I ski (although I skipped this past winter and focused on indoor tennis). I also run a fair bit (participate in the occasional race) and do some outdoors stuff like hiking, cycling and rock climbing. I also lift regularly at the gym.
My latest thing though has been yoga. I'm really bad about remembering to stretch (and actually I hate it). But I've been doing yoga for about a year and a half and love it. I can also feel it helping me in all my other activities, because I just feel looser in general and my muscles feel more relaxed. Helps me extend fully on my serve and groundies.
I was thinking of starting fencing. I've taken some lessons in the past, but didn't have time to stick with it. It actually requires a lot of the same skills as tennis--hand-eye coordination; strong quads and ham strings to keep the "knees bent" stance; and strong footwork.
Cool Thread. I snowboard (when I haven't twisted my knee), but I should definitely get back into yoga. I went a few times, Bikrham Yoga too, and just loved it..... It is so relaxing.
Right now, my other love is Texas Hold 'em. I play in a weekly poker tournament among 30 friends - it's all very serious despite the relatively low stakes. I won the tourney for the first time last thursday and got the monkey off my back! Ever since, my tennis has been horrible.
:-)
M
I'm pretty heavily into road biking, which has really helped my stamina. It's not doing enough to help the weight loss though, as my diet sucks. I'm pretty much through with any serious running after doing the AT&T Marathon here in Austin. I ran 17 organized races last year and my knees seriously hate me for it. I also work a very sedentary job and I'm hoping tennis will once again rejuvenate me - it always has in the past.
I love skiing, just not enough hills in Texas - or snow. I make a couple trips to Durango every year and I'm going to try Crested Butte this year.....
Defnitely skiing. All my friends took up snowboarding and I just couldn't make the transition. I actually just started playing tennis again after taking a 10 year break. I took up racing motorcycles in a semi-competitve manner and did that for about 6 years. Among the other hobbies I enjoy are diving, rafting, hiking, airsoft and working on cars.
I don't know if I can ever take up yoga, maybe after I see the new Mike Myers film I'll change my mind. It does seem like I am hearing that more and more people are getting into it. The yoga classes at my local club are packed and all the hot women are there... hmm?
Of all the activities I enjoy doing nothing can top tennisopolis! (free plug-in)
Wakeboarding & the gym, keep me young! Actually do some aerobics weekly to keep my stamina on the court up. It's worked out great. In fact, this past Tuesday I was playing "in the zone". Everything I was hitting was going in even when I was caught out of position. I love it when I play in my "sweet spot"! Do you guys ever have that game where all is perfect and it's like nothing goes wrong?
I've run a couple marathons and several half-marathons and started getting into biking now. Thinking about a tri-athalon in the near future but have to improve my swimming. Yoga is definitely a must... I used to hate stretching too, but there are so many benefits to it: like you said, you feel looser in general. No muscle cramping up on you!
I do sprint distance triathlons. A tennis friend recently turned me on to Ultimate Frisbee. Talk about a workout! It is like football (100 yd field) with a frisbee except it is constant movement until a team scores. Biking, hiking, kayaking all rate up there, too! I'm fortunate to live in Florida where these activities can be done year round.