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Beautiful December

Now, when the garden awaits the return of spring
Now, when the silence is deep and blue
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Beautiful December, Beautiful December

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Would you consider exercise a hobby or a sport?

GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands ModeratorPosts: 10,331 mod
in Hobbies and Sport
I exercise a lot because I am trying to keep my weight down at the moment, but I actually enjoy it. So I am not sure whether I would class swimming, for example, as a hobby or a sport.

What would you do?

How much difference do you think there is between the two? Do you enjoy exercising, or do you just do it because you want to keep a healthy lifestyle going?
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Comments

  • [Ex Member][Ex Member] Posts: 0 ✭✭
    I'm exercising to keep myself healthy..for my opinion i'm consider exercise is a sport..
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    > @shasha said:
    > I'm exercising to keep myself healthy..for my opinion i'm consider exercise is a sport..

    Exercising is great to keep you healthy. So, you do think exercise is a sport. That's interesting. I have decided that I would indeed class my swimming as a sport because I enjoy it and I feel that it is more than just a hobby. I went this morning and got a lot done, which was fantastic!
  • Practical_SeverardPractical_Severard Posts: 2,177 ✭✭✭✭
    > @GemmaRowlands said:
    > How much difference do you think there is between the two?

    A sport is competitve, exercising isn't. It says it all. Doing a sport actually ruins one's health.

    > @shasha said:
    >> I would indeed class my swimming as a sport because I enjoy it and I feel that it is more than just a hobby

    Your swimming is a sport if you do it to win a competition, or, at least, to show better times.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    That's a really good way to think about it, @Practical_Severard I suppose you're right, sports are competitive indeed. I am competitive against myself in swimming, not against anyone else, so I'm not sure if that still counts. But yet, I am always trying to get better times to improve myself and my swimming.
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @Practical_Severard My personal definition: a hobby is an activity I do in my free time, I enjoy it, I do it regularly and I don't earn money with a hobby. From this perspective, I call my track and field experience, with weekly competitions in summer, a hobby.
    If you put it that way, sports can be competitive and at the same time your hobby :)
  • Practical_SeverardPractical_Severard Posts: 2,177 ✭✭✭✭
    > @mcc15 said:
    > Practical_Severard My personal definition: a hobby is an activity I do in my free time, I enjoy it, I do it regularly and I don't earn money with a hobby. From this perspective, I call my track and field experience, with weekly competitions in summer, a hobby.
    > If you put it that way, sports can be competitive and at the same time your hobby :)

    Well, I agree that an activity with amateur competitions may be a hobby. They motivate and are funny. Still, such competitions are so important to some people, that their hobbies as you have defined them: people don't earn their living with them, actually become sports. E.g. the local press reported that a 25 y.o. amateur fitness bikini practitioner had died after an amateur competition. She took some fat-burning chemicals that caused a heart attack.

    Whether fitness bikini is a sport makes up another question: there isn't an objective result like in aforesaid swimming.
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @Practical_Severard I would call that an addiction...

    It really is a fine line and an interesting topic to discuss.
  • RafiaremaRafiarema Posts: 369 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2015
    I never watch an exercise being in any competition. so for me, It's a hobby. probably @@
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    Most things that people do for exercise can be in competitions. For example, I swim and run, both of which can be competitive. Weight lifting can be competitive. Walking can be. Almost everything can be!
  • navidafrasiabiannavidafrasiabian CanadaPosts: 1,363 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think when you do exercise to become fit or improve the level of your health,you feel good and happy because you are trying to help yourself.You are doing something because of yourself and by doing this you show yourself that how much yourself means to you.It is my opinion that exercise makes you more confident and happy no matter why you are doing it and I am sure because I have the experience.
  • RafiaremaRafiarema Posts: 369 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2015
    @GemmaRowlands I agree, everything can become a competition.

    Let me expalin what I meant. When I read a word "exercise", I take that as activity requiring physical effort to improve health and fitness not for competition.

    When I mention word "competition" here, we should use word "training" to express "exercising". hope you understand. I mean no offend.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    Oh you didn't offend me @Rafiarema don't worry. I understand what you mean now that you have explained though, so thank you for that. I think that no matter what you class your exercise as, it is always a good thing because you can get fit and healthy by doing it, which is great.
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 40,941 ✭✭✭✭
    Interestingly I read recently that the game of bridge has not been accepted as a sport and therefore cannot be included in the Olympics. I wonder why I'm not surprised.
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    Same here @mheredge I still can't accept chess as a sport even though it requires a high level of physical fitness for concentration and all that. But that's prejudiced. I've never played chess and I have no idea...
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    It is interesting to talk about the concentration aspect of chess @mcc15 because yes, I agree that you do have to be physically fit to do it, however I do also understand why a lot of people don't accept it as a sport. I guess there are two arguments for everything.
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @GemmaRowlands I don't know if that is the reason why "we" call chess a sport. That's just my personal explanation for this phenomenon :) I think I'll look it up. I'm sure a sports association posted an official statement :D
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @GemmaRowlands I still can't post links but if you are interested: theguardian published an article "Why chess is really an extreme sport" you'll find it when you search for that title. The author gives you an idea why chess is a sport :)
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    Thank you for the title, I will certainly have a good read of the article and see whether I agree with their point of view or not. I am sure that there are some compelling arguments that I am going to enjoy reading. I will go and have a read now and then report back on what I think about it.
  • TeachTeach Your Teacher HomePosts: 10,229 mod
    @mcc15 - you should be able to post the tail end of links, just remove the http:// part. People can fill that in themselves.
    Lynne Hand - Learn English Network
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/16/chess-extreme-sport
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @Lynne :) THANK YOU!!!!
  • aprilapril Moderator Posts: 11,042 mod
    Exercice is a kind of torturing for me.
    I try to do my exercice on the exercice bike at least twice a week, but it's not fun at all. :(
    Like at this very moment; it's my schedule to do it, but I'm trying to find any excuses to escape from it. :)
  • BubblyBubbly Posts: 29,890 ✭✭✭✭
    Yes Gemma. Morning walk for me is a hobby now. I like to walk in the morning because I feel active, fresh, and energetic. :) This is also a secret of my fitness.
  • [Ex Member][Ex Member] Posts: 0 ✭✭
    As like me @Bubbly ..i also walk in the morning everyday .:)
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @april You could try to ride your bike more often instead of taking the car in your daily routine. You can skip your cycling machine sessions at home and it's more fun...
  • aprilapril Moderator Posts: 11,042 mod
    @mcc15 , I normally walk to do my daily routine :) .
    However, walking is not as intensive as exercice bike.
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    @april That's great! Many people wouldn't do that...

    I don't have a car and I have no other choice. But I guess, if I would have a car, I would ride my bike anymore :)
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    I think walking in the morning is great @bubbly but unfortunately I couldn't go out this morning because the weather has been particularly bad for us here recently, with thick fog, so I was unable to see. It wouldn't have been safe. Never mind, maybe I will be able to go tomorrow instead.
  • mcc15mcc15 Posts: 79 ✭✭
    if would have a car, I WOULDN'T ride my bike anymore :)
  • BubblyBubbly Posts: 29,890 ✭✭✭✭
    @GemmaRowlands I can understand it. But, believe me it really works. You will forget all exercises and weight issue. Morning walk also refreshes mind and mood. I feel so active and alert after it. Infact, I feel positive and happy because of morning walk. :)
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