We’re picking the best hobbies for men over 30.
What is a hobby? According to Wikipedia, “A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one’s leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other amusements. Participation in hobbies encourages acquiring substantial skills and knowledge in that area.”
Good. A hobby can be anything that you enjoy. There must be something you like, as we could post a list of 100 hobbies for men here. Maybe we will, but for now, we’ll stick to 22; it should be more than enough.
Related: 10 Best Outdoor Hobbies For Couples
Hobbies for men sound like something from the past. I can’t remember when anyone asked me if I had any hobbies, but that’s bad. We need more hobbies. We need more activity outside the phones, work to-do lists, social media, Netflix, and the rest of the distractions that don’t amount to much. Refrain from spending your precious free time lying on the couch. We need different kinds of distractions to lose ourselves for a moment or two.
Below, we’re focusing on the best hobbies for men over 30. That also means we’ll even include some hobbies for elderly men. Or younger. And men at home. Any of these should kick you out of your comfort zone and into a new rat race. Hopefully, this list of popular mens hobbies will help you turn one of these into an enjoyable pastime and a lifelong passion. Let’s get started.
Pick up a book
Do you like reading? If the answer is yes, you can skip to the next on the list. If the answer is no, what are you waiting for? Reading will expose you to new ideas you never knew were possible. It will allow you to learn about different worlds and cultures. Hell, it will improve you by boosting your empathy and vocabulary. So grab a book and work your mental muscles. There’s nothing manlier than a well-read man. If you’re looking for inspiration, we have prepared the best true crime reads to get you started.
Learn martial arts
Pick up martial arts lessons in the local club and reap the numerous benefits those skills can provide. It’s undoubtedly a more manly man’s hobby. You will gain self-defense skills, improve your mindset, focus, and discipline, and feel like a bigger man. But, of course, you’ll also become a bigger man, literally and figuratively. I like boxing, but make sure to do proper research to know what’s in your alley and interest zone before joining one of the clubs. Hobbies for men at home can at least include shadowboxing if you cannot leave for the gym.
Go work out
Although some would rather be shot than go work out, others genuinely enjoy working out. There are many benefits to working out. You will improve your physique, clear your thoughts, and eliminate all the negative energy building up. If you’re looking to lose weight and improve your mental and physical health, this is it. Mix it up with a nutrition-rich diet and you’re set. These are off the top of my head. This one is one of the most critical hobbies for men over 30, as when you pass 30, your body really starts to age. Check out our BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator and use it to indicate whether you have a healthy body weight for your height. Then, hit the gym for some weights or the pavement for a run.
Become a photographer like everyone else
With today’s resources all over the internet, and the high-performing cameras available on our phones, nothing is stopping us from learning photography. It has always been one of the most popular mens hobbies. Similar to writing, it’s easy to capture the moment (you think) you won’t live through again and leave something behind. Photography, for me, is all about memories and moments, but you can also shoot lovely pictures of woods, seas, people, buildings, or whatever. The sky is the limit, literally.
Build something out of wood
There’s almost nothing you can’t build out of wood, and it’s always nice to make something with your hands. It’s also a beautiful hobby to include family and friends. You can create whatever you want or need with steady hands and a knack for planning. For example, you can build a sink cabinet and kitchen elements at home or make unique wooden fruit bowls that you’ll sell on Etsy. Woodworking is a beautiful hobby with endless options, and you can use sites like Pinterest for inspiration.
Learn to play the guitar
Or whatever other instrument you like. This can also give you much more presence and character. Knowing how to play the guitar will provide you and those around you with years. By the way, girls love a guy who can play the guitar. Especially if you can also sing. Guitars can be inexpensive and have an easy learning curve for beginners. You can find any guitar lesson you want online, so there’s no excuse not to get to it.
Meditate or try Yoga
Yoga or meditation are great ways to help you unwind and relax after a stressful day. It helps reduce anxiety and stress and improve the focus of your mind, mood and health. It can give you a sense of calm, peace, and balance that will benefit your emotional well-being and overall health. Focus on something nice and calming, and keep your inner peace intact. It helped me fight an ugly lifelong nail-biting habit that I managed to stop completely stress-free.
Grow some vegetables
Gardening might be one of the hobbies of elderly men I was talking about. Not that it has to be, but it’s the case with most people I know. As we age, we tend to disassociate from people and connect to nature. At least, that’s the case with most of the people around me I have watched grow old. There’s no manlier image than one of a self-reliant man who works his own land to provide for his family. You don’t need a vast land, but you’ll need at least a small piece in your garden. If you live in an apartment, you can always try growing plants indoors or on the balcony.
