Taking up a hobby as an adult that is traditionally started as a child?

Has anyone done this?

I need a hobby. The last of my hobbies I gave away just before I got pregnant with DS, (I was ready to give them away and not ready to go back right now) and I'm now finding that I've lost myself. All I am is Mum at home and then employee at work and I have nothing that is just mine, just for me without interruptions.

I do like crafty things, but with limited space and two small children around I just can't give it the attention I want to. And it also means constant interruptions because I'm there.

So I would like to find something that a) gets me out of the house and b) is appointment based so that I have to go and not procrastinate or get distracted.

So, two ideas - one is horseriding and the other is dancing (probably tap). I have tried picking up dancing before but found that even though I was in a beginners class, the rest of the class were people that learnt as a child and are now basically just refreshing. I'm an absolute beginner and so found i got left behind right from the start which disappointed and frustrated me. The only way around this is private lessons.

And horseriding, well, everything I find is based around the idea that I am researching somewhere for my child to go. There doesn't seem to be much for total beginner adults. I don't just want to go on trail rides, I want to learn. Again I think private lessons will be an option, but it gets kind of exxy if kept up long-term.

Has anyone else done this sort of thing? Can you tell me your experiences?

Has anyone got any other ideas? Please don't suggest local short courses, I've looked in to them and there isn't anything that particularly interests me around my area. But I am open to other suggestions!

Where are you? My sister does adult ballet classes in Vermont.

do you live in melbourne? i know of somewhere that does great adult riding lessons- group ones

I am in Melbourne - NE Suburbs. Vermont isn't too far....

LC - Was she an absolute beginner in ballet?

She did some as a teenager, do you want me to find out if they do beginner classes for adults?

Yeah, sounds good! Thankyou!

I picked up horseriding (as in proper lessons) at age 24 and have been at it ever since :) I'm sure there are some schools you can try for private lessons. I'd start with private one on one lessons before going into group lessons (you need to learn something of an independent seat and arena etiquette before riding in a group). There should be some places around Plenty Valley, out of Diamond Creek, Hurstbridge, etc.
Otherwise, you could always take up Zumba and get some dancing, an outlet once a week and a friend-making activity all in one :)

You could always try something like belly dancing or salsa dancing where everyone in the beginners class is really a beginner?

what about pole dancing?

Lots of good suggestions there. I've been to many salsa classes with DW and had a lot of fun, always plenty of beginners around too.

IMHO everyone should learn an instrument. You can buy a keyboard cheaply, use headphones and take classes or you could join a drumming circle (more fun but louder at home to practice!).

:happydance: Mayaness - after I posted last I did a quick look up in the yellow pages and rang a couple of horse riding schools and amnow booked in for my very first private lesson tomorrow afternoon! You wouldn't believe how excited I am! I think I'm nearly going to pee myself!! :spit: (I wish there was a smiley for laughing so hard you pee yourself!!) I am going to one in Wonga Park. What made you take it up at 24?

Sagres and Danielle_NZ - Great suggestions. I've thought about pole dancing before because I like the acrobatics of it, but I couldn't find anything within a distance I was willing to travel, and then I got pregnant! I have also thought about belly dancing before but since being pregnant my hips have really locked up and I think I would find it frustrating if I felt clunky because I used to have really good hip movements. Although that might be what I need to loosen them up....hmmmm :think:

I took up swing dancing about 1/2 year before i got pregnant with Jett with DH, but I had to stop with pelvic instability (the cause of my locked-up hips!) and it is something we both intend to go back to. If you ever want something that is totally fun and carefree to do with your partner, swing dancing is awesome!! People continue with it through their pregnancies too and apparently not one of them has ever gone over their EDD :rofl:

Might look in to some other dance classes too. Or take up Zumba because I have had my eye on that for quite some time too!

For those that are interested.

