Take a leisurely nature walk through the springtime scenery, pausing along the way to set up targets and practice archery at various spots. It's a great way to enjoy the outdoors while honing archery skills.
Spring Archery Challenge Course: Design an archery challenge course with different obstacles and shooting stations themed around springtime elements such as blooming flowers, hopping rabbits, or chirping birds. Participants navigate the course and shoot at targets along the way, testing their accuracy and agility.
Springtime Archery Games: Play fun archery games with springtime themes such as "Blossom Blast" where participants aim to hit flower-shaped targets, or "Spring Fling" where players compete to shoot at moving targets representing springtime animals.
Here are eight exercises that are a lot of fun to do by yourself or with family and friends:
Archery: Archery is an engaging and enjoyable exercise that combines focus, coordination, and strength. It can be a great way to improve your upper body strength and concentration while having fun. Find a local archery range or club to get started or hire an archery instructor who teaches archery lessons.
Dance Fitness: Dance fitness classes, such as Zumba or hip-hop dance workouts, are energetic and entertaining ways to get moving. You can enjoy the music, learn new dance moves, and burn calories in a social and supportive environment.
Hiking: Explore the great outdoors and challenge yourself with hiking. It not only provides an opportunity to connect with nature but also offers a low-impact cardiovascular workout while strengthening your legs and core muscles. Choose trails that match your fitness level and enjoy the scenic views along the way.
Trampoline Jumping: Jumping on a trampoline is not only a fun activity but also an effective cardiovascular exercise. It helps improve balance, coordination, and leg strength. You can try trampoline fitness classes or simply jump on a trampoline in your backyard or at a trampoline park.
Martial Arts: Martial arts, such as karate, taekwondo, or kickboxing, are not only great for self-defense but also provide a total-body workout. They improve flexibility, strength, and mental focus while learning new techniques and engaging in dynamic movements.
Indoor Rock Climbing: Indoor rock climbing is a thrilling activity that challenges your strength, endurance, and problem-solving skills. It engages your entire body, particularly your arms, core, and legs. Climbing with friends or joining a climbing gym can add a social aspect to this exciting exercise.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding: Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) combines balance, core strength, and paddling for a full-body workout. It's a fun way to enjoy the water and explore lakes, rivers, or the ocean. SUP can also be a tranquil and meditative activity.
Jump Rope: Jumping rope is a versatile and enjoyable exercise that can be done almost anywhere. It improves cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and agility. You can try different jump rope techniques, create your own routines, or even participate in jump rope challenges with friends.
These exercises offer a mix of physical activity, entertainment, and opportunities for personal growth. Find the activities that you enjoy the most, and remember to choose exercises that match your fitness level.
Autumn is a great time of year to try a new sport. It doesn't have to be a "competitive sport" per se. It is possible to do a sport just for the fun of it. And Autumn is a great time of year to be trying these new sports. There are a number of benefits to trying a new sport in the Autumn.
#1. The weather. Not too hot, not too cold. And unlike Spring, not too rainy.
#2. Less crowds in public parks and national parks.
#3. The scenery. Is there any more beautiful time of year to go outside and enjoy the wonder of nature?
So lets get started.
Fun Sport #1 - Mountain Biking in Autumn
You don't need a mountain to do it. You also don't need a fancy mountain bike either. A hybrid bicycle will get the job done. And the scenery you see will take your breath away, even in the bicycle trails of Toronto.
Below is 3 real photos taken on Toronto bicycle trails.
Fun Sport #2 - Archery
Am I biased because I happen to teach archery lessons? Yes. Is Autumn my favourite time of year to do the sport? Also yes. Seriously. The weather is wonderful. The scenery is amazing and if you get lucky you will even see some deer and other wildlife at the Toronto Archery Range.
Update, October 11th - Student and myself saw two whitetail stags today who wandered into the archery field and to the south of the target butts. It is currently the pre-rut. In a few weeks these stags will be fighting over the doe we've seeing lately.
