Ideas for activities and sports

A woman shrugging her shoulders with her hands out.

If you do not know what activity or sport you want to do, you could think about why you want to do an activity.

A woman shrugging her shoulders with her hands out. In front of her are a man and a woman with their hands raised waving hello.

Do you want to meet new people?

A man with a football facing 3 players and a goal keeper.

If you want to meet new people, you could try a team sport.

For example football, basketball or netball.

A man in a wheelchair using a weights machine.

Do you want to exercise on your own?

If you want to exercise on your own, you could try an activity or sport you can do on your own.

For example walking, running or swimming.

A man wearing a tracksuit with his thumb up.

Do you want to try something new?

If you want to try something new, you could think about activities you might enjoy and try them.

For example rowing or golf.

A boy holding a football, a set of cricket stumps, bat and ball and a girl holding a tennis racket.

You could go to multisports sessions. Multisports sessions let you try out lots of different activities and sports.

A woman standing on the edge of a swimming pool.

Try lots of different activities. Then keep doing the ones you enjoy the most.

A child climbing on bars in a school gym

Think about any activities and sports you have done before that you enjoyed.

For example, was there anything you liked doing in PE lessons at school?

Physical activities and sports you could try:

Walking

It is very easy to fit walking into your life. You could walk instead of driving, getting the bus or a taxi.

Running

You can run on your own or with family and friends. There might be a local running group you could join. All you need is a pair of trainers.

Cycling

You can cycle for fun or as a way of getting somewhere instead of getting the bus or driving. If you do not have a bike you could find a local cycling session or bike hire near you.

Football

You can play with friends and family in your local park. There might be a local football club you could join.

Swimming

You can swim in your local public swimming pool. You can do it for fun or you can have lessons to help you get better. There might be a local swimming club you could join.

A boy and a girl holding badminton rackets and a shuttlecock.

Badminton

You can play badminton at lots of leisure centres. There might be a local badminton club you could join.

Exercise in the gym

There are lots of activities you can do in the gym. You could try an exercise class or use the equipment. For example lifting weights or using the rowing machine.

A man is pictured in four different positions as he dances around with his hands in the air

Dancing

You can try dancing to music on your own or with friends. There might be a local club you could join.

There are lots of other activities and sports you can try. Look on the internet for more ideas and use the Useful Contacts page at the end of this guide to find activities where you live.

A man with his thumb up beside a piece of paper with several ticks on it.

The next part of our guide to physical activity and sport for people with a learning disability is Top tips to take part in physical activity and sport.

An easy read document with images of a man lifting a weight and a girl holding a football.

Or you can go back to the introduction to choose to go to a different part of the Let's get active guide.