33 Fun (And Beneficial) Hobbies For Women In Their 30s

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Last Updated on August 21, 2024 by Alexandra Markin

Are you entering your 30s and feel like you need some new hobby ideas? Wether you’re a student or working full-time, this is the ultimate list of fun (and beneficial!) hobbies for women in their 30s!

Even as a busy student, it’s important not to neglect hobbies. Speaking from personal experience, you can’t study (or work) all the time – you need to have balance in your life to help prevent burnout.

As a women in her 30s (37 years old as I write this post), I’ve tried most of the hobbies on this list and many of them now have a permeant place in my life.

One of the great things about hobbies is that there are no skills required. The true beauty of a hobby is teaching yourself something new and watching yourself grow.

If your new hobby doesn’t work out, you can always sell any supplies or equipment on Facebook Marketplace. In fact, reselling second-hand items has been a money-making hobby of mine for over a decade!

Click in the table of contents below to jump to any section you feel most drawn to!

Active Hobbies For Women

Not only can active hobbies help keep your body in shape, physical activity may facilitate your cognitive function, resulting in increased learning, remembering and problem solving capacity.

As a student, this is a big bonus to having an active hobby!

Try some of these active hobbies for women in their 30s to help keep fit AND improve your study sessions.

Walking

Not only is walking relaxing, it’s a great way to get some fresh air and explore places in your area you’ve never seen before.

I’ve always liked walking, but during the pandemic I started walking 5K+ every day. I would listen to podcasts or audiobooks on Audible while exploring the city.

Now with “Hot Girl Walks” trending on TikTok in 2022, walking is becoming more popular than ever.

You’ll never really know your area until you explore on foot. There is no limit to what you will learn when you go out for a walk!

Yoga

You don’t need a membership to an expensive yoga studio to practice yoga. Although I do love going to classes to be around others with a similar mindset, there are many great YouTube videos you can do in your living room.

Yoga is great for relaxation, stress release and building strength and flexibility, all important considerations for women in their 30s.

Two of my favourite Yoga channels are Yoga With Adriene and SarahBethYoga. Put away your studies and pull out your laptop and yoga mat to energize and recharge.

Exotic Dance Classes

Want to spice up your life but didn’t try any exotic dance classes in your 20s? It’s never too late to try them in your 30s!

I always wanted to try pole fitness, so a few years ago I bought a 10-class pass on Groupon. I had no idea just how hard it was, and I ended up with bruises in weird places! I didn’t even use all of my 10 classes, but at least now I can check “Try Pole Fitness” off my bucket list.

Pole fitness wasn’t for me, but it’s great for building strength. If you decide you love it and want to take it up as a permeant hobby, you can buy a pole to install in your house for daily practice (and believe me, you’ll need it!) Safety tip – don’t buy a cheap one!

Here are some other ideas of exotic dance classes you can try out as a hobby!

• Pole Dance (also called pole fitness)
• Ariel Fitness
• Burlesque
• Belly Dancing
• Hip Hop

Classic Dance Classes

If you like dance but aren’t interested in anything exotic, try a classic dance class. You never know who you might meet at a dance class, and you’ll learn a lifelong skill.

Some types of classic dance like Swing have an entire culture built around it. There are many different swing dance events and competitions you can attend, and some you can even travel for.

Try some of these classic dance classes:

• Ballroom
• Ballet
• Contemporary
• Jazz
• Tap
• Folk
• Modern
• Swing
• Irish
• Salsa

Team Sports

If you’re someone who enjoys a team atmosphere, then a team sport can be a great hobby for women in their 30s. Contact your local recreation or community centre to see what sports they offer that interest you.

Here are some team sport ideas:

• Volleyball (indoor or outdoor)
• Badminton
• Softball
• Basketball
• Soccer

Solo Sports

Don’t play well with others? Me either. Fortunately, there are lots of sports you can do solo. Join a class or venture out on your own and try one of these solo sports until you find one you love.

• Kickboxing
• Ice Skating
• Barre
• Pilates
• Golf
• Skiing
• Swimming
• Rock climbing
• Fencing
• Horseback riding
• Cycling
• Paddleboarding
• Kayaking
• Archery

Tennis

One of my favourite active hobbies is tennis. It’s very inexpensive to start and has the potential to meet others (romantic or otherwise!) Grab yourself a cheap racket and some balls from Amazon and you’re on your way.

Bonus – you get to shop for cute tennis outfits!

Don’t worry if you don’t have a partner for tennis. Get yourself to a public tennis court to find out how easy it is to find others to play with!

Running Races

Running is a great way to get some fresh air and keep yourself in shape. It’s also a temporary escape from reality, allowing you to process your thoughts or listen to an energizing playlist.

