New year, new hobby: 5 ways to find a new sport

Looking for a new sporting hobby to get passionate about can be tricky. There's always a fear that you may overcommit and over-invest in clothing and equipment, before realising it's not for you. 

One way to tackle this is by checking out sports that don't require deep pockets or a big financial commitment to get involved with – only invest in the gear or technical products once you are sure that this is the sport you want to stick to. This can also apply to gym memberships and group classes for your new hobby.

Consider joining virtual workouts, or free trial sessions. It's a great way for first-timers to get involved without committing to anything in the long term. You won't feel nervous trying out something new for the first time in front of people you don't know, and can still receive positive feedback from your coach or instructor.

You could also pick up sports that don't require so much finances if you only practicing it at a beginner level, like running or hiking.

Convenience definitely matters. When it comes to trying new hobbies, a perfectly normal flow of thought would be to check out whatever facilities and sports clubs are available to practice near you – after all, you don't want to waste time travelling only to discover that you don't want to commit to it in the long run!

Noticed that your local park has a football pitch? Or that your neighbourhood has a basketball court? Or that the PCN has a nice route for running? Find a friend or two and start playing or going the distance together. 

You may already be closer to your new hobby than you initially thought.

If you've already attained a good level of health and fitness but are just craving some new, many sporting experts believe that making the transition to another similar sport isn't as difficult as some may think.

It makes sense – you've already developed a good foundation for a certain type of fitness or muscle group. This also applies to your movement patterns, which are believed to be similar across a wide range of sporting pursuits, meaning you'll already have an edge over other first-timers.

Of course, don't expect yourself to immediately be a pro at your new hobby – there will still be areas you'll need to learn and adapt to improve for, but that's the fun part right?

Here are a few sports and their spin-offs for some inspiration:

- Walking: Hiking, Nordic walking, Geocaching
- Running: Trail running, Duathlon, Triathlon
- Gym/Fitness: Cross-training, Pilates, Yoga
- Badminton: Tennis, Table tennis, Squash
- Boxing: Kickboxing, Judo, Karate, MMA, Jiu-jitsu
- Skateboarding: Surfing, Wakeboarding, Waveboarding
- Ice-skating: Rollerblading
- Kayaking: Canoeing, SUP
- Basketball: Netball, Volleyball

These aren't hard and fast rules, and can also work vice versa.