5 Indoor Sports to Keep You Fit Over Winter

Read time 3 minutes 

The New Year is upon us and that means a lot of New Year’s resolutions surrounding health and fitness. Maybe you’re eating better, or giving the gym another go, but getting fit doesn’t have to feel like a chore!

Why not take up a sport and play your way fit? It beats enduring the monotony of the treadmill day in and day out, and you actually get to hang out with your friends instead of blowing them off to squeeze a workout in. You don’t even have to brave the outdoors while it’s still cold out.

Here are 5 indoor sports to keep you fit this winter…

Indoor Football

There are plenty of places to play football in the UK, whether you’re after 5-a-side, 7-a-side, or 11-a-side. The problem comes when winter hits and it’s 2 degrees and drizzling, and it suddenly becomes that much more difficult to find the motivation to turn up to a game.

But don’t let that stop you! You can still play football indoors, and you don’t even have to compromise on the surface. Many football centres offer indoor 3G astroturf pitches, meaning you never have to worry about the wind and rain again. In fact, if you’re based in London, we’ve already picked out some great places to play indoor football on artificial grass.

Squash

Squash is one of the best sports to play if you’re looking to get fit. When played regularly, it improves cardiovascular fitness, strength, and agility, as well as promoting good hand-eye coordination and flexibility.

Not only is squash a great way to stay fit, it’s one of a few exclusively indoor sports, meaning you can play it all year round, regardless of what the weather throws your way. All you need is a squash racket, squash balls, and another person to play against. If you don’t have the latter, plenty of leisure centres and clubs will put on leagues for you to join.

Find your local squash court with Playfinder.

Badminton

Another sport great for keeping fit, but without the same intensity of squash, is badminton. Badminton is amongst one of the most popular indoor sports, and is usually played in a sports hall, meaning there’s often plenty of places to find a court such as a local leisure centre or school.

If you’re looking for a gentler introduction to playing sport, badminton is a great place to start. You can find your local court and book online at Playfinder.

Tennis

In the UK, tennis is considered more of a summer sport, but there’s no reason it should be restricted to Wimbledon fortnight. After all, even Centre Court has a roof.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of going to your local club and paying a membership fee, you can pay as you play at indoor tennis courts in London and beyond. Browse through tennis courts near you at Playfinder.

Futsal

If you’re not familiar with futsal, check out our blog for all you need to know. In short, it’s 5-a-side football with a slighter smaller, heavier ball and a hockey-like goal. It’s more of a skill based game than football, with compact passing and quick footwork giving you the upper hand.

If you’re up to the challenge, futsal is mostly played indoors on a hard surface. Search for your local pitch here.

Image Credit: https: //www.malmstrom.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1100989/indoor-soccer-arrives-at-malmstrom/