For men in their 20s, the whole world is open to explore and enjoy. You have youth and energy on your side. Technology provides so many opportunities for your career and leisure time. You probably don’t have too many obligations outside of work. It truly is the best time to be a little “selfish” and enjoy your life. Hobbies for men in their 20s can enhance this enjoyment and teach valuable lessons that will serve you well as you get older.
When thinking of hobbies, it’s best to focus on something active or productive instead of falling into the typical consumerist and passive traps like everyone else.
For instance, it’s fine to follow a sports team and appreciate the skill and athleticism of high level athletes. Watching 20 hours of football every weekend drinking beer as your happiness is determined by your fantasy team, however, will waste the peak years of your life.
The same principle applies to consumerist pursuits. You can find more fulfilling ways to develop yourself as a modern gentleman than being a “foodie”, or watching every Netflix series, or playing video games for hours. These can be good ways to unwind from time to time, but when you consider them as personality traits, you will quickly become a boring, one-dimensional man. And no one, especially quality women, will ever find this exciting.
I don’t denigrate these activities to make anyone feel bad. Being a gentleman requires constant development. And the right hobbies can bring about this development AND provide a fun, fulfilling, productive outlet and escape from the obligations of your life.
Below are some fun, challenging, and active hobbies to take advantage of the peak physical years of your life.
- Hiking/Camping
- Traditional Sports
- Extreme Sports
- Building Stuff
- Cooking
- Writing
Hiking/Camping
We all probably need to get outside more. Getting outdoors more often reaps numerous physical and mental health benefits. Hiking and camping are great ways to explore and appreciate the natural beauty of the world. It’s especially beneficial to those who work indoors most of the week.
Aside from basic equipment, hiking is free, and you can find trails almost everywhere. Camping requires a little more equipment, but you can use it for a long time if you enjoy it.
Hiking and camping with friends can lead to great bonding experiences, whether it’s with a group of other men, your significant other, or a mixed group of friends. And it’s a hobby you can take with your for the rest of your life.
Traditional sports
Did you play a sport growing up? Maybe you got burned out, or weren’t great at it but loved playing. Or maybe you think trying a new sport would be cool. Your 20s are a great time to pick up or rediscover your love for a sport, as your body is still capable of picking back up an old skill or learning a new one.
Depending on where you live, there’s likely a group or league in your sport that’s perfect for the level of seriousness and skill you’re looking for.
There are obvious physical benefits to playing sports regularly, and it can benefit your mental health too. Men need competition, even the friendly type, to bring out the best in themselves. It can also be a great way to meet new people.
Basketball, softball, kickball, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis, pickleball, flag football, biking… take your pick. Most of these are fairly inexpensive (except golf and maybe biking), so trying out a few things presents very little downside.
Extreme sports
Some of you may need a little more action or adrenaline in your lives. Picking up an extreme sport as a hobby is the perfect way to scratch this itch. Your 20s are the best time to learn an extreme sport, as your body will still be able to pick up the nuances of these types of activities with less risk of serious injury.
The possibilities are endless in this category. Surfing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking, combat sports (kickboxing, boxing, MMA, etc…), etc… The rush and adrenaline of seeking and overcoming extreme challenges will benefit most men who have become accustomed to an easy life.
These sports can get expensive, so if you’re on a tight budget it’s usually best to try these out with friends first before committing. You can pick up many great hobbies for men in their 20s by exploring extreme sports.
Building stuff
Men tend to enjoy building things. It brings out their creativity and hones their natural instinct to build.
This broad category can include building a variety of things – wooden furniture, a canoe, a side business, a website, a computer program or app, leather goods, fixing old cars or bikes, fixing appliances… the list of things to build does not end.
If don’t know where to start, search youtube. Someone has created an instructional video for every type of building hobby you can imagine. Find something you’re interested in and get going. Building a something like a business might be a little more complex, but getting your hands dirty and figuring it out is the best way to learn.
Your 20s are a great time for these types of hobbies, because while they can be time-consuming, the upside of finding something you love that could also be profitable can really pay off. And there’s very little downside at this time in your life.
Cooking
Part hobby, part survival skill. Cooking your own food is better for your health, easier on your wallet, and can bring out creativity you didn’t know you had. It’s also an easy way to impress a woman.
You don’t need to learn complicated recipes or buy any fancy equipment at first. Get the basics (a couple good pots and pans, a good chef’s knife, and a cutting board) and master a few simple recipes that you love. It really is much easier than it looks, and once you learn this skill it will pay off forever.
Writing
The easiest hobby to pick up on this list, and one that focuses primarily on exercising your mind. It could be a personal journal, or a blog, or trying to get something published. Any sort of writing will improve your self-expression, creativity, thought process, verbal clarity, critical thinking, and reduce stress. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from improving in these areas.
The best part about these examples of hobbies for men in their 20s – if you don’t like them, you don’t have to keep doing them! But if you can try out a few new things when you are young, when you do find something you like, you have your whole life to develop this interest.
