The Best Hobbies to Take Up in Canada in 2018

The year 2017 has come and gone. Where on Earth did the last 12 months go? If you feel that you haven’t achieved anything in the last year and you want to push the boundaries, make sure that 2018 is an altogether different year, filled with new hobbies and skills.

Even the world’s best poker professionals revise their lifestyles and ambitions with New Year’s resolutions, despite their multimillion-dollar success. Personal happiness and well-being revolve around new experiences and challenges, so let’s take a look at some potential hobbies that might interest you in 2018.

skiing. Canada is revered around the world for the quality of its ski destinations. The country enjoys plenty of snow with perfect powder to glide across those well-groomed runs for beginners and experienced skiers alike. If you’ve never been skiing before, now is the time to do so. It’s great exercise, it gives you the chance to soak up some breathtaking mountain scenery and a super fun social experience once you’ve arrived back at your ski village. Some of the best ski resorts can be found in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec. The most celebrated ski resort in Canada, however, is undoubtedly Whistler in the Coast Range, which is suitable for budding skiers and snowboarders.

ice hockey. If you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into during the darker, winter months, don those skates and give ice hockey a try. Sure, you might have watched the Stanley Cup before and been put off by all the macho bravado and punch-ups, but it’s a very fun, skillful game. In fact, Canada has a hugely successful national team, seven Canadian teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), as well as plenty of amateur clubs across the nation for you to join.

lacrosse. Formerly our nation’s official national sport, Lacrosse has been the most dominant and enjoyed sport for more than a century. The Canadian Lacrosse Association celebrated its 150th birthday last year, and the game remains as strong as ever with men’s, women’s and junior level action still played across all three disciplines: field, box and inter-lacrosse. Inter-lacrosse is proving particularly popular with the younger generation of Lacrosse players as it focuses more heavily on skill and is a non-contact form of the sport. If you have good hand-eye coordination, inter-lacrosse could be the game for you in 2018.

hiking. Instead of playing games with a ball and stick, an exercise alternative for 2018 would be to take up hiking. There are countless hiking opportunities in Canada, as you can imagine with the kind of terrain our nation is founded upon. There are 40 national parks and even more provincial parks situated throughout the country, all of which offer expansive, spectacular scenery and a more sedate way to burn those calories.

Whether you’re inherently sporty and looking for a new challenge or you’re something of a couch potato and needing a kick up the backside to change your lifestyle in 2018, Canada has so much to offer in the way of leisure and entertainment; never take our beautiful nation for granted! So, get up and get moving! Make 2018 one to remember.