Sports are probably one of the best stress busters out there and individually, are known to lift those spirits. However, when the sun shines bright or it pours heavily, outdoor play might seem far-fetched. So, we’ve compiled a list of sports you can play indoors and have a ball doing so. The best bit? You can play this all year round and no amount of bad weather can stop it.
Lift Those Spirits: Indoor Sports You Can Play In The City
Table Tennis
This fun sport, also called ping-pong, is great for those who want to improve their flexibility. Table Tennis was born back in the 1880s with the urge to develop an indoor version of lawn tennis. Played on a table with paddles, it’s an indoor variation of tennis. While many of us have gone doe-eyed watching some great matches on TV, you can master some form of it and get that daily workout too.
Where: JLTTA (Jayesh Lakhani Table Tennis Academy), which was established in 2000 is the top academy for table tennis in Mumbai. They offer multiple types of coaching options. If you're a beginners go for the Level 1 course where you'll learn the basics.
Centres: Juhu, Santacruz, Ghatkopar, Andheri, Malad, BKC
Squash
While most of us are familiar with the term, not many of us have actually played it. It’s a great workout, with two or four players who strike the ball with their rackets and hit it against the walls of the court. Apart from it being a lot of fun, it helps you stay fit, improves your cardiovascular strength and helps you remain flexible. Also, who knows? You could end up making new friends too.
Where: NSCI Mumbai, Garware Club, The Club (only members)
Centres: Worli, Churchgate, Andheri respectively
However, if you want to learn this indoor game, you can head to Indian Squash Professionals, an NGO which promotes squash in India. Apart from organising tournaments, they also have coaching camps for those who want to learn Squash.
Bowling
We’ve all done this as teenagers and have actually forgotten how much fun this can be. Go along with a bunch of friends and make a fun evening of it, followed by dinner. While the fun bit is ensuring that the resin ball enters and sticks to the right lane, you also get a great muscle workout with it.
Where: Smaaash, The Game
Centres: Lower Parel, Worli
Apart from these gaming zones, you can also head to multiple malls which have bowling alleys within them. For more places to learn bowling, check here.
Badminton
We keep cheering our Indian team and know enough about this sport for us to go on and describe it. What makes it special is that it is more of a community game and can be played in turns and with different players. A good one-hour of this is the best exercise you can get. You can actually play this anywhere, as long as you have some decent area to run around.
Where: North Indian Association Mumbai (for amazing coaching classes), Andheri Sports Club (for simply playing the sport)
Centres: Sion, Andheri
There are many more badminton courts in which you can learn, practice and play the sport. Here's a handy list.
Kick Boxing
Think of kick boxing as a mixture of martial arts, karate and boxing. Gradually gaining importance in India, this sport literally lets your inner aggression out and diverts it to energize the physical and mental health. While it can be practiced as a regular sports, more and more youngsters are seeing this sport as a useful skill of self defense. Find more places here.
Where: Priyadarshani Park
Centres: Nepean Sea Road
Pistol Shooting
As children, we all loved aiming and shooting at balloons in fun n fairs. And if you're still not over it, you can actually pursue this passion by learning about to shoot with pistols, riffles or air-guns. And trust us, this sport brings along accuracy, helps improve attention and precision as well. If you're looking fore more options, read here.
Where: Maharashtra Rifle Association
Centers: Worli
While, this one's the most popular, there are many shooting academies in Mumbai. Here's a list of our favourite ones.
Where: Maharashtra Rifle Association
Centers: Worli
While, this one's the most popular, there are many shooting academies in Mumbai. Here's a list of our favourite ones.
Boxing
Boxing makes for a fun and intense workout! If you're tired of hitting the gym with the same-old boring treadmill and weights workout, then this might absolutely be the challenge you needed. Plus, as an added bonus, we could all be a bit more skilled when it comes to self defense, right?
Where: CultFit gyms across the city
Centres: Across the city
If you like boxing, you may also like MMA, and most of these gyms also teach boxing. Read on here.
Indoor Football or Futsal
Love football but really don't like the heat or the monsoons? Then you can opt for a game of indoor football or Futsal. This version of football is played with smaller teams - think 5 people per team - and is ideal for an urban setup. It's a great way to grab some friends and enjoy a friendly competition.
Where: Futsal Association of Mumbai
Centres: Apna Ghar Turf, Lokhandwala Complex
You can also book indoor turfs across the city like Tiger Play in Andheri.
Indoor Swimming
Swimming is a great way to burn those calories and stay fit too. For a city like Mumbai, where it is hot and sultry most of the year around, swimming is a great way to cool off and get in your cardio for the day.
Where: C'est La Vie
Centres: Bandra West
The best part is you don't need a membership to spend a day at the pool at C'est La Vie. It will cost you INR 800 per day. If you're looking for more places to swim without a membership, check out this list.
