1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed.
2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's physically possible to go climbing now without definitely getting fired, you're going.
3. It's measurable, so it presses the "leveling up" buttons that seem to be hard-wired into dev types. You'll spend years stuck at V6, grinding 4 nights a week in the gym, loving every minute of it in the hope of one day advancing to V7.
4. It gets you traveling. Sure, there's enough rock around town to keep you going on the weekends, and there's some good areas that you can hit for a weekend roadtrip (which by the way will be where you spend every single weekend from here on out). But all the best rock is halfway around the world. You'll save up to spend a winter on the beach in Thailand, summer roadtripping across Europe, and if you ever end up in Paris on business you'll look me up in Fontainebleau and I'll take you out for the single best day of bouldering in your life here in the forest.
Head down to the climbing gym tonight. It'll ruin your life. In a good way.
As to climbing outside, rock shoes cost $150 and the internet will tell you everything you need about where to go and how to do it.
Seems like your body'd be your own worst enemy in that situation.
It's a lot harder when overweight. I haven't progressed as fast as everyone around me, and it is frustrating watching people who aren't overweight climb for the first time because they typically can do things I can't. It's also extremely fun and addicting, and everyone that climbs at my gym tends to be supportive and not at all judgemental.
Source: I've been climbing for 6 years
Like many devs, my jobs and most of my hobbies tend to be very cerebral, and I spend almost all of my time deep inside my own head. I think living this way contributes to feeling disconnected from the world and ultimately anxiety.
Rock climbing is extremely grounding, even compared to other sports. You have to use all of your muscles, and pay careful attention to what your hands are doing. You feel the weight of gravity and the stress of being in a high place, and then this wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you reach the top.
Nothing puts you in the 'now' like climbing. It's like the perfect therapy for spacey people.
Hahaha, it's like this with every outdoor sport I can think of: Climbing, surfing, hang-gliding, mountain biking. When something is crazy fun to do and gives you that adrenaline boost/endorphin rush/seratonin spike, work can wait... as long as you're not getting fired, life is good :P
Also, the core strength developed when climbing supports good posture by makes it much easier to sit or stand up straight for long periods. Not sure
I used to be decidedly concave when I was only climbing. Now I'm roughly planar, varying slightly over the year depending on the current proportions of climbing to surfing.
That's just a general rule though. If you hang from your shoulders but let your shoulders go, instead of pulling them back (which builds back muscles), I can imagine a slouched look developing. But if you pull back your shoulders it'll have the opposite effect, building muscle that improves your form.
I guess at the end of the day you have to focus on the sport you love, and do correcting exercises to keep your body in balance on the side. Most sports have lots of repetition on key moves and they lead to all kinds of issues, so I'd argue this is true for any sport.
It's not a problem for most people. Most people get a lot of benefit for their posture from climbing.
Crazy fun and a super workout.
And yes, if you find a rose during your walk, you can stop and smell it.
Where I live, there is no real sense of community, people just live in their houses without really speaking with their neighbors, but when we are walking, people seem to break out of their shell.
I guess I'd say "cool" is in the eye of the beholder, but here is what I really enjoy about it:
- It reduces my dependence on mainstream living.
- It increases my ability to live sustainably.
- It reduces my cost of living immensely which frees up my income for more interesting projects.
- It's incredibly cheap to get into, it costs next to nothing for seeds for a few plants to start small and a handful of chickens cost about $10 each, $30 will buy you a bag of seed that will last months. You can get a reasonably decent chicken coop/hen house for $300(ish). In return: They give you free eggs every day; they'll eat all the bugs eggs and bugs you give them access to; chicken poop is fantastic fertilizer for your lawn/plants. So you only really need to spend what you want to spend. Aside from the cost of the coop, 3 chickens will pay for themselves inside of a month - depending on how many eggs you eat, our 3 hens give us enough eggs that nobody in our extended family needs to buy eggs. We give most of them away and still have enough left for baking and Sunday brunch.
- It helps reinforce my inner MacGyver... which was already strong to begin with.
