alternative sport to football - suggestions please?

[Mousie]

hello

my dh plays football once a week (in theory) and absolutely loves it. the only way he can get fit, his favourite thing blah blah. except every other week he gets badly injured - broken toe, fractured ribs, ball in his face. you get the picture. he hates going to the gym, running, anything that feels like exercise and isn't a sport. I am trying to think of other sports he could do that woudl give him a bit of fitness but not get him injured and moaning on a monthly basis. he is resistant and shows up still at football whenever he is able. our bill for nurofen is going through the roof...

we are in london

[whiskeyandbeer]

unfortunately for you

football >>>> all other sports.

[whiskeyandbeer]

on another note i was gonna suggest rugby or tennis, but rugby is high impact and tennis isn't a team sport so i don't know if he'd be into individual sports.

[Mousie]

rugby i would have to say no - and mean it. we would need prescription drugs

tennis - he hasn't played before - but i guess it's a thought - can you do it in the winter months. i guess he would need lessons. what is it about football that is so fab, in spite of the persistent injuriesxxx

[Mousie]

that was meant to be??? not xxx. odd though.

[MrsBadger]

all sports get you injured

DH is / was a fencer and is paying for it now - in chronological order he has had serious (ie seeing the surgeon / having extensive physio, not two nurofen) hand, foot, ankle, knee and back injuries, and is still 'off games' till his knee is repaired.

And this is a well-run and well-refereed sport indoors in the warm where you don't run around a pitch, thump into other people or have hard balls flying around.

[pipsqueeke]

sqaush or swimming?

[Mousie]

how depressing all round. swimming would send him insane on the boredom threshold. it does me. perhaps i will have to get him strapped up and back to football after all..

[MyTwopenceworth]

Golf? Good long walk, very good exercise, fresh air.....

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

I'm with Fio - and MrsB

I remember a boy at the schoolI worked at was playing hockey and ended up with 2 broken ribs! (got tripped over and land on his stick )

[foxinsocks]

is he doing 11 a side or 5 a side?

dh does 5 a side and that seems brilliant

there are loads of pitches around London (dh plays in New Malden at Goals, I think it is called)

I reckon you end up running more in 5 a side too so it's great for fitness

[WanderingTrolley]

If he loves it and wants to continue playing you might be fighting a losing battle.

If you can come up with other suggestions for him and he's happy to take up another sport, then fair enough.

Be prepared for him to continue with the footy though.

[Doodledootoo]

Message withdrawn

[Mousie]

thanks all, you are right it is no doubt a losing battle, but i wanted a bit of inspiration since i am so fed up by his moaning about his injuries - and then back out onto the pitch again!

[Daddster]

There's always golf if you can stand the deathly boring conversation, the horrible clothes, the stupid expense, the tacky tat that goes with it and the fact you will become a golf widow.

On second thoughts, stick to the football (but make sure he's got decent permanent health insurance in case he damages something important).

He could train as a referee (for football or something else), which means he gets the exercise and excitement but none of the injuries.

[MyTwopenceworth]

no Dadster, as a ref, all his injuries will be to his tackle, courtesy of swift application of knee.

[Pan]

Badminton - perfect. Highly competetive, lots of speed and stamina needed, good level of strength preferable, agile, non-combative etc..

if he dismisses it as a puff's game, as some do, send him up here to learn differently.

[sohappyicouldcry]

Would suggest Hockey, but it can be rather physical !! Supposed to be non-contacty but doesn't always seem to include the stick !! Difference is though, you don't get thought of as a cissy for wearing protective equipment/padding.....

[MrLSG]

Cycling? Either road or mountain. Road cyclers tend to be very fit, whilst (recreational) mountain bikers tend to me just think of themselves as big kids enjoying themselves

There are clubs/groups of both in most areas if he needs some competition.

[Daddster]

How about Triathlon - competitive and physical? The start of the swimming is pretty close to a big scrap in the water.

[Gee72]

Agree with Pan - Badminton is good. Very physical, social - you could play too.

[Mousie]

convert me to badminton. sounds interesting. but no idea where in london (SW)

[Pan]

Every sports hall/centres will have courts marked out, and equipment. All you need is a badminton racquet and shuttlecocks and you're away.

[justadad]

I agree that badminton is a cracking sport.

For a more team sport you might look at volleyball - if DH is keen on a sport played with balls!
Not investigated the site properly but london volleyball association might be able to point you in the right direction.

[foxinsocks]

did you say whether he was doing 11 a side or 5 a side?