The photo below is a screen capture from a video I made of the two stags.
But yes, Autumn is truly a special time of year to be doing archery. There is a reason why bowhunters most often hunt during the Autumn.
Fun Sport #3 - Basically Any Outdoor Team Sport
Soccer, field hockey, road hockey, lacrosse, baseball, etc. Pick one.
For the purposes of choosing a photograph, I am going to go with road hockey because it is pretty popular in Toronto and thus easy for people to find others who are also interested in road hockey.
Fun Sport #4 - Nature Hikes or Fell Running
Someone should turn nature hikes into a competitive sport. Oh wait, someone already has. It is called Fell Running and it even has its own marathon, known as the Barkley Marathon, and is a 100 mile hike that must be completed in less than 60 hours. The competitors have 2 and a half days to do a 100 mile hike over difficult terrain. Not for the faint hearted either. People have been known to die during the Barkley. It is a cold wet affair done in late March / early April, but the athletes who compete in it train all year long. So Autumn is a good time to train.
But if you would rather have fun doing this activity, maybe stick to bringing your camera along and enjoying the scenery. There is no need to make it a competitive sport.
Fun Sport #5 - Canoeing and Kayaking
Remember to take your camera!
Fun Sport #6 - Sandyachting
Yes, that is a real thing. See the photo below. A bit expensive to get into, but certainly a fun way to spend your Autumn. Or Spring. Or Summer. Stick skis on it instead of wheels, and you could do it in the winter too.
Fun Sport #7 - Horseriding
I wrote a post awhile back about horseback archery where to get horse riding lessons in/near Toronto. If you skip the archery stuff, just read the section about where to get horse riding lessons in/near Toronto and that will help you on your journey to finally taking up horsemanship as a skill.
Scratch that off your bucket list during the Autumn and you will get some great Autumn trail rides in the process.
Or better yet, learn how to ride a horse AND do archery, and then you will be able to do both at the same time!
Fun Sport #8 - Spelunking
The Niagara Escarpment in Ontario has various caves, caverns, crevices and chasms that a person can explore. True, you can explore caves any time of the year, but the crevices that dot the landscape along the Niagara Escarpment are best explored during the Autumn because you typically have to hike quite a bit just to get to the crevices. Summer? Too many mosquitoes and too hot. Winter? Too cold and slippery. Potentially dangerous too. But Autumn is a great time of year to explore as the weather is perfect for it.
Take a friend with you who likes to do photography and you will have a fun time.
If caves and crevices are not your thing, the Niagara Escarpment is also home to many waterfalls. Like Inglis Falls or Hilton Falls. The photo below is of Hilton Falls, near Milton Ontario.
It is December 21st and that means the Yuletide season has officially begun. Time for folks all over the world to celebrate Odin and his 8 legged flying horse Sleipnir while he and his army of elves delivers gifts to all the good girls and boys via chimneys.
So get yourself a Yule log, cut down a tree as per the Old Norse tradition, celebrate with friends and family by eating ham and alcohol, pull on some big thick socks, go outside and go caroling from house to house while singing Nordic songs, visit sacred groves of trees, get kissed under a Mistletoe, and all that good stuff.
Other things you can do this Winter:
#1. Go skiing to celebrate Ullr, the Norse God of Skiing. (Ullr is also the Norse god of bowhunting.) Or just go skiing because it is fun. Downhill or cross country or even the Biathlon with Bow or Rifle, they are all good. :)
The logo on the right is for Archery Biathlon, but I am sure Ullr would approve.
#2. Go snowshoeing. Because it is a lot of fun.
Below are photos of myself snowshoeing back in (I think it was) March 2016. I am looking forward to doing more snowshoeing again this winter.
#3. Icefishing. I am not sure how much exercise is involved in icefishing, but a friend of mine has been bugging me to join them for icefishing for over a year now and I would really like to try it.