- It allows me to connect with nature and nurture something that makes a tangible difference in the world. Something we all live for.
- Having animals, plants and trees around you gives you a sense of peace and well-being that can only be purchased by many thousands of dollars in therapy.
- It gives you as much exercise as going to the gym.
- It's immensely satisfying watching it all come together.
- It's the only thing I've found that constantly engages me in the same way programming does. There's always a problem to be solved and there's always many interesting ways to solve it.
- It's nowhere near as much work as everyone said it would be, and the work there is feels like it has real value.
- I get to drive a tractor... albeit a miniature one :P
I was done with all the crap that comes with city living. The kids spend their entire time on a tight reign, they can't just run around and be kids without a constant fear of the neighbours complaining/judging about their noise/behaviour. You have to follow a metric ton of rules that come with living in close proximity to a million other people that nobody who lives in the country cares about.
Most of all, the tranquility of effectively having a campsite literally in your back yard is amazing... and you can see the stars.
My commute to my real job is now an hour and a half instead of just 30 minutes, but I wouldn't trade it to come back to the city.
We've been blogging about our transition at http://ourcrazyhomestead.life/
As they say, sometimes you have to follow the dream and make everything else unfold the way it needs to in order for that dream to transpire.
Race weekend coming up, today is a practice day at the track ;)
Building electronics, studying computer engineering, physics, mathematics, in addition to computer science, programming, logic, formal languages, various theories of philosophy, psychology, cognitive science - this is because I usually feel like I am drowning in information, so I study, refine, simplify, and create strong associations in my mind of core concepts that I discover through carefully and tenderly planned activities of observation and thought. I do not care if they are linguistically inexpressible, it's like finding the perfect models for every field, that build the foundation and explain the creation of all the other things (or are capable of being questioned, elaborated on, relabeled or categorized, or destroyed, depending on whether they retain their truth characteristics).
Zen Buddhism - for when I repeatedly hit the same vague mental wall that the above procedure constructs. I can't prove that it exists or why, but I know it exists and it bothers me, sometimes.
My dov tails still suck though so I may be off.
I grew up watching Norm Abram as a kid. Watching something come to life is so rewarding. Failing however is very painful (possibly expensive) as you can't take back cuts!
I'd suggest watching some Paul Sellers videos, hand tool oriented: https://www.youtube.com/user/PaulSellersWoodwork
Power tools are nice, and I have acquired plenty over the years, but if you aren't in some kinda shop just cranking out pieces for customers the hand tool way is very rewarding (and challenging)
Also like programming, you can always improve and learn more
As others have mentioned, I suggest picking a project and going for it. Woodworking for Mere Mortals is a great source of introductory projects you can start building with limited power tools and experience, to get a taste. If you enjoy it, the next thing you know you'll be buying antique tools on ebay, pre-ordering Lost Art Press books and arguing about sharpening methods or bevel up vs bevel down. Or, you'll be happily creating things out of pallet wood using a jigsaw and orbital sander. The craft is very wide and very deep and I make no value judgement on how people enjoy it, I'm just happy to see people building things themselves.
If you don't have any space or tools, seek out a MakerSpace. I'm a member of my local one here in New Haven, solely for the community as I have my own "shop". It would be a great source of tools and help if I were just starting out.
There's something very significant and special to me about the idea that pieces of wood cut in certain shapes can measure time as accurately as a computer. Ok, not even close to "as" accurately, but +/- a few seconds in a 24 hour period is close enough for me.
Numismatics - Expensive as hell, but can be done on a cheaper scale. I started out broad and have narrowed my focus to Mexican coinage of the first and second republic from a specific mint. The research into it may eventually lead to a book, as virtually no reference material exists at the moment. There is something pretty cool in holding a coin that is a few hundred years old and imagining who held it, the stories it could tell, and viewing the art associated with it.