If you have an Amazon Prime Student account, the Amazon Music streaming service is included for free so you can keep adding your new favourite songs to your running playlist.

Running as a hobby doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon or any kind of race, but if you want to really get into it, the culture around running is incredibly inclusive. Many people travel all over the world to run races of all different lengths: 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathons.

A few years ago I traveled to San Diego California to run the Kaiser Permanente Thrive 5K. It was such an amazing experience, and there is something to be said for collecting finisher medals. I don’t run much anymore, but I highly recommend trying running races as one of the most satisfactory hobbies for women in their 30s!

Not sure how to get started with training? Specialty running stores often organize weekly run clubs that will help you train for your race goals.

Weight Lifting

Weight lifting is a great way to build both strength and confidence for women in their 30s. A US study shows that resistance training may promote bone development, which can be extremely beneficial in helping to prevent osteoporosis later in life, something we as women need to be careful to avoid.

I’ve been weight lifting for years and it’s something I’ll never give up. I even pack a set of resistance bands every time I travel. If you’re not a fan of going to the gym, purchase a set of dumbells and turn your living room into a private workout space.

Hiking

If you’re lucky enough to live by forests, mountains or trails, then you really need to give hiking a try.

Hiking is such a fantastic way to connect with the beauty of nature, surrounding yourself with streams, lakes, mature woods and maybe even an animal or two.

Get yourself some good hiking boots (my favourite brand is Merrell), a backpack and some sunscreen and head out to explore the wonder nature has to offer.

Being from British Columbia, Canada, I’ve always found hiking the perfect way to take a break from my studies and come back recharged.

With so much to look at, you won’t even notice you’ve hit your 10,000 steps!

Relaxing Hobbies For Women

Life in your 30s can get really busy. It’s a time when you may be going back to school, raising a family or building your career, so it’s important to give time to activities you enjoy and help you relax.

Try some of these relaxing hobbies for women in their 30s to help you step away from the busyness of everyday life.

Reading

I feel that reading is one of the most beneficial hobbies on this list as it can improve your life tremendously for little to no cost. There is benefit in reading both fiction and non-fiction.

Check books out of the library for free, buy used on Amazon to save some cash, or subscribe to Audible to listen to books on the move (perfect to pair with hobby #1 on this list – walking!)

Even if you’re a student and are swamped with reading textbooks, don’t give up reading for pleasure or self-improvement. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

Read Or Write Poetry

Reading or writing poetry can be a relaxing hobby no matter what your university major. It allows you to play with rhyme, rhythm and imagery – just a few elements of a poem.

Wether you upload your poems to a blog, post anonymously or just write for yourself, poetry is a hobby worth trying if you like writing.

Gardening

Gardening as a hobby doesn’t have to mean maintaining a full-blown garden – you can have a small flower garden or grow some plants on your balcony. You could even try growing some herbs in your kitchen so you can snip some fresh basil into a tomato and avocado salad.

Having something low maintenance to care for can help relieve stress while learning about food, flowers and plants.

Flower Arranging

Flower arranging is a great hobby for women in their 30s. How nice would it be to keep fresh flowers in your home that you put together yourself?

If you like expressing your creative and artistic skills to create something you can enjoy daily, give flower arranging a try.

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is the art of constructing decorative handwriting or lettering with a special pen or brush.

If you’re a student who always types your notes, it’s easy to forget how to handwrite! In this digital age, it can be very relaxing to actually put pen to paper using beautiful writing.

Grab a calligraphy pen, some high-quality paper or a notebook and find yourself a YouTube tutorial to learn this new skill.

You can create beautiful notes that you’ll actually want to study, plan in your bullet journal or handwrite cards to family and friends.

Bullet Journaling

Bullet journaling (also called BuJo for short) is a mix of keeping a traditional journal, drawings, to-do-lists and habit trackers. Instead of lined pages, bullet journals are either blank or dotted to freely facilitate any kind of page creation that suits you.

Bullet journaling is a hobby I picked up in 2021 and have loved ever since. I’m usually a digital planner, but keeping a bullet journal has helped me track my goal progress in a very different way.

There is something relaxing about putting pen to paper and seeing your plans come alive in an aesthetic way.

Pair this hobby with calligraphy to create a journal full of organized and aesthetic plans.

If you’re interested in keeping a student bullet journal to become more organized and get better grades, check out the post Essential Bullet Journal Spreads for Students!

Painting

There are so many different types of painting: oil, watercolour, acrylic. Painting also doesn’t have to be on a canvas – you can paint furniture, walls, glass, etc.

Grab a cute painting smock and just get started! Don’t worry if your paintings don’t look like Picasso – the expert in anything was once a beginner.

Pottery Or Ceramics

Do you like working with your hands? Then pottery might be the perfect hobby for you.