#4. Join the Polar Bear Club of Toronto - People of all ages jumping in the freezing cold water, running around in the cold water, and then hanging out afterwards. It is really freezing but people sure seem to love doing it. See torontopolarbear.com
#5. Winter Archery Lessons. Yes, it is true. I do teach archery during the winter. See my archery lessons page for rates.
#6. Go for a Winter Hike in the Woods - Take the dog, friends, family, and your camera with you and get some amazing photography done. Want a great place to visit? Try the nature trails near Hilton Falls (Milton Ontario). The frozen waterfalls makes for some pretty amazing photography.
#7. Go for a Winter Hike and Go Bird Watching. You can really do this practically anywhere. Birds are surprisingly plentiful, even in the winter.
#8. Pick One of the Following
Ice Skating
Build Snowforts
Make Ice Sculptures
Winter Surfing or Windsurfing
Icycling with Studded Tires
Winter Jogging
Rock/Ice Climbing
Curling
Outdoor Axe Throwing
Winter Winery Tours in Niagara Region
Jet Skiing
Sleigh Rides
Snowmobiling
Winter Caving / Spelunking
Snowboarding
Tobogganing
Snow Rafting
Conclusions?
Truly the Norse were on the right track with their Yuletide traditions of celebrating winter.
Since then Pokemon Go has continued to grow and thrive as a game / competitive sport. It is basically getting nerds and common people to go exercise and compete against each other, so yes, it is definitely a competitive sport. Hence the old adage:
"All it takes is for one person to lose an eye and it becomes a competitive sport."
Losing an eye isn't the issue. People have died playing this game. Usually from not paying attention to where they were walking. So pay attention to where you are going!
But to be fair, people also die while texting, driving while distracted by food, crossing the street while their cellphone is in their pocket and it just happens to have the game open. The game is probably no more unsafe than say window shopping with friends or other innocent activities.
Speaking of which here are 8 Fun Ways to play Pokemon Go + Exercise in Toronto and you will note I have chosen to list ways which are also safe.
#1. Visit the Roundhouse Park train yard near CN Tower / Steam Whistle Brewery.
Known as Roundhouse Park it is brimming with Pokestops (and quite a few Ponytas, so if you need to catch a Ponyta that is a good place to do it). A five-six minute walk around the park hits 10 different Pokestops without ever having to cross a street or put yourself in danger. Thus you can literally just walk in circles for 30 minutes and collect approx. 60 Pokestops.
Also you get a bonus every time you hit 10 unique Pokestops in a row, so this is a good place to do that. The bonus gives double items (minimum 6, maximum 10) and rewards 100 XP instead of 50.
In addition there is also free samples at Steam Whistle, the railway museum to visit, Ripley's Aquarium just north of there, and lots of old trains to look at.
#2. Visit Edward Gardens in East York, Toronto / Bring your bicycle!
Home to many exotic plants, lots of squirrels and other wildlife, Edward Gardens also has 25 Pokestops. A great place to walk or bicycle.
There are many different trails and paths inside Edward Gardens, and it doesn't matter which routes you take you will always find lots of Pokestops and lots of interesting things to look at. I ended up spending a lot of time during my last visit just doing photography.
If you walk south from Edward Gardens there are trails going all the way to Sunnybrook Park and eventually E. T. Seton Park. So also a good place to hit some Pokestops and then go for a long hike afterwards.
Edward Gardens is a great place to feed squirrels and pet them. They have some very friendly squirrels there. The video below is one I made during my last visit.
#3. Graffiti Alley in Downtown Toronto.
If artwork is more something that interests take a walk / bicycle ride / skateboard / rollerblades down to some of the graffiti filled alleyways in downtown Toronto.
Between Augusta and Spadina, just south of Queen Street, is Graffiti Alley. That alleyway and many of the alleyways in downtown Toronto are rife with Pokestops. Exploring the back alleys also keeps you away from cars and motorists, which are the bane of Pokemon Go players.