Crossfit / Olympic Lifting. I started Crossfit, I found I enjoyed it but really sucked at the olympic lifting. Then my box started a class specific on the fundamentals of olympic lifting, now I'm hooked on both. It's good to get out from behind the desk, move and jump and lift. It can be bad though, I've seen bad boxes where one can hurt themselves easily. It really comes down to the coaches and you making smart decisions.
Finally Wood working - I love creating furniture most of all and am at the point where my extended family have started asking me to make furniture pieces for them. There is something about starting out with several pieces of wood and ending up with a finished product that you've made with your own hands... Although I can point out every flaw in every piece I've ever created!
Calligraphy - Cheap to get in. Bought a parallel pen for something like $11 and some Claire Fontaine paper and started learning. It's very much a hobby that you get out what you put in. No artistic ability required, and it's very impressive to others. Rewarding when you see how pretty the letters you've created are.
Programming - I'm paid to write code, but I also do it for fun. I try to be creative with my projects and work on something random but still useful and challenging.
EDIT: sorry, I don't know why my answer was posted multiple times.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014240527023039497045794613...
Blacksmithing is cool because with enough experience, materials, a hammer, and an anvil, they can make basically all the tools they need for a huge number of projects. I've made gardening tools, bird feeder hangers, fireplace pokers, and some other miscellaneous tools. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to learn about propane burner design. Fun stuff!
Woodworking is nice because it's incredibly practical. Being able to make your own furniture (that doesn't look/feel terrible) is a great feeling.
Both blacksmithing and woodworking have low cost and experience barriers to entry, although woodworking is the cheaper/easier of the two to start with. Additionally, they both are moderately physical activities.
I feel like the motivation for doing both of these is the same as why I took up programming.
You will need a heat source, something to use as an anvil, a hammer, and some iron.
Trying to figure out how to get an anvil was a hard thing for me when I started. Anvils aren't cheap in the first place, and shipping is usually a pain. Fortunately, you can actually try out a lot of smithing projects without even getting a proper anvil. You just need something heavy with a good striking surface to work on at first. I got my hands on a 12 inch diameter, 10 inch tall steel cylinder which worked just dandy for the things I did. I'd talk with some people in some machine shops or scrap yards to see if they have any large hunks of steel. Also, if you know anyone who is into metal sculptures, see if they could help you out (that's what I did).
The source of heat is something I spent a while trying to get right. I tried charcoal for a while, but then switched to using propane burners and loved it.
Charcoal is nice because it's a lot less intimidating, is easier to work with, and it's easier to achieve higher temperatures with it for if you want to do experiments with melting stuff, so I recommend starting with it. To hold the charcoal, you'll need a fire pot. A fire pot is just a thing to hold your fire and provide airflow as needed. You can get by with a hole in the ground when you're just trying some things out, but making some fireclay bricks is the way to go. I don't remember what recipe I used to make my bricks originally, but it wasn't hard and was super cheap. I used a 120 mm case fan hooked up to a pipe that went under the fire pot to act as a bellows.
Alternatively, propane burners are great, the fuel is cheap and doesn't get you covered in black dust, are surprisingly simple to make, and produce a really satisfying roar when used. I followed a design by Rob Reil https://www.abana.org/ronreil/design1.shtml (all blacksmith sites are ugly). You'll need multiple burners in order to reach a good temperature, but they're cheap to make.
As for the hammer, a standard 25 oz ball-peen hammer from any hardware store will work fine to start with.
You can get scrap iron to play around with at first really easily. I made some of my first stuff out of some angle iron from an old bed frame. Good steel stock costs a lot, but you won't need that for a long time, so just make do with stuff from scrap yards and stuff.
I've watched a ton of videos on repairs and maintenance and modifications etc. I can't imagine really enjoying it that much if that element is removed.
Beyond that I'd be pretty scared of riding a lot. Does anyone have some statistics on this? I always had the impression that even if you ride perfectly, you're vulnerable to other people's mistakes. Bf of a friend of mine got killed that way.
As for risk, there's the HURT report in the US that came out in the 80s but nothing nearly as comprehensive has been done recently. I just make sure to always wear All the Gear, All the Time (ATTGATT), and always ride sober. Even one drink is pretty noticeable. So there's ways to substantially reduce the risk.