As Tony Soprano says in The Sopranos series, “Well, when you’re married, you’ll understand the importance of fresh produce.” Making dinner out of vegetables and spices you’ve grown yourself felt like one of the most significant accomplishments in my life for me. I also had a lot of fun playing around with climate control in my greenhouse to prevent diseases, boost plant growth, and increase the finished product quality. So if not now, give it a try once in your life.
Smoke a cigar
The #1 vice in my life is smoking. I can’t help it, it’s a life pleasure that isn’t safe, but I enjoy it. So if you’re anything like me, you’ll smoke an occasional cigar paired with a nice drink. But, it’s not all about the smoke thought; I’ve become a cigar sommelier of sorts. It’s fun trying to understand how tobacco reacts to heat or humidity and closely following my cigar collections.
See how I said collections, not a collection. Yes, I have one cigar cabinet for small cigars and cigarillos, while another for the larger vitola, premium cigars. I love learning about producing techniques and tasting different brands and varieties they offer. I even got myself beautiful wooden cigar humidor cabinets to keep the cigars fresh and expand my collection. Being a cigar sommelier is one of the best hobbies a man can spend time with.
Take a hike
When you type “popular mens hobbies” into Google, hiking will always be among the first choices. It’s a great way for family and friends to connect, and another way to relax and grab some fresh air. All you need for a good hike are high-quality boots and free time. There are beautiful trails all around, even in the flattest parts of the world. So grab a friend or a partner, find a trail, and connect to nature by exploring the world around you. If you’re on the lazier side, you can always go mountain biking or rock climbing and get a similar effect.
Collect whatever you like
Stamps, bottle caps, rare coins, vintage lighters, renaissance art, old comic books, whatever comes to your mind. Not the same, but I have always collected watches and fancied myself a watch collector. I love watches so much that I even started writing about them. I like to focus and get obsessed with these brilliantly engineered timepieces that someone built by hand. My father has been record collecting and has fancied himself a record collector since he was 16. Collecting was one of the most popular mens hobbies for the previous generations, and not for nothing. Be careful not to get carried away with spending money or getting overly obsessed.
Write, write, write
Writing has always had a therapeutic effect on me and my mindfulness. It helps me get myself together, solve problems and express my thoughts. Grabbing a blank piece of paper and filling it with meaningful words is a personally rewarding experience. No wonder writing and journalism were a hobby of many great men throughout history. I’ve always felt books were a great way to leave something behind for the next generation. So write a book, poem, blog, or at least a haiku. Get those thoughts out of your head. If you want to get serious about it, read our guides on becoming a better writer, improving storytelling techniques, what journaling is good for, and the best way to improve grammar. Writing is a great hobby that will never go out of fashion.
Throw a couple of knives
Throwing knives, hatchets and axes can be a super fun hobby. Pick up the blade of your liking and get to throwing. Test yourself on how long or accurate your throw is. Try to stick the blade into the tree a couple of times in a row. Then increase those numbers. When I was a kid, my grandpa gave me a fishing knife I loved that we used together every day during that summer. When we would get home after a long day of fishing, I would grab the knife and spend a couple more hours practicing my aim. After a couple of weeks, I could hit whatever I wanted, and all of my grandpa’s trees were carved.
Nurture some bees
A couple of weeks ago, I called my friend to hang out. He rejected me, saying, “Me and the uncle are beekeepers now. We got a bunch of bees incoming that we have to take care of, so I can’t go anywhere.” I was stunned. “What, where, how? Bees?” He said they’ve been doing it for some time. Starting from a tiny hive, working their way up to tens of thousands of bees in their possession. Then he told me a bit about bees and how they’re good for us, the 4,500-year-old history of beekeeping originating from Egypt, and how he and his uncle have the plan to make a bunch of honey and sell it all over town. Pay in mind honey prices have jumped over 30% in the past six months.
Catch some fish
You know how they say – give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. The ability to provide your own food and get some fresh air is unmatched with this popular men’s hobby. It’s an iconic man’s hobby, to be exact. You’ll need a decent pole, reel, baits, and a fishing license, and you’re ready to go. I’m sure you’ll get hooked on this hobby (pun intended). Here is a great fishing guide for beginners if you’re not sure what you’re doing.