Enpoint school of ballet does adult classes and the adult class is Tuesday morning at 9.30am until 10.30. Most of the ladies have never done ballet before and half the class is pilates based excercise and then some ballet. It's more fun than serious ballet! For adults the Tuesday morning class and Zumba are the only classes available, but for kids they offer ballet, jazz, pilates and contemporary. For serious beginner adult ballet There is Elance who only do adult classes.

My sister has just started gymnastics for adults :) She was a fabulous gymnast as a kid, and has always been super flexible, so she has a bit of a head start but she did say half the class are literally beginners. She's loving it! It's a great workout and really fun.

Just wanted to recommend elance for adult ballet. It has serious beginners but also more advanced classes. I did ballet all through my pg with dd and hope to go back soon.

What about martial arts? I started a martial art as an adult nearly 10 years ago and haven't looked back. In fact, lots of adults start with no previous background. We've had some 40+ year olds start for the first time in their lives and absolutely love it. It's good because you join and you learn at your own pace, you don't have to keep up with anyone but yourself.

Stuff I've done as an adults as an absolute beginner:

• horse-riding lessons. I enjoyed it but it ended up getting quite expensive just for lessons
• flamenco classes. lots of fun. cant remember why I stopped. good workout
• belly dancing. loads of fun. stopped due to SPD in pregnancy. this is great to help you loosen your hips.
• tango. the best partner dance in the world. stopped when I moved city and couldnt find one near me. to be taken up again sometime in the future. Dh will be dragged along until he loves it :)
• yoga. great for mind and body. stopped due to SPD. will take up again when i can
• pole dancing. 1 lesson. ouch!
• ceroc. like rock n roll but not as hard as the jive. if you can swing dance, you'll pick it up quickly. lots of fun
• salsa. decided tango was more fun and went back.

Are you after something to do by yourself or with a friend or DH?

The Space on Chapel does classes for all sorts of dance, absolute beginner through professionals, they are ace fun too.

Awesome! I finally took it up after years of annual trail riding and desperately wanting a horse since I was about 4yo! Finally got an old horse from a family friend that my parents bought for my 20th birthday (he just happened to be up for sale) and I got free agistment...the problem was that the agistment was in Warragul and I was in Upwey! So, after a few years of not very frequent visits and some dangerous exploits (he was old but still Off The Track Thoroughbred that I sometimes took out on the Korumburra road, or just pelted around their paddock in...I had no proper riding skills!) I decided to make the most of him and moved him to Lysterfield. Started proper lesson shortly after that, he died about 6 months later (spectacular fall I had and he got sick after that, had to be PTS). 6 months after that I got my current steed, who is now 14yo, has been my competition partner and we've learned heaps off each other, with so much more to go - having kids threw a serious spanner into the training works. Now I have him on my farm, with another two and two ponies for the kids (it's in my blog, in my sig). Kinda just built its own momentum ;) Never looked back and it changed my life.
I'd love to take up Irish Dancing lessons again - you've inspired me!

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do you live in melbourne? i know of somewhere that does great adult riding lessons- group ones

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oohhh where is that?? i could so do that!

Thanks everyone! Some brilliant ideas and very encouraging stories!!

Laranna - do you know that martial arts is something that has never crossed my mind at all? But it really is a brilliant idea!

Tashybabe - you have done some brilliant aa\ctivities! I am looking for something just for me to have some time to myself that has nothing to do with work or my home duties!! Swing dancing will eventually get returned to with DH, so I am saving the partner stuff for that! I loved it too much to just abandon it! Yoga is out - I have to
admit I get bored! I love watching flamenco, so it is certainly something I would love to try. I looked at it many years ago but there wasn't anything close by.

Arcadia - I've just seen the Elance Adult Ballet School website - it looks fantastic and at suitable times! That is one of the most frustrating things about adult dance classes, they presume that everyone that wants to take up adult dancing is a bored housewife and wants to dance only between the hours of 9 and 3. I work, so need AH classes!

Mayaness - Irish dancing - I would love to do that too!

Cassius - I've booked in for a private lesson at Parkview Riding Centre in Wonga Park. It is an indoor centre and she said that they move you in to a group lesson when you are ready.