So far as being vulnerable - yes you are. This is something you have to come to terms with, there are many biker safety courses out there designed to make you a better rider, police riding courses are very good, and so are some advanced ones - they'll teach you how to ride defensively, how to read the road as best as possible, danger assessment etc. That said, there is always a chance something out of your control could happen to you, but the same could be said for walking out of your house every day, we do what we enjoy because we enjoy it - you must assess the risk vs reward and decide if it is for you.
My advice? If you honestly have an interest, try a beginners course, even if you don't initially intend on getting a motorcycle it will give you a little taste of what it is like and let you make a slightly more informed decision.
Why: 'When there is a humanitarian crisis, such as the Nepal earthquake, OpenStreetMap (OSM) volunteers from around the world rapidly digitize satellite imagery to provide maps and data to support humanitarian organizations deployed to the affected countries.'
see other info + "How To Get Involved" :http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/2015_Nepal_earthquake
---
"The Internet Mapmakers Helping Nepal"
How "crisis mappers" activate after a catastrophe
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/05/the-ma...
---
"How hundreds of volunteer mappers are helping to keep Nepal earthquake aid from getting lost"
http://scroll.in/article/724301/how-hundreds-of-volunteer-ma...
If you're interested, start by reading Robert J. Lang http://www.langorigami.com/ and Erik Demaine http://erikdemaine.org/.
Origami Design Secret is the best introduction on modern techniques: http://www.amazon.com/Origami-Design-Secrets-Mathematical-Me...
I also read a lot. It's not cool yet, but it will be if I get to read 100+ non-fiction books in one year. That's my goal for 2015.
Its very humbling to know that we're nothing but a tiny speck on the Universe, and there's gazillions of stars, galaxies and most probably life doing the same things that we do, and thats cool. Go figure.
It is a great way to burn calories, and gives me something to focus on/analyze and get better at. Using a body bug to track calories expended, I can burn ~4000 calories during a 2 hour session. It is a lot of fun, and you meet people from a LOT of different cultures. It is very international.
If you are in/near Des Moines, Iowa, check out http://dsmtt.org for the local details.
Also, check out http://pingskills.com for REALLY excellent videos that show you how to improve your game.
It's also possible to achieve great results because your process can be really close to a professional one at a much smaller scale, plus it's easy to have access to the same ingredient diversity and quality as any microbrewery.
It's a great hobby overall but it's best to pair it with another one where you move. :)
My goal, when starting up again, is to brew English style real-ales, cask-conditioned and everything. There is nowhere around where I live (Minneapolis, MN) that I can get anything like the real thing. I love when I have the opportunity to go to the UK and try the good, local (not the big breweries like Fuller's, I'm talking smaller breweries like Hogsback or even smaller) brews that are kept well by knowing pub-keeps.
Recently, I decided to get into beer brewing. I made one batch so far from a kind of "just add water" beer sludge that you can buy in a can. It's drinkable. I'm looking forward to trying my next batch completely from grains and hopefully making some proper beer.
Good luck with the beer. Its all good; never mind what's 'real' brewing and what isn't; only thing that matters is what you like.
As for the beer, I definitely do go by taste. The stuff from the can just didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. It should also be more fun to do everything form scratch, which is probably the most important aspect of having a hobby in the first place.
I tend to disagree with this. I did 10 years of judo, and 10 years of striking sport (in particular muay thai), and I think injuries are more common in judo. Conversely, striking sports aren't necessarily violent. Sparring can be done in a non-violent manner. And it's highly technical as well.
Triathlon - Obviously a great source of exercise. Teaches you to expand yourself (time, goals, etc.) because you have to train for swimming, biking and running. Races are competitive, but the racers are also very friendly (perks of a somewhat niche sport). And then of course it's always a wow factor among others since races last from 15 miles ("sprints") to 140 miles (Ironman).