Channel your creative vision into something decorative or useful – a fruit bowl, mug, plate, vase, etc. The possibilities of pottery are endless.

You can even pair your pottery hobby with painting! Local community centres often offer drop-in classes to help you begin or refine your pottery skills.

Knitting

Contrary to popular belief, knitting isn’t a hobby reserved just for older women. While I’ve haven’t personally tried knitting yet, my cousin (who’s in her mid 30s) has developed a whole knitting skillset and makes socks, sweaters, scarves and blankets for herself. It’s impressive!

Knitting is a perfect hobby you can do while watching your favourite shows on Amazon Prime. Doing something productive while watching your favourite crime drama? Yes please!

If you’re feeling generous, you can even knit items to gift to family and friends.

Related post: Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Female University Students

Money-Making Hobbies For Women

This is my favourite section of this hobbies list – ones that have the potential to make you money!

Unless you try a new hobby, you’ll never know if you might excel at it. As a student it’s important to save money, but it’s also important to make money to help fund tuition and school expenses. This section may help you do just that, all while enjoying yourself!

See if any of these money-making hobbies for women in their 30s speak to you. If you’re interested, you’ll never know until you try!

Blogging

I’ve always loved writing, but had no idea that one day it would become my full-time job!

If you enjoy expressing yourself through words and working online, blogging might be the perfect money-making hobby for you to try.

It took me several years of having a blog as a hobby to start making money, and I wish I had invested in more blogging courses much earlier. If you’re serious about blogging as a hobby, I recommend taking Stupid Simple SEO and Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and affiliate marketing are the keys to making passive income in blogging.

These courses are worth every penny and have paid for themselves many times over.

If you’re not ready to invest in a course, grab a domain name and web hosting and teach yourself by doing, which is what I did in the beginning. I recommend using WordPress as your blog platform and WPBeginner for really in-depth, 100% free tutorials.

Reselling Second-Hand Items

This has been a hobby of mine for over a decade. I now sell exclusively on Facebook Marketplace, but before that I sold on Craigslist.

I only sell items that I have around my house. I started selling on Facebook Marketplace during the pandemic and have consistently made over $100 per month. Since November 2020, I have made just over $3,700.

I sell items anywhere from $2 to $100+ and sell just about everything: clothes, shoes, kitchen items, DVDs and even miscellaneous items such as TV remotes and leftover home DIY supplies. You can sell pretty much anything on Facebook Marketplace if you leave it listed long enough!

Reselling is a great way to learn about people, declutter your house and put some extra tax-free cash in your pocket.

Fun/Exciting Hobbies For Women

Of course, what classifies as fun for one person may not be for another. However, the hobbies in this section will help fulfill your need for fun and excitement.

Life is full of good times at any age if you make it so. Step outside your comfort zone and try some of these fun and exciting hobbies for women in their 30s.

Traveling

Travel isn’t just a hobby for me – it’s one of my life passions. It’s a great way to expand your horizons and see what the world really has to offer.

Traveling doesn’t always have to mean international – it can be local day trips or vacations in your province or country. I do both and can say from experience they are both equally rewarding.

As a women in her 30s, seeing the world can help you grow as a person. You learn so much about yourself and other cultures. Pair this hobby with learning another language and see how far your dreams can take you.

I want to travel every chance I get – which is why I chose to do my degree online rather than attend traditional, in-person instruction.

Wine Tasting

Wine tasting is a fantastic hobby if you love wine! It’s much more than just squished grapes in a bottle – there is a whole industry dedicated to the art of tasting wine.

I didn’t start to fully appreciate the beauty of wine until I was in my 30s, so this is a great hobby to take up in this stage of your life.

Build or refine your wine tasting skills by taking a course. Coursera offers a Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis course, or if you want to gain even more proficiency look into becoming a Sommelier!

Grab some friends and attend a wine festival to get the juices flowing, or host a wine tasting night to share your favourites.

Mixology

If wine isn’t your thing, try mixology – the art of mixing ingredients to create cocktails.

Get on Google or YouTube to learn some new recipes and build a beautiful collection of glassware, stemware and shakers. Go ahead – create that beautiful bar cart you’ve been lusting after!

If you want to take it a step further, enroll in an online bartending course through Udemy.

Become a DJ

Do you have a knack for music? Women DJs are in high demand for parties, weddings and special events.

If you like mixing music, have an ear for sound and love to get out and socialize, becoming a DJ is a hobby you’ll want to try.

Acting/Voice Over Class

Always though about acting or voice over? Take a class and find out if it’s a hobby you want to take up.

I took both an acting and voice over class and while it was a fun weekend, it wasn’t something I wanted to add to my hobby arsenal, but everyone is different.

Photography

Photography is a great hobby to get you out and about and experience life through the camera lens.