I feel a little silly saying this but I actually took swimming lessons as an adult. I only ever did them at primary school and could never do it properly so took classes a few years ago. I loved it. I moved away from the area so had to stop.

What about an art class?
I'd love to go and do horse riding :)


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

Indie - don't feel silly about that! I think it is really admirable of you. Most people shrink with embarrassment and make excuses as to why they don't swim/swim well/avoid water any deeper than their big toe. You did it because you felt you had something to learn from it which is why any of us take up lessons in anything. :thumbsup:

Zarava - Art class is a great idea, and one day I will! I'm not sure I would really get the enjoyment out of them that I am craving right now. I also think I personally need to do something that gets me moving. I sit at a computer all day at work so kind of feel like I need the blood to start pumping IYKWIM. I'll let you know how I go horse riding tomorrow. You must have places up your way that have them?

For those wondering about horse riding, my lesson was fantastic! And not once did I feel like a nuffy for trying to learn at 'my age'! So if anyone thinks this might be something they would like to give a go to, I say go for it!!! There was even another lady there who was older than me having her second lesson! So definitely not alone taking up horse riding at this age!

Awesome, chick! Did you have the 3rd day DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)? Keep us posted - maybe a separate thread about learning horse riding? If blogs had been invented when I started I woulda done one ;)

I sure did get the DOMS!!! I thought I was going to stiffen up tin-man style!!! But I'm feeling great again now! Ready for my next lesson on Saturday!

A blog is a great idea, I might just have to do that!

My friend recently took up swing dancing. She said it is a good workout and no need to have done dancing before. Also no need for a partner as they just pair you up and if there are too many girls they takes turns being the guy. Glad your horse riding went well!

Can't remember if I mentioned it in this thread or not, but I did start swing dancing a number of years back with DH, in exactly that setting you describe, and we both loved it. I had to stop when I got pregnant with DS because of pelvic instability. We've never got back to it, but we've promised ourselves that one day we would, but we are keeping it as an activity to do as a couple.

But I absolutely recommend it to anyone! It is heaps of fun, low pressure, and fairly easy to learn. In fact I even looked up the class timetable earlier today and finally found a class I think we can make it to. Just have to arrange babysitters! Will talk to DH about it tonight....

Keep suggestions and experiences coming though, because I am sure there are people in the same boat as me that are after suggestions for new hobbies!

Ouchies on DOMS! I reckon I'll get it when I hop on next - it's been about 3 weeks and counting since I mounted up last...damn this rain and the track up to our hill top being treacherously slippery! I reckon you'll be right after Saturday's lesson :)

I took up pole dancing at the start of last year. I got 3 months of it before I got pg and had to quit, I have gone back to it now when DD was about 10 weeks old and I am LOVING it! It is for everyone of every size!

And WOOHOO to the horse lessons!! Sounds like it went awesomely! as a rider myself, there is nothing like riding a horse! LOL!

OMG I want to do horse riding lessons and Ballet now :lol:

But my hobby is sewing and I struggle to find the time to do that but will definitely chat to DH about me getting out and doing something away from home without the girls :)

Something I'd like to try (and add to my collection of stuff tried) is go-go dancing. That looks like fun.

Go-go dancing? I didn't know you could get lessons for that. It sounds like awesome fun though! Bollywood dancing is another I reckon I could give a go to!

Beema- you'll just have to hop on that Lear jet we keep talking about and come over and we'll go to ballet together!!!! And horseriding in the afternoon! :rofl:

I am loving this thread! Once this bub is born I am hoping to start kayaking, and have just started playing the flute as an adult beginner - thoroughly loving it, even if I am butchering Bridge over Troubled Water at the moment :)

I would love to start horseriding, have wanted to do it ever since I was a little kid, but am worried it'd be quite expensive. Maybe one of these days...

Kayaking is a fantastic idea!! I did that in late high school and loved it. I'd completely forgotten about it!

Another awesome thread I missed the first time round!