As a nerd, I love analyzing my rides. I collect data on the power I deliver to the pedal, my heart rate, and precise GPS data. Everything connects to your phone or cyclocomputer via Bluetooth/ANT+. Services like Strava make it easy to compare your performance to those that you rode with and others that have ridden the same segments. It's just fun!
If you want a good excuse to immerse yourself in nature, understand some living systems, and catch a fish (to release it), pick up Fly Fishing... It changed my life.
Wild fish, certainly you should limit how many fish you take. In stocked waters, it doesn't matter so much. In fact on the ticket they stipulate how many fish you should take with you.
Farming, where I grow my own vegetables in a small garden I have in the back of my vacation’s house. I have the opportunity to eat organic vegetables but the real benefit is that I’m exposed to nature and that has a soothing effect in my mind. I also have a small winery where I produce my own wine.
I don’t know if this would apply as a hobby but I also like taking long walks, usually in the city. Although modern cities aren’t too friendly for long walks it’s an opportunity to discover new places and see new things.
Contemporary art. I’m not much of a painter, although I’ve tried it, but I watch the scene closely and like massage it helps calm my mind. The good thing about contemporary art is that it’s pretty much experimental so there are literally hundreds of different venues artists choose to express themselves and that makes it too interesting for me.
And, finally, of course reading. I like historical novels, sci-fi (I doubt there is anyone in here who doesn’t like sci-fi), and mystery novels.
[1] Here's one example of a good massage channel I've found: https://www.youtube.com/user/psychetruth
I've also picked up photography. I don't like sports but I don't mind walking, so it's a great way to actually go outside instead of sitting at my desk all day. On the downside it is pretty addictive and can quickly become very expensive.
* Theology: an old but good library or framework for thinking about morals and a good life
* Cosmology: i want to know where I am and how this universe works
* Transpersonal psychology (not ken wilber) & mindfulness: pychological development doesn't stop at 18, it's a lifelong process - I am interested in the dynamics
* Toying with VR: ever since I read snow crash, i was busy with building 3D stuff, first with Wicked3D shutter glasses and large CRT's and Unreal level building, later with Z800 and OpenSim, now with Google VR and a Samsung Note - getting smaller and better.
* Nordic LARP, better then VR!
* Maintaining a local online discussion group between jews, muslims and christians: hard work...
* Working out with Ingress and Zombies Run: I feel exercise has to be meaningful, gamify
* Attending psytrance gatherings, good workout for body and spirit
Both skydiving and juggling fulfill my enjoyment of teaching my body to do complex things and both reward me with easily being able to "get in the zone". Both relax me greatly too.
My little tech projects are very enjoyable while I'm working on them and very rewarding when I put something together that me and my family use every day.
The online multiplayer driving sim is similar in that it has a ridiculously long learning curve (which attracts me about so many things I've done in my life). It also fills my need for competition. For the last 20 years, since I was 16, I've used competitive gaming as an outlet for my competitive streak. Beginning with FPS games (the Quake series in particular) and then Starcraft 2 and now iRacing.
I treat Civ 5 like modern chess and use it to fill hours of spare time.
I've been practicing martial arts since I'm 7 (notably judo, and then karate). My favorite one is thai boxing. Some pros and cons. + a very intense, fun and rewarding workout + makes you fit while having fun + very technical and beautiful sport + social activity, good way to make friends + opportunity to train in Thailand for a few months - hard on the body past a certain age, the competitive and "pushing" atmosphere doesn't help. - can be violent, but doesn't have to be.
Other hobby, playing the guitar. I've been playing for 20 years, and I practice about 10 hours a week. Some pros and cons. + it's a lifelong activity. There's always something to learn. I don't think I'll ever get bored of playing music. + It's both a physical and intellectual activity + You get to play the music that you like, very satisfying and rewarding - it can be extremely time-consuming - can be very frustrating, esp. when you don't have innate musical abilities. Progress may be slow. You may struggle all your life for things that other have naturally (like sense of rhythm, a good ear).
