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

5 a side, 11 a side, all football can be dangerous. I got a compound fracture of my arm playing at one of those Powerleague places (barged into the boards by a fat git).

I've retired now.

5 a side that often turns into 7 or 8 a side

if it helps, I used to play footie to a pretty good representative standard (equivalent of 'county'), and found badders to be alot tougher for agility and stamina. I stopped footie at a point somewhere before your dh sounds like he is now. fed up of getting kicked by pub teams. It's a loss, but he has to think flexibly (as well as remaining so..).

I was going to suggest something like badminton also.

He needs to find a non-contact sport really.

Has he tried the gym? Going to a leisure centre is a good option cos you can alternate between things such as that and badminton and swimming, etc. - all of which are demanding but don't involve injury if you are careful with your prep.

There is also a healthier social aspect to it as the shower and coffee-shop is normally a lot healthier (and better smelling) than the pub - which is where we would always end up after the footie.

lol, does he actually want to stop playing football? or are you trying to get him to stop. he is a grown man fgs. i could just see my dh face if i said to him "ok so you hurt yourself too much playing footie, i am signing you up for badminton instead"

i came into the men's room to get lots of advice from the men - for which thanks. i suspected if i went into another corner of the talkboard i would get a lot of "who does she think she is ordering her husband to stop playing football"stuff. of course he is a grown man, of course i can't stop him doing what he wants. and of course when he is constantly injured i will try and suggest alternatives that might help family life generally.

Pan your comments very useful - thank you!

Story - my dad was..wait for it..'All Scottish Amatuer Badminton Chamnpionship Quarter Finalist 1953'! (big game up there.)

ON his 60th birthday he challenged me to a three set game. I was 30, strongerand fitter. All the extended family had to watch.

He won. 21-0, 21-0, 21-1. I only scored my precious point because he was in fits of laughter at my thrashings round the court, as he stood more-or-less still in the middle of his court,whilst I tried vainly to return his perfectly placed returns, side-to-side, back and front.

oh how I laughed.

thats pretty impressive, i have to admit i thought badminton was a bit airy fairy. but i have nothing to base this on as i havent played it.
mousie, i didnt realise i had wandered into the mens room soz

" i have to admit i thought badminton was a bit airy fairy.."

Noooo!!

'tis perfect as a footie alternative.

but can you bet on it of a saturday afteroon?

i played badminton for the local sports centre until a 6th former whacked me on the head and said 'ooh bad luck' put me right off

Bit late on this as I have been on holiday but how about rowing? Are you near the river?

yup, near the river and both of us used to row. guess time is against him on this one, commitment-wise. badminton tempts me too i must say! though i am sure having me tagging along is not what he has in mind..

I'm an ex-rugby player who is now a keen badminton player. It's a great work out, once you've got to a decent standard and is always followed by a couple of pints down the pub I find. Much better than squash. Has someone suggested mountain biking? (haven't read whole thread) That's a good social activity too...