#4. Archery at E. T. Seton Park in East York.
If you are into archery, the archery range at E. T. Seton Park is also a Pokestop. You can shoot a round of arrows and then collect a Pokestop. Shoot a round, catch a Nidoran. Shoot a round, collect Pokestop again. You won't be hitting a huge number of Pokestops, but you will have a lot of fun doing archery.
Archery also involves a lot of walking (to collect the arrows after each round of shooting) so as a bonus you will get some walking done.
If you don't have your own archery equipment you can also get archery lessons.
#5. Catch an Onix in Downsview Park.
Downsview Park has many things you can do there, whether you prefer to walk or bicycle - but one of the things you can do is to look for Onix, one of those rare hard to find Pokemon. Onix has a tendency to appear near the west end of the park, towards Downsview Dells and Northwood Park. If you explore all 3 areas you will likely spot an Onix.
#6. Take up Bird-Watching
If bird-watching (or "birding") is something you have always wanted to do, here is your chance. You can walk around, take photos of birds with your phone, capture Pokemon, hit Pokestops, borrow books about birdwatching from the library (since libraries are often Pokestops), and basically become a great birder and have fun during the process.
In my mind someone should invent a phone app game similar to Pokemon Go, which encourages players to capture photos of birds to add to their collection. For people into birdwatching, it would be a fun game.
A good place to see both birds and hit lots of Pokestops (and a few gyms) is Moccasin Trail Park. The park is home to many historical plaques (like the one below), nature plaques about the local wildlife, and the above mentioned Pokestops / gyms. Also a great place for a bicycle ride / skateboarding / fishing.
#7. Take up Fishing.
There are plenty of different places to go fishing in Toronto. Along lake-shore there are many Pokestops and places to go fishing. There are also a great number of parks in Toronto where the fishing is pretty good. Moccasin Trail Park is one, but you can also go to High Park - which has a good number of Pokestops and an abundance of places where you can sit and collect items while waiting for the fish to bite.
When fishing I recommend getting up once in awhile and switching locations or even taking a break from fishing to walk around and enjoy the other things the parks in Toronto have to offer.
#8. Horseback Riding at Sunnybrook Park.
Okay maybe I am just biased here because I really like horses, but it seems to me that spending your time riding horses and either playing the game while on horseback, or playing the game when you are relaxing in Sunnybrook Park, is a good thing.
Also Sunnybrook Park is a good place to catch Eevees and a variety of water Pokemon.
There you go! 8 ways to have fun playing Pokemon Go, do it safely, and get exercise in the process.
Not satisfied? Leave a comment asking for more and I shall do another post like this. You will need to subscribe to receive the notification.
Everyone wants to have a sexy body, but many people have difficulty achieving that goal. The biggest problem I find is that many people become discouraged because they are doing exercises they don't actually enjoy.
But what if you did exercises that were actually FUN to do and you could actually lose weight, build muscle and look awesome as you get better at the activities? Well here are a list of exercises that help turn flab into fab and allow you to have fun while doing them.
#1. Mountain Biking
#2. Snorkeling
#3. Boxing, Kick Boxing or Thai Boxing
#4. Fencing, Kendo, Swordfighting for Stage or Spearfighting
#5. Martial Arts
#6. Tennis
#7. Ballroom Dancing or Competitive Dancing
#8. Parkour or Freerunning
Don't expect to see huge changes overnight doing these activities. Like all exercises and sports you only see the results after you've been putting in the effort for months or years. Take it slow at first, have fun and enjoy yourself.
Also try to do so safetly. Wear protection (helmet, knee pads, etc) to help prevent sports injuries. You will achieve your goals of looking sexy and feeling great, but you will want to do it without putting yourself at risk of injury.
Ever wanted to get into snorkeling? Well here are 8 fun activities you can do while snorkeling - hopefully some of them will inspire you to get snorkeling lessons and try it out.