Snowboarding. I was very passionate (I snowboarded about 40 days a year). But eventually I got bored. Pros and cons: + awesome sensations + quite easy to improve + beautiful sceneries - need to live near a mountain, and drive there. - strain on the body - it can get boring by yourself - it takes pretty much the whole day
Swimming: + "soft" sport that you can practice at any age (esp. after your body is used by all the other activities!) + technical, so lot of room for improvement. + 4 different strokes, so many techniques to work on. + relax, but not really "fun". Even boring at times. - not a social activity. I'm in a swimming club, and people barely talk to each other. We just swim and that's it. - can be boring
Other activities that I like to a lesser extent. Running, climbing, mountain hiking. Programming, but more a professional activity now than a hobby.
Ham radio can be combined with other activities. There is a thing called SOTA (Summit On The Air), for instance, that combines hiking and mountain climbing with radio. You earn points by reaching peaks listed in their database and setting up a portable radio and making contact.
There are quite a few ham radio hobbyists on HN. Many checked in on this discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9445123
Any who were left out, reply and check in here.
Music composition. I have a nice little midi setup. A full sized synth, a 25-key controller, a launchpad controller with external track controls, and a special device that allows me to connect a tablet and a smartphone to use as additional controllers or sound devices. Ableton Live and Finale. Lately I've been composing music for weddings, but also dipping my toes into electronica and ambient. I'm an old hand at Finale, still new to Ableton.
As for your stereotype, it really depends on the gym. I'd say if you're looking to do mixed martial arts of boxing, the probability of finding a meathead-alpha-gym will be higher, but there are MMA and boxing gyms that are also laid back. So in a nutshell, you really have to take it on a gym-by-gym basis. If you're looking at getting into MA, find a place close to you, and sit in and observe a few classes before giving it a try, and be aware of the vibes you get from it. If you get a decent feeling about the place, see if you can try a lesson or two for free, to see if it's for you. Repeat this process for other gyms and soon you'll find the one for you :-)
Because you can start them without leaving the house and I have always been a little bit awkward in social situations.
They are cool because they have a huge variety. No game is the same, there is plenty of software that can be developed and an abundance of songs that can be played. Also I can create my own songs and games if I like to.
After I became better with the outside world I started stuff like swimming, and biking. They are a bit limited in their variety, but swimming is in the water, which is good when getting heat-up while doing physically demanding stuff and biking is a rather practical thing I can do on a everyday basis to get from A to B and also for leisure in the wild.
Why is it cool? The little 18 pound canoes are amazing on calm lakes.
[1] http://www.microtek-inc.com/canoe/canoe.htm [2] http://www.hornbeckboats.com/index.php
* crazy addictive. If you can go you will
* a decent workout. If I'm in a course or trying, even run is like a sprint
* allows you to connect with others -- you can ride the chair up together!
But unfortunately it's really expensive after you've been in for a while.
Programming - Making things Im proud of.
It's cool because:
1) Being strong is an awesome thing to be. It's like a secret superpower when you can lift heavier stuff than other people.
2) It's objective. The weights I am moving either get heavier, or they don't.
3) It has loads of health benefits, especially as I am 44 next month and stuff is starting to go south. Strength training prevents muscle loss and strengthens my bones.
4) I go at lunchtime, so it gives me a slice of "alone-time" in the middle of the day where I can reflect on things. I get some of best work ideas in the gym.
Why do I still enjoy programming after doing it for a whole day? I like to be creative, and working for someone limits my creativity. Programming for myself allows me to create projects in a complete different way.
Cub scout leader for boys aged 7-11.
But between work and family time, I rarely do those. When ever I do spend time on myself, always nag myself about not spending time with the kids.
It was fun because, it's nerdy, it's outside, you meet people from all around the world and all around society, they are fast.
i started about 3 years ago when i was already past 30, so i'm one of the new crop of "old newbies" that emerged with the recent crossfit craze (never tried that though). i'm not especially strong and i probably won't ever get near where my 20 year old colleagues are, but i don't care much about that. i train 3 to 4 times a week for about 2 to 3 hours.
why do i do it: the physical exertion really helps me relax after a day of sitting and intense, concentrated work in front of the screen. it also prevents my posture from getting worse by strengthening my back muscles and really, really hammering correct posture into my daily routine. the increased strength and muscle mass helps preventing every day injuries and - well, this is an investment in the far future - age related maladies like osteoporosis or mobility problems. of course i also like the body that comes with it (not all weightlifters are overweight - to the contrary).
furthermore an intense training session really improves my mood. no matter how grumpy, tired and powerless i feel, the more i actually want to work out, even if i'm not in the mood for it - because i know i'll feel a lot better afterwards.
why weightlifting is cool: lets be honest - being able to push more than your bodyweight in iron over your head is kind of cool. looking good naked doesn't hurt either. the risk of injury is comparably low - it's actually one of the sports with the lowest risk of injury for several reasons:
* it's single player. you don't get tackled or rushed or injured by others (whether on purpose or by accident). you're in control. if you get hurt, it's almost always your own fault due to not being being careful.
* you don't twist around, so the risk of tearing your ligaments is low.
* it's an extremely technical sport; it takes years to perfect your technique. better technique leads to more weight lifted, even if your bodily strength didn't improve that much. with good technique, the risk of injury is low. without good technique, you aren't able to lift a lot of weight. it's practically self regulating. and usually you train with a trainer who corrects your form. even fitness training in a gym is more dangerous. of course, injuries do happen occasionally and you're rarely completely without pain - something always hurts, even if it's only sore muscles.
downsides of weightlifting:
you do need specialised equipment; a platform and standard gym bars don't cut it either. without a weightlifting club nearby you're probably out of luck.
due to the lack of lifters i do have to compete for my club (where i train), whether i want it or not (except for reasons, of course - injury, exams, family, vacation, ...). that means every couple of weeks a whole saturday is practically lost for prep and the competition (doesn't bother me much, i kind of like competing even though i'm always overly nervous). also athletes at our club are paid an allowance for competing (for the time invested), so the club membership fee for the year is actually negative.
- Exercise: Running and bodyweight strength training are free (minus clothing), and can be done more or less anywhere. They yield clear results as you get in better shape, and can be really fun when combined with music that pumps you up, letting it drive you towards runner's high. Some take this further than others [0].
- Music: Listening to a variety of music, as well as performing (preferrably multiple instruments) gives you a greater understanding of what is going on and why it works, though practice can be very time-consuming - but ultimately worth it. There are, for instance, very few things in my life that I remember as equally rewarding as trying to learn Metallica records by ear in my early teens. As your technical proficiency and understanding improves, you may gain an interest in complex and/or obscure and/or straight up weird music. Some take this further than others [1]. In addition, experimenting with recording and manipulating/mixing/mastering will give you an understanding of the production-side as well. Knowledge of both performance and production will affect the way you hear recorded music, ideally culminating in an approximate understanding of how the different sounds were made and molded. Combining writing, performing, recording and manipulating - making a piece of recorded music entirely by yourself - can be pretty difficult, but also extremely gratifying.
- Reading literature: A great way to go on an adventure, relate to someone, or see things from someone else's perspective. For instance, I've learned things from being exposed to opinions that I didn't necessarily agree with, like Philip K. Dick's views on abortion, Dostoyevsky's orthodoxy, and various positions of the oft-misunderstood/misconstrued Nietzsche. There are some really great books out there dealing with everything between ordinary people in ordinary circumstances and extraordinary supermen in cooky sci-fi universes. Some take this further than others [2].
- Programming: Picking up and learning some new language or piece of technology can often be rewarding in and of itself, and lead to an added perspective in future tasks. Additionally, programming has the advantage of often giving (more or less) clear feedback. As I'm sure we can all agree upon, no one has ever gone off the deep end with regard to programming.
[0]: https://youtu.be/hKrg_ei96xk?t=88
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4rqXqpLCZ0
[2]: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ayn-Rand/e/B000APYGIW/ref=dp_byline_...