Top 8 Programmer Hobbies

How to Get Started

Here are some great ways to get started with video games:

• Steam: Games galore — check out their sales
• League of Legends: Join the fray and slay dragons — or whatever is in your path
• Hearthstone: Fast-paced card strategy game

Practical First Steps

There are great free games like Team Fortress, League of Legends or Hearthstone that you can get started with. If these are too daunting, you can always start simpler with some fantastic iOS games on this list here.

2) Sports and Exercise

57.9% of survey respondents listed sports and exercise as a hobby. Are you all warmed up and ready to hit the field? Great! :]

Why Do It?

We often associate sports and exercise with looking good or losing weight, but there are tons of benefits beyond these two. Let me share my own story.

Ever since I can remember, I have dealt with anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Trust me, it’s not something I wish upon anyone! I was always told by my my psychologist, doctors, and peers that I should try exercising as it would help me relax, reduce my anxiety when it triggers and make future episodes less intense.

I tried going to a gym; I tried walking, yoga, and swimming but none of those were a good fit for me. I felt quite isolated going to a gym, putting on a pair of headphones and getting on a treadmill. It was also SUPER boring.

Last year, I found a dojo near my house and started doing martial arts. My goal wasn’t to become Mr. Miyagi and judo chop everything in sight! I just wanted to remain fit, meet new people, get out of the house a few days a week and get some exercise to help with my anxiety.

The difference between then and now is like night and day! Not only would I go to a class with extreme anxiety and return much more relaxed (or even completely forgetting about the initial issue), but I would sleep better, feel better and come away with a sense of reward about learning something new or pulling off something I was struggling with in previous classes.

Martial arts worked for me, as had dance lessons before that, but you should definitely try something that interests you. What about rock climbing, running, archery, golf, basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball, swimming, yoga, pilates, and SO much more that I’m probably forgetting about right now?

Ballroom dancing on our wedding day.

Remember you don’t need to have anxiety or depression to try exercise. You will realize lots of other benefits; from the endorphins your body produces, improved sleep, being fitter, and having a sense of well being and accomplishment. You may even shed that extra weight you have been wanting to get rid of for many years. ;]

How to Get Started

There are some great online resources to get you started in fitness:

• Runkeeper: Track your runs on your phone!
• Best iOS Exercise apps from PC Mag: A great list of more apps to get you to stop crushing candy and get moving
• CrossFit: Group-based workouts if you want some external motivation
• Just Dance: An interactive dance app
• Wii Fit: The classic Wii game that makes exercise fun
• Zumba: The shimmying, shaking Latin exercise phemonenon

Practical First Steps

Set an exercise goal that you can achieve three times a week, doing whatever exercise or activity you like. The important thing is to be active, not to do a specific exercise or burn “X” calories.

1) Music

66.7% of survey respondents had this as a hobby. No wonder it looks like so many developers have their iPod earbuds permanently installed! :]

Why Do it?

Unlike other hobbies that need some affinity or skill, everyone likes music even if it’s just listening to music. There are probably special songs that trigger fond memories within you, and all of us have played an air guitar solo or sung in the shower when no one was listening.

Ellen Shapiro (photo by Fuad Kamal)

Music is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can have, whether it’s playing an instrument or simply listening to music. It’s also a hobby that you can mix with pretty much any other on this list. You can be programming, cooking a nice new meal, or exercising while listening to your favorite tunes.

Playing instruments or creating music has also become much easier with technology. Did you know that you can connect your guitar or a MIDI keyboard to your computer and learn how to play either using Garageband? There’s also a game called Rocksmith in which you can plug in an electric guitar or bass and learn to play either from scratch.

If playing an instrument is what you yearn to do, there has never been a better time — and it’s never too late to learn, thanks to technology. If it’s listening to music, then experiment with new artists or genres, or try something different and discover new aspects of world music that you may be missing out on.

How to Get Started

You can either take music lessons from someone local, or use some of these great resources:

• Garageband lessons: Learn to make music on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone
• Rocksmith: Build your guitar chops on your computer or game console
• Sing Star: Take karaoke to the next level, complete with music videos

Practical First Steps

If you’ve ever wanted to play an instrument, try it out with the plethora of tools available. There are guitar tab apps and websites, YouTube tutorials, apps like Garageband or Yousician, or games like Sing Star and Rocksmith. The investment is small, but the reward is huge.

Where to Go From Here?

Finding a new hobby beyond the realm of programming doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating. All you need to do it find what makes you happy, take small steps toward that, and share your new knowledge with the world.