#1. You can swim with the fishes and see the world from their point of view.
#2. You can try spearfishing while snorkeling. For those of you who also like to know where their food comes from.
#3. Practice your underwater hand signals / Sign Language. The hand signals below are "I love you" in American Sign Language (ASL).
#4. Hang Out with Friends / Make New Friends
#5. Collect Sea Shells and Dead Starfish
#6. Play Underwater Tag, Hide-and-Go-Seek, Capture-the-Flag, Etc.
#7. Learn more about Exotic Sea Life In-Person
#8. Search for Shipwrecks, Plane Wrecks, Pearls, Etc.
BONUS - Pick up ocean trash while you are out there and help save animal lives. Don't leave any trash behind either.
Adrenaline Highs are powerful and can be used to boost energy levels / burn calories in an effort to lose weight. But attaining that adrenaline high while exercising can be tricky. So here are 10 ways to possibly attain an adrenaline high by doing something exciting.
Please note that all of the activities listed below are things you can do in Toronto. If it isn't possible to do it in Toronto, I am not listing it.
#1. Axe Throwing
Honestly, this is a really good sport for getting rid of some calories and get rid of some of your aggressive feelings while you are at it too.
In Toronto there are several locations that can help you if you want to try axe throwing:
BATL Axe Throwing | The Home of Axe Throwing
batlgrounds.com
Bad Axe Throwing | Where Axe Throwing Lives
https://badaxethrowing.com
Please note that I have no affiliation with either of these companies. I cannot speak to the quality of their service or safety standards.
#2. Mountain Biking
To do this you will need a mountain bike - preferably a good one, so don't go to any Canadian Tire or a store that doesn't specialize in mountain bikes. Instead go to a store that actually specializes in mountain bikes.
Below is a list of the Top 10 Mountain Bike Stores in Toronto, listed alphabetically:
Broadway Cycle / The Bike Depot
Cyclemotive
Cycle Solutions
D'Ornellas
Dukes Cycle
Gears
Liberty Street Cyclery
Silent Sports
Sporting Life Bikes
Sweet Pete's
#3. Rock Climbing Indoors
With safety harnesses you might not feel that this is too dangerous, but with a healthy fear of heights you will still get a shot of adrenaline. Below is a list of indoor rock climbing gyms in Toronto:
The Rock Oasis
Boulderz Climbing Centre
Joe Rockhead's Indoor Rock Climbing
Toronto Climbing Academy
True North Climbing Inc.
#4. Dancing + Music!
Combine music with dance, and regardless of whether you do this at home or at a dance studio, or at a dance club you can get that extra boost of adrenaline.
#5. LARPing (Live Action Roleplaying)
Okay, hanging out with nerds who fight with sponge swords may sound like over-the-top geek to you, but running around with swords is surprisingly good exercise and really burns a lot of calories in a hurry. There are numerous locations / organizations in the GTA that have LARPing events, usually on weekends. Pick one and get involved.
#6. Archery Tag
Similar to LARPing, Archery Tag offers teenagers and people in their 20s / 30s a chance to run around and shoot their friends with foam tipped arrows. Toronto has multiple locations that offer archery tag. The location I recommend is Battle Sports in North York. See http://battlesports.ca/
#7. Play Zombie Tag
Hire a makeup artist (or a friend who is awesome with makeup) for a day, invite lots of friends to a large park, and then run around and bite your friends. [No actual inviting involved, instead you are supposed to "hug" them without tackling them.]
Toronto also has lots of zombie survivalist groups, the Toronto Zombie Walk, and other events / organizations you can join to meet more people who are interested in zombies.
#8. Parkour and/or Freerunning
Last but not least, Toronto also has various organizations (clubs, schools, etc) devoted to the arts of parkour and freerunning. You can basically just pick one and get into the sport of running, jumping, hurdling over obstacles.
I was hoping to find several locations, but the following was the only one I could find that has its own website.
Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!