It helps sharpen your creative ability, inspire your imagination and works as a wonderful stress reliever.

Switch around the selfie angle (no judging though if that’s what you’re into!) and take some snaps of the people, places and objects around you on your journey throughout the day.

Don’t worry about getting a fancy camera right away. All you need to start your photography hobby is the camera that comes with your smartphone.

Educational/Self-Improvement Hobbies For Women

Volunteering

You may be thinking “Why would I spend my time volunteering for free when I’m already busy with a full-time job/school?” The answer is because the benefits far outweigh the time you give, for both parties involved.

When you’re in your 30s, networking and giving back become more important than in your 20s. Volunteering allows you to do both of these things simultaneously. Charitable causes and events rely on volunteers to make their events happen, and we rely on these events to give back to our communities while reaping other benefits.

The benefits of volunteering allow you to meet new friends, learn new things and network with like-minded individuals who could help you advance in your career. Each time you volunteer yields new opportunities and sometimes you receive a nominal payment, such as a free ticket to the event you’re working.

Here are some fun (and beneficial) volunteer ideas:

• Spending time at a seniors home (by visiting, singing or playing an instrument)
• Working a community event, such as a marathon or festival
• Charity galas
• Societies, such as The Canadian Cancer Society
• Animal shelters
• Working with underprivileged youth, such as through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada

I’ve been volunteering my entire life, but the events I enjoyed volunteering at the most occurred in my 30s. Some of my favourite volunteering times were at the British Columbia Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA – BC branch), Vancouver International Wine Festival (in which volunteers earned a free ticket to one of the tasting nights) and the Canadian Cancer Society.

It is said that the greatest gift you can give is your time, and the older I get, the more I agree. Time is precious, so spend it wisely.

Learn To Code

If you have a logical-type mind and enjoy tech, learning how to code may be a hobby worth pursuing. As the world moves more and more online, coding is in high demand.

Coding is a hobby you can easily turn into a freelance business as people always need help building a website or app.

Head to Codecademy to take a few courses or explore all the different coding languages on YouTube: HTML, Java, C++, etc.

I took a beginner Java Programming course as an elective for my Bachelor of Commerce and loved it so much that I changed my degree to Computing Science.

If you’re interested, you can read my full story about how I decided on a Computing Science degree.

Healthy/Mindful Hobbies For Women

In your 30s, health becomes even more important than in your 20s. Try some of these healthy/mindful hobbies for women in their 30s that can benefit your physical and mental health.

Refine Your Cooking Skills

You probably already know how to cook, but what about adding some new cuisines to your recipe book?

With so many different cuisines from around the world, this is a hobby that could last well past your 30s. Indian, Thai, Ukrainian, French, Spanish and Greek name just a few of the hundreds of options.

Vegan and vegetarian diets are also on the rise, so why not give ‘Meatless Mondays’ a try?

Learn To Bake

If you love being in the kitchen, baking is another great hobby you might want to try.

From muffins to pastry, the baking recipes are endless. My favourite thing about baking is that it allows you to make your recipes ‘healthier’ if it suits your diet – less sugar, less fat, plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk, etc.

Keep in mind that baking isn’t only for sweets. During the pandemic I taught myself how to make this Roasted Garlic & Rosemary No-Knead Artisan Bread recipe by House of Nash Eats. I had never made bread before and was terrified that I was going to mess it up, but it turned out great! It’s now a staple in my house.

Go ahead and give baking a try.

Nutrition

Vitamin B12, iron, GABA, melatonin, oh my. The world of nutrition plays a huge role in our lives, and most of us don’t have a clue how it all really works.

Wether we like it or not, the fact of the matter is our bodies change in our 30s. Gone are the days of eating McDonalds for dinner and coffee for breakfast – our bodies need more nutritious food to help us look and feel our best.

Nutrition as a hobby can be a huge benefit in your 30s. You probably already know about the 3 main food macros (protein, carbohydrates and fat), but actually learning how they work can really benefit your lifestyle.

Educating yourself about all the different vitamins and how they affect your body not only can be interesting, but you may just discover something that you have been missing in your diet.

Taking a course on nutrition and learning about what’s actually in your diet may be the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself.

Meditation

Meditation is much more than just sitting on the floor with your legs crossed and eyes closed. So what is meditation exactly? It can be defined as “The act of giving your attention to only one thing, either as a religious activity or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed.” – Cambridge Dictionary.

Related content: Benefits of Meditation For Students

Taking up meditation as a hobby is a great way to help you stay relaxed and focused during all life’s situations – especially during exam time.

Have an exam coming up? Check out these inspirational exam quotes that will help you do your best!

Have you tried any hobbies on this list? Share your favourites in the comments below!

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