{"id":288,"date":"2020-05-17T15:12:45","date_gmt":"2020-05-17T19:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myuprightlife.com\/?p=288"},"modified":"2020-05-29T09:44:04","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T13:44:04","slug":"12-sitting-disability-friendly-hobbies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myuprightlife.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/17\/12-sitting-disability-friendly-hobbies\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Sitting Disability-Friendly Hobbies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you have a sitting disability, you get used to rethinking daily activities. Work is often tough, transportation is a challenge, and socializing is awkward. Even your free time gets harder to manage \u2013 many hobbies are tough to adapt. Unless you\u2019re a glutton for punishment, you will probably not be racing motorcycles or kayaking. But believe it or not, there are plenty of hobbies out there that are sitting disability-friendly. Twelve of my favorite options are listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Outdoorsy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1) Hiking\/Walking. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to find an activity with a better cost\/benefit ratio. All you really need to get started is a good pair of shoes. It\u2019s good exercise, and can easily be adapted to suit most physical ability levels. Not up for a full day of backpacking? You can still try a ten-minute walk in the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also hard to think of a hobby that\u2019s more universally accessible. No matter where you live, you likely have access to an outside to walk in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is not to say the experience will be equally pleasurable everywhere. If you are overwintering in Alaska, or spending the summer in Dubai, you will have a tougher time of it than someone living in, say, New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are living in an area where safety is a concern, or where going outside is an unappealing prospect, you may be able to go to a gym, use an at-home treadmill, or travel to a well-tended public park or other safe space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Bird Watching. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Getting in touch with the natural world can be a nice dose of therapy, and bird watching is a great way to get started. It can be a great complement to an outdoor walk, but it can also be done at home. Do you have a window? Look out it long enough, and you will probably see a bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of those hobbies that can be more or less exciting depending on location and season. I gave birdwatching a shot while living in Brooklyn. Then I realized I mostly watched pigeons fighting over containers of takeout rice, and stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In North Dakota, the experience was more varied, albeit seasonal. Robins, mallards, pheasants, and grackles were common sights, and the occasional wild turkey and bald eagle would make an appearance. Even hummingbirds could be attracted with the right flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Foraging. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is another pastime that dovetails nicely with hiking, though again, it\u2019s very dependent on location and season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most nights, I spend a couple hours walking in New Jersey. And eventually I started to wonder how I could make better use of that time. New Jersey isn\u2019t called The Garden State for nothing, and I decided to learn the names of the odd plants I had never seen on the Great Plains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turned out a lot of them were edible, which made the experience even more fun. Common weeds like wood sorrel and lambs\u2019 quarters were surprisingly tasty. Wild mustard and garlic mustard were better than store-bought greens when I caught them at the right time. And once I learned when and where to look, I discovered treats like mulberries and wine berries were an easy source of free food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n