Cook a nice meal
Cooking is one of those things that will make you feel so proud when you figure out what you can do with your hands and the independence it brings. It’s a genuinely manly survival skill; every man should know how to cook. So save the money, eat healthier and turn it into a family activity. You don’t need convincing, and everything you need to get started you have at your home. So, get to the cooking and prepare a nice meal to give you the energy for the day. You’ve got to eat every day, so why not make it more enjoyable?
Teach yourself a foreign language
Est-ce que tu parles français? Come si dice buona giornata in italiano? 你好，我一個字都不懂. Did you get any of these? How often have you wished you could communicate with someone but couldn’t? For an apparent reason, learning foreign languages is one of the most valuable hobbies for men on this list. If you know more languages, you’ll be able to communicate with more people and get bonus points when traveling. I’ve found it the easiest to learn by listening to foreign music, reading books, and watching movies.
Start blogging
Blogging is another way to expand on the writing hobby. To take your writing further, you can start a blog and try to monetize your content with ads or affiliate programs. If you and your content can bring people to the website, you’ll be able to make some money from it. You can also use it to boost your professional career and network or generate sales leads. No matter the reason, you’ll learn a thing or two about technology and how the internet works. You’ll need to focus on the design, copywriting, SEO, and marketing, and even write some code. It’s a great way to learn how to run a website business and one of my favorite online activities.
Watch some fine movies
Become a cinephile and grow your passion for cinema and anything movie-related. Watching some high-quality flicks can definitely be a hobby and an interest. It’s inexpensive, can become very emotional and moving, and is great for bringing family and friends together. Accomplished movies will broaden your horizons and teach you something new, whether it’s about a person, place, situation, or emotion. On a rewatch, you’ll always see it through a different lens and again learn something new that you missed the first time. It’s a great way to spend your free time. Check our list of the 10 best movies of all time for film ideas.
Learn and play chess
As one of the world’s oldest and most popular board games, it’s a great game to have fun with, and chess can improve your critical thinking. It can help with problem-solving skills, memory, reaction time and concentration. Chess also positively impacts your mental health. No matter how much you think or know about chess, there’s always something new to learn. It’s as complex as it is interesting. If you haven’t already, give it a go. If you don’t know who to play with, download an app such as Lichess (it’s free and my favorite) and start your journey there.
As an alternative, play sudoku
If you’re not a chess fan, or the game is too complicated for your liking, sudoku is a great way to reach the same effect. Sudoku is an excellent game for the whole family that will, at the same time, improve focus and memory and develop brain abilities. So, give it a go. We have written a guide on how to play sudoku that you can check out before diving in. There are even 10 free printable sudoku puzzles to get started. If you’re looking for a card game, or something similar, check out this list of brain games to improve focus and concentration.
Sing your heart out
Do you sing in the shower or sing along to radio hits during the drive to work? Who doesn’t? If you have the voice, let it out. If you already know how to sing, learn to play the guitar to pair it with that angel voice you got. There are many options – pursue a solo career, join a choir, get singing lessons, and/or jump the karaoke bars on the weekends. It’s about having the time of your life and doing stuff that makes you vent and feel better. My mom always said: “It’s not that you don’t sing nice; it’s just hard to listen to you,” If you’re like me, try to be considerate of people around you.
Try Geocaching
This summer is the first time I’ve heard about Geocaching. A friend showed me the mobile app, found some geocache near us, and, as I always loved a good treasure hunt, off we went. Ten minutes later, we found a plastic box with a pen and some German words written in it and 4-5 signatures from the people who had found it before us. We signed our names and returned it to the spot.
The point of the game is that people all around the globe hide objects in various places and post the coordinates for others to find. Indiana Jones die-hard fans like me then go out with their GPS devices (read: phones) and seek those grand treasures. It’s a great way to get out in the open air with friends and family and have fun.
Get a metal detector
Take Geocaching a step further and become a true explorer. Buy a metal detector and find what’s hidden below us. It’s also an excellent way to combine two hobbies – treasure hunting and collecting – who knows what you can find along the way.
In 2021, local West Norfolk metal detectorists found priceless and biggest-to-date Anglo-Saxon treasure consisting of 131 gold coins and four golden objects. So, maybe you’ll end up rich and famous.
Dance the night away
Although I’m not a dancer, I know too many people who love dancing more than anything. It’s easy to start, and many instructional videos are available online for even the most clumsy men. Whatever the genre, you’ll be covered. Learning an exotic dance style is also a fun hobby to share with your partner, using it to deepen your connection and relationship quality. Show us some cha-cha-